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Soil & Nutrient Management Planning Service
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This service is part of the DBnB program and assists farmers to improve nutrient use efficiency, nutrient balance management, improve soil health and to mitigate soil nutrient imbalance and loss risks. The service includes property mapping, soil analysis and technical advisory services that culminate in the development of a management plan (Soil and Nutrient Management Plan – SNMP). These farm specific plans identify soil and nutrient issues on farm and then develop a management plan to increase nutrient use efficiency and to deal with any associated risks. The plans include property maps of soil nutrient levels based on paddock soil tests, to be used as a monitoring and planning tool for future crop and pasture requirements. Fertiliser Nutrient Loss Index calculations are applied to each farm management zone and reveal to farmers the ‘hotspots’ that have the greatest risk of nutrient run-off. Farmers are provided with a plan of action that includes recommendations on:
· Balancing nutrients to best utilise available nutrients and to assist in reducing nutrient run-off.
· Matching the fertiliser and nutrient application to paddock requirements, often reducing fertiliser costs without losing production.
· Providing solutions to keep the soil in healthy condition and to protect the soil from erosion.
The Queensland Dairy NRM program have successfully developed, piloted and refined the Soil and Nutrient Management Planning Service so as to bring together a number of nutrient management tools into a farmer friendly package. The service links tools and specialist knowledge from a number of sources including:
1. Fertiliser Nutrient Loss Index: Developed by Cameron Gourley, DPI Victoria
2. Dairy Effluent Calculator: Developed by Alan Skerman, AgriScience Qld (QDEEDI)
3. Matt Redding, QDEEDI
For more information regarding the Soil and Nutrient Management Planning Service, please refer to the Dairying Better ‘n Better for the Reef program and the Q2 Coasts and Country project.
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