Second phase of the National Soil Carbon Innovations Challenge Grants commences

Angus Taylor MP, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction chose to announce the commencement of the second phase of the National Soil Carbon Innovations Challenge Grants on the 2nd February right here in Hilltops at Bill and Rhonda Daly’s property, YLAD Living Soils at Milgadara Road, Barwang.

The Federal Government is investing in healthier, more productive soils to the tune of $49 million. The second phase of the National Soil Carbon Innovations Challenge Grants will help remove the number one inhibitor to farmers seeking to improve their soil carbon – the cost of measuring it. Farmer Bill Daly explained that farmers often have to pay upwards of $25,000 to get their soil carbon tested.

However, the Grants program is seeking to reduce this cost significantly to $3 per hectare per year.

Angus Taylor said that, “Getting the cost of measurement down will make it easier for farmers, suppliers and researchers to understand the impact that different management practices have.”

“Moreover, this is the first step in making it easier for farmers to demonstrate how they are reducing Australia’s emissions and be rewarded for their efforts.”

As we know, carbon is the main building block of all organic molecules. Scientists have shown that soils are amassing the cumulative carbon and nutrient capture from plant production, and the largest amount of carbon present on the land is not in the living plants but is instead stored in soil organic matter.

It has taken a while, but that understanding is now finding its way into discussions of the carbon cycle.

More carbon is stored in soils than in all plants, all animals and the atmosphere combined.

Soil organic matter contains an estimated four times as much carbon as living plants, and in fact carbon stored in all the world’s soils is two to three times the amount in the atmosphere.

As soil organic matter is depleted, it becomes a source of carbon dioxide for the atmosphere.

It’s therefore vital for the health of farms and the environment at large to have healthy soil carbon.

Farmers can earn income or carbon credits through the Emissions Reduction Fund for increasing the amount of carbon in their soils.

As Bill Daly can testify, increasing soil carbon stocks improve productivity and crop yields through better nutrient and water retention.

It also boosts resilience against drought and erosion, and lowers fertilization costs.

Grant details are available on the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources grant hub website. Applications are open for four weeks.

• Topics:

• Grant / Funding
• Agriculture
• Farming
• Environment