Climate Smart Agriculture



Farm soil carbon - a win win
The global benefits of increasing soil carbon
Increasing soil organic carbon by 0.4% per year in the top 30-40cm of our global agricultural soils between 2020- 2050 could have the following agronomic and social benefits:
- Boost maize, wheat and rice production by 23.4%, 22.9% and 41.9% respectively- worth USD $135.2 billion or approx. AUD $204.2 billion per year.
- Store an additional 37 billion m3 of water in soils, reducing global irrigation demand by 4% and saving an estimated USD $44 billion or approx. AUD $66.5 billion per year.
- Sequester approximately 1 Gigaton CO2e per year which would avoid social/economic costs of USD $600 billion or AUD $906.2 billion per year through climate change mitigation.
How more soil carbon would benefit agriculture and society


Holistic Carbon Agronomy
With carbon as the central metric of success, Australian land managers can design and manage landscapes by considering the carbon management zone- from the top of the troposphere to the bottom of the aquifers.Â
This approach involves harnessing and managing the free resources available to the farm- water, nitrogen, carbon, sunlight, gravity & wind.
It also increases drought resilience and captures maximum monetizable environmental goods & services (EGS) such as carbon and biodiversity credits.
Through scientific and economic validation and extension, farmers can integrate carbon-centric methods into their enterprises and have the opportunity to participate in the carbon market.
A holistic approach to farm management harnesses ecosystem services to maximise soil carbon.
This is integral to cropping methods and grazing strategies that build and store soil carbon whilst bolstering yield outcomes and climate resilience.


Nature’s free inputs
Managing above and below-ground biodiversity and the small water cycle allow farmers to harness the free inputs that nature provides.
Biodiversity
- Remnant Connection Connecting existing remnant vegetation incorporated as windbreaks & shelterbelts.
- Tree Lines creating biodiverse multispecies tree lines as strategic windbreaks & shelterbelts.
- Fodder Trees connecting remnant vegetation via fodder tree / shrub alleys as biodiversity connectivity.
- Paddock Perimeter & Block Plantings creating moisture trapping microclimates via vegetation paddock perimeters and internal paddock block plantings that host various native animals.
- Agroforestry & Hort Trees timber & fruit/nut treescreating ecological environments for biodiversity.
Avoided Deforestation
Conserving remnant vegetation
Feral Animal Control to protect native animals
Exclusion fencing
Strategic grazing for fire hazard reduction and understorey health
Water
Managing on-farm water flow maximises water efficiency, pasture & crop growth and subsequent carbon sequestration.
Contour Banks
redistributing water flows evenly across the landscape to rehydrate the watershed aquifers.Leaky Weirs
slowing water speed in drainage lines.Swales
farm-over contour banksStrategic dam structures
Strategic Vegetation Water Interception Traps
using biodiversity and or agroforestry plantings to trap excess overland water flows.Blue Carbon
reefs, mangroves, wetlands and land-to-ocean runoff management.
Energy
Integration of on-farm renewable energy and agricultural
production systems for increased soil carbon sequestrationEnergy audits to assess the on- farm energy use C02 footprint of fuel, fertiliser, electricity and
embodied energy in the supply chain.
Solar combined with grazing systems
Wind turbines combined with grazing systems
On- farm hydrogen production powering tractors and trucks
On- farm renewable energy powering vehicles & irrigation pumps
Waste Management
Nutrient capture- animal manures, composting, wastewater management
Recycling plastic wrap and other on farm waste streams


Cropping
Conservation Farming
Min / zero till
Legume rotation
Stubble retention
Controlled traffic
Stripper fronts
Regenerative Farming
Cover Cropping
Intercropping
Crimp Rolling
Root Mass Stimulation
One-Way-Valve Cover
Fallows
Soil Carbon Inoculum
Crop specific soil carbon-fixing fungal inoculums.
Compost Applications
Solid loose
Compost granules
Johnson Su
Vermi-compost
Windrow
In furrow liquid extracts & ferment
pH Soil Amendments
Lime
Gypsum
Dolomite
Rock Phosphate


Grazing
100% Groundcover, 100% of the time.
High stocking density with short grazing periods & long rest periods.
FAST Carbon-
Fodder Alley Sequestration Trees
Tagasaste- Lucerne Tree
Leucaena- Sub tropical legume fodder shrub
Desmanthus- Fodder Legume shrub
SaltBush- Undersown & inter row seeded with hard seeded legume annuals & Lucerne
Kurrajong Fodder Tree- slow growing, long lived
Native Fodder Trees- Soil & environment specific, e.g. Mulga, Myall, Wilga, Wattle, Rosewood
Fodder & Grain
Time controlled grazing
Dual purpose multi-species fodder and grain crops
Pasture cropping
Perennial Multispecies Legume based
Methane Management
Feed additives