SECRETS of soil ecosystems are being revealed as part of a study to understand the impacts of past land management on current and future farming.
Researchers from South Australian Research and Development Institute, University of Adelaide and Flinders University have joined forces to study the soil microbiome, which comprises all living and dead microorganisms and associated matter, including genetic material.
Birchip Cropping Group in Victoria, Kalyx Australia in Western Australia and the Thomas Elder Institute are also involved in the project, entitled Past, Present and Future Drivers of Soil Change.
SARDI senior research officer agronomy Dr Andong Shi said soil biology was often ignored in comparison to traditional soil analyses, which focused on chemical and physical properties.
“We hope that by learning from the past, we can harness the benefits of soil micro-organisms in sustainable farming practices to help increase soil fertility, reduce environmental footprint and maintain or enhance crop productivity,” he said.
“Our management of soil has a direct influence on shaping how the soil microbiome functions.
“Management practices alter the food source, water availability and accessibility, as well as shelter for the soil microbiome.
“As a result, the changes in these elements exert feedback on the whole soil ecosystem.”
“The way we manage the soil reflects on how healthy the soil ecosystem is, how well it functions, and how productive and sustainable it will be for crop and pasture production in the future.”
Soil DNA samples collected over the past 20 years from farms across southern Australia have been analysed to assess changes in the microbiome alongside the evolution of broadacre practices.
Dr Krista Sumby from University of Adelaide said the findings to date for soil DNA had revealed changes in the soil microbiome composition in the past two decades.
“We are currently untangling if and/or how this correlates with changes in climate and broadacre cropping practices over the same time period,” she said.
The project has secured more than $3 million in funding from the Federal Government’s Soil Science Challenge program.