The Soil Carbon Project targeted areas of the mixed farming and grazing sector including Westbury, West Tamar, Fingal Valley and the state’s north east to investigate the cost-benefit ratio of highly diverse pastures in improving soil health and livestock performance. The project also focused on the broadacre cropping industry across northern Tasmania, specifically in the target area between Westbury and Ross.

The project worked across the grazing sector and broadacre cropping industry to;

• increase awareness of constraints to carbon flow into soil;
• encourage adoption of best management practices to improve carbon flows to soil;
• drive annual net primary productivity and soil carbon inputs through a focus on mixed-species pasture selection to maximise root depth and density; and
• assist broadacre crop growers overcome soil constraints, improve rooting depth and increase yields.

Tasmanian agricultural systems have relatively high organic carbon content due to climatic and soil influences. However, cropping systems often involve tillage and many areas in Tasmania have been cultivated for 200 years. This long history of tillage and fallows has led to significant declines in soil carbon and overall soil health.

Year-round availability of moisture and nitrogen though irrigation expansion could potentially result in further soil carbon decline, however through improved irrigation and soil management techniques, carbon gains are possible.