CF-LRP Case Studies

The Undanooka Soil Carbon project will introduce legume species in cropping systems on the landholder’s property in Koojan WA, where hay and grain production with significant inputs of fertiliser and chemicals has occurred since animal production ceased in 2009.

The new management activity involves seeding a low rate of a legume species as a sub-storey crop. An air-seeder will be used to seed two or more plants at once, including the legume ‘partner’. The legume maintains a lower profile than the main production crop and provides value by fixing nitrogen. At the system level there are more diverse inputs, including greater root mass.

Under this practice, root biomass is expected to increase, along with soil bacterial and fungal biomass, which are sources of soil carbon. The legume intercropping will utilise canola as the primary harvested crop. Seradella will be used as the ‘non-harvested’ legume and clover will be cultivated under canola. Co-cultivation of canola with lupins will occur in some areas of the project. In this case, both the canola seed and lupin kernel will be harvested. These seeds will be separated after harvest using a seed grader and sold. Other management changes across the cropping land will be made in accordance with soil research findings and practical observations of the land over coming years.

The project activities will provide multiple on-farm co-benefits including increasing the resilience of agricultural practices by increasing ground cover to project soil biology from extreme temperatures, increasing agricultural productivity and improving soil health by retaining moisture in the soil profile.  

Turning of Compost Rows at project site

2023 Project Update

Since receiving CER registration, the proponents have completed their baseline core and soil sampling and commenced new activities of co-species cultivation with vetch and oats across 400ha of the project area. They plan to extend this to cover 1600ha over the next 4 years.