"$32 million program to research soil carbon storage" BUT WHO'S FRAMING THE QUESTIONS?

"Scientists believe soil can store more carbon than forests. Finding a way to boost carbon storage in Australia’s vast pastures and farming land could significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," said Tony Burke's press release today when he announced that scientists would be given $20 million for soil C research.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said it would be the most comprehensive research effort into soil carbon and emissions ever seen in Australia. For the first time, the work will create national standards for sampling and analysing soil carbon and nitrous oxide emissions. The projects will cover all states and territories.The initiatives, under the Climate Change Research Program, include funding from the Federal Government, industry and research bodies.It follows Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s commitment last year that the Government would investigate the benefits of soil carbon storage.
Nine soil carbon research projects will sample a range of agricultural systems, including cereal crops, sheep and beef grazing, sugarcane and vegetable farming, irrigated and non-irrigated dairy, and sites which have changed from one farming system to another. Mr Burke said: “While forests play a very important role in carbon storage, they are not the only answer and we will continue investigating other options such as soil. We have so much land covered by pastures and other farming systems that we could significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by boosting soil carbon storage.”
Key priorities for the soil carbon research will include:
* Measuring carbon levels in a range of agricultural systems;
* Understanding the impacts of management practices on soil carbon; and
* Understanding the role Australian soils could play in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
The Climate Change Research Program forms part of Australia’s Farming Future, an initiative designed to help our primary industries adapt and respond to climate change.



Soil Carbon Research Program

Soil carbon research program overarching project – CSIRO
This project will undertake the technical oversight and management of the Soil Carbon Research Program. It will develop standardised data collection protocols and undertake carbon content analysis.

South eastern SA cereals, sheep and beef systems and Australia wide perennial sheep pastures – CSIRO
This project will identify sites and undertake sampling within south-eastern South Australia’s cereal, sheep and beef systems. Perennial pasture sites will also be identified and sampling will be undertaken throughout the country — particularly in WA and NSW.

South-west Western Australia: Cereal, sheep and beef systems – University of Western Australia & WA Department of Agriculture & Food
This project will engage with a number of grower groups and collect samples from a number of their sites. It will also undertake sampling at sites where management practices have been in place for a minimum of five years.

Victorian dairy, sheep, cereal and beef systems – Victorian Department of Primary Industries and the Co-operative Research Centre for Future Farming
This project will undertake re-sampling of a number of ongoing crop and pasture sites around Hamilton, Rutherglen and Ararat. It will build upon work which has previously occurred under the EverGraze program as well as DPI long-term experimental sites at Horsham, Rutherglen and Walpeup. Engagement with ongoing farmer trials will be undertaken with Southern Farming Systems, the Birchip Cropping Group and the South West Climate Change Forum.

Northern rangelands beef systems – Queensland Departments of Natural Resources & Water and of Primary Industries
This project will undertake sampling at Kidman Springs (NT) to assess the effects of cell grazing. The sites have documented fire and management histories. It will also resample a Toorak grazing trial in north-western Queensland. This sampling will include a range of soil types and rainfalls.

Queensland cereals and sugar - Queensland Departments of Natural Resources & Water and of Primary Industries
This project will undertake sampling of grain cropping systems at the long-term Hermitage Fallow Management Trial near Warwick in Queensland and sugar cropping systems at Tully and Mackay. No-till grain trials will be sampled near Biloela and Goodger and archived soil will be analysed from a number of historic trials (Biloela, Warra, Nindigully, Mt Murchison and Goodger).
Additional sugarcane sites in the Northern Rivers, Mackay and Ingham regions will be sampled – including tilled and permanent beds and across a number of soil types and rainfall levels.

New South Wales cereals, cotton, sheep and beef systems - University of New England, NSW Departments of Primary Industries and of Environment and Climate Change
This project will undertake sampling at 20 long-term trials with 25 corresponding satellite sites on private land to define amounts and variance of carbon contained in pools of soils from the major land-use/soil type combinations in NSW.

New South Wales cereals and beef - Murray Catchment Management Authority
This project will undertake sampling and analysis of paired sites which have been under no-till/conventional till and set stocking/controlled grazing practices.

Tasmanian vegetables and dairy systems - Tasmanian Institute for Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania and Botanical Resources Australia P/L
This project will undertake sampling at a number of broadacre cropping and vegetable sites across the state – including low input pasture/irrigated cropping and short-term perennial/long term pasture. Sampling will also be undertaken on existing sites which have undertaken a change from pasture to cropping and on paired sites which compare irrigated and non-irrigated dairy and beef systems.



Nitrous Oxide Research Program

Nitrous oxide research program coordination – Grains Research and Development Corporation
This project will take a leadership role in the administration and coordination of the Nitrous Oxide Research Program. This will include the management of program governance and reporting.

Integrated data and synthesis framework for reducing nitrous oxide emissions from Australian agricultural soils – Queensland University of Technology
This project will undertake the management and technical oversight of the Nitrous Oxide Research Program. It will develop standardised data collection protocols, develop a web-based remote data capture program and manage project datasets for national databases.

Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from sugarcane lands – Sugar Research and Development Corporation and Grains Research and Development Corporation
This project will measure nitrous oxide emissions from sugarcane and grain legume– sugarcane rotations near Mackay, with and without the use of inhibitors. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.

Decreasing nitrous oxide emissions in high rainfall legume/wheat cropping systems – Victorian Department of Primary Industries and Grains Research and Development Corporation
This project will measure nitrous oxide emissions from direct drilled and conventionally sown legume/wheat rotations – with and without the use of inhibitors – at a site near Hamilton. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.

Fertiliser management strategies for decreasing on-farm greenhouse gas emissions – University of Western Australia, Department of Agriculture and Food WA, and Grains Research and Development Corporation
This project will measure nitrous oxide emissions from direct drilled wheat at Wongan Hills, south west Western Australia that has been grown under a range of treatments. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.

The potential of inhibitors for the mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions from animal production systems, in south-eastern Australia – Victorian Department of Primary Industries and Dairy Australia
This project will measure nitrous oxide emissions following the application of urine and inhibitors at the DemoDairy site near Terang, Victoria, as well as numerous additional satellite sites. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.

Enhanced efficiency fertilisers as mitigation tools for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from intensive agricultural systems in Australia – University of Melbourne and Incitec Pivot fertilisers Pty and Grains Research and Development Corporation
This project will entail a laboratory based assessment of nitrous oxide emissions from a range of soils which have been treated with nitrification inhibitors. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.

Irrigated cotton and grain cropping systems – Queensland University of Technology and Cotton Catchment Communities CRC and Grains Research and Development Corporation.
This project will measure nitrous oxide emissions from irrigated cotton and grain cropping systems between the Darling Downs in Queensland and the Macquarie Valley in New South Wales. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.

Winter rain-fed cereals – New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, University of Melbourne, University of New England and Grains Research and Development Corporation.
This project will measure nitrous oxide emissions from winter rain-fed cereals under various treatments, including: different row placements of crops; and inclusion of legumes in the rotation. The standardised data will then be incorporated into the broad program dataset.