This webpage from Australian Wool Innovation and Meat and Livestock Australia provides practical procedures and tools for assessing land capability, testing key soil and nutrient indicators, and interpreting results. It discusses management practices to improve soil health for sheep grazing, such as maintaining groundcover and solutions for challenging soils. #
Chapters:
Chapter 6.1 Manage according to soil capability – Develop a simple farm map that includes the main soil types and their potential productivity/management needs.
Chapter 6.2 Maintain groundcover to enhance soil health and promote biodiversity – To protect soil from erosion and provide a stable environment for the soil ‘bugs’.
Chapter 6.3 Test and observe soils for key indicators of soil health – How to take and interpret soil tests and understand visual indications of soil health.
Chapter 6.4 Implement solutions for problem soils – Including acidity, salinity, sodicity, waterlogging, compaction and non-wetting sands.
Tools and additional materials:
Tool 6.1 A guide to classifying land capability
Tool 6.2 Measuring groundcover and litter levels
Tool 6.3 Earthworm sampling
Tool 6.4 ‘Look, smell, feel’ tool
Tool 6.5 Other biological activity tests
Tool 6.6 Taking a soil sample for laboratory testing
Tool 6.7 Soil health benchmarks and guidelines for managing problem soils