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Science Says Ep 1 Building soil organic carbon in dryland agriculture – WA (Video)

In this Carbon Sync video, Kirsten Ball outlines the findings of a 2025 CSIRO research paper, The pros and cons of increasing soil organic matter in dryland cropping systems (authors: C Janke, J Kirkegaard, J Hunt, L Barton, L Bell, S Karunaratne, L Macdonald, C Pasut, U Stockmann, E Tavakkoli, G Vadakattu, A Wasson and M Farrell). This paper reviews soil carbon management in Australian dryland agriculture. Kirsten illustrates how soil carbon levels are shaped by inputs, losses and microbial processes, which can be constrained by low fertility and uneven moisture. Erosion and leaching, particularly on sandy soils, also reduces carbon stocks. Practices to increase inputs include crop choice, rotational design and cropping intensity. Losses are reduced by strategies such as stubble management, harvest methods and livestock cycling which need to be matched to soil type, rainfall and enterprise goals. Long-term storage depends on stabilising subsoil carbon, preventing erosion and leaching, and supporting soil biology. The video closes with a summary of the advantages and limitations of building soil organic matter [11:00]. #

  • Audience: RSP, tertiary students, landholders, SFSG, consultants
  • State: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA
  • Author/Editor: K Ball
  • Publisher: Carbon Sync
  • Resource Type: Video
  • Copyright Year: 2025
  • Not Provided
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Resource Last Updated: September 6, 2025

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