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Rock stars boost soils

Key takeaways

  • James Cook University is 1 of 12 successful recipients of the Partnerships and Innovation Grant opportunity, Round 1.
  • $4.8 million will fund seven Enhanced Rock Weathering trials over four years
  • The TNQ Drought Hub helped deliver the project and will provide continued support

James Cook University researchers will be part of a team working to combat Australia’s chronic soil infertility problem with a technique involving sowing paddocks with crushed rock.

Associate Professor Paul Nelson is a soil scientist at JCU. He said Australia’s soils are generally highly weathered and infertile, which constrains crop production and carbon storage.

Enhanced Rock Weathering process
“Our best soils, which are quite scarce, are developed on basalt, so our project will take crushed basalt - a by-product of gravel manufacture - and apply it to soil. This is a way of making poor soils more like those good soils,” said Dr Nelson.

“By applying the extra basalt we’re giving nature a boost. The process neutralises soil acidity, it also releases nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.”

He said the project will improve soils but also aims to lock up carbon, as carbon dioxide dissolved in soil water can react with the basalt.

“This involves the carbon solidifying in the soil as carbonate or leaching to groundwater, rivers and the sea, where it is stored long-term. Modelling has indicated high rates of carbon capture are possible,” said Dr Nelson.

Tropical North Queensland Drought Hub Director, Professor David Phelps said the hub is extremely pleased to have helped deliver the funding to such a promising carbon sequestration project which is being funded through the Partnerships and Innovation component of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Programs under the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

“Projects like this have multiple benefits including building soil health & resilience, reductions in fertiliser use and reducing farmers costs. We will provide continuing support to help build our regions adaptability to climate variability,” said Professor Phelps.

With the help of $4.8 million funding from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, field trials will be carried out on seven farms over four years to assess the effect of the process, known as enhanced rock weathering, on crop productivity, soil health and carbon sequestration.

Dr Nelson added, “We aim to help farmers improve the environmental sustainability of their operations and alleviate Australia’s chronic soil infertility and help Australia reach our Net Zero target.”

JCU will conduct the trial in partnership with the Tropical North Queensland Drought Hub, UniSA and Carbonaught.  

For more information, contact Associate Professor Paul Nelson (Cairns) M: 0400 437 554 or Professor David Phelps (Townsville) M: 0427 270 259

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This program received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of this country and pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and Elders, past and present, of the land on which we stand today, the Djabugay (pronounced Jap-ur-kai), Yirrganydji (pronounced Irri-kan-dji) and the Gimuy Yidinji (pronounced Goom-eye Yidinji) people (and all other country/people joining us today). In the spirit of reconciliation, we also acknowledge the valuable contribution that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to make to James Cook University and the broader community.

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