Cover Cropping Field Day

Our cover cropping field day saw 90 farmers gather for galvanising talks on soil health principles and a look at Kioma Station’s impressive composting set up and winter forage crops.

A mixed farming enterprise on 37,000 acres north-west of Goondiwindi, Kioma is owned by the Fairfax family and has 10,000 acres of cropping country.

 Kioma Station Manager Ewen Beaton and multi-species cropping expert Grant Sims spoke about the ecological and productivity benefits to be gained from using home-brew bio-fermented extracts and a focus on soil and plant health.

 DAFF research agronomist Andrew Erbacher presented results from a three-year research project on growing cover crops in the Goondiwindi region.  The trials found that cover crops can improve fallow efficiency and provide a ‘net’ water benefit when grown in low cover fallows, and increased ground cover at planting can improve crop establishment (and thus yields) by maintaining a moist seed bed for longer.

 Event sponsors Metagen and Auscrimper also spoke about their products and services that empower regenerative agricultural practices.

 A big thank you to the Fairfax family, Ewen and Sally Beaton and the team at Kioma for hosting us, DAFF research agronomist Andrew Erbacher, and Metagen, Auscrimper and Southern Queensland Landscapes. 

 This project was supported by Highways and Byways - Healing The Land, Healing Ourselves, Together, and funding from the Australian Government.