NOT much tends to surprise growers after many years farming their land, but Jeff Edwards was in shock when he took a closer look at deeper subsoils on the family's east Brookton property.
Fortunately, Mr Edwards has since had a similar reaction - in a positive way - to trials of a unique soil amelioration program implemented last year to address the problem.
The family farms 8000 hectares at Kweda, comprising mainly of duplex sandplain soils and some heavy country.
About 60 per cent of the land is cropped, with Merinos running over the remainder.
"Due to our weak sandplain soils, we need legumes in our rotations, being either clover-based pastures or lupins,'' Mr Edwards said.
He has been concerned about the impact of current farming systems on soils, particularly from chemicals, compaction and other practices.
"If we want to keep producing more from less rainfall, we really need to look at our soil health and what is happening down at depth, not just on the surface," Mr Edwards said.
"Our land values are so high now that we need to delve into looking after subsoils.
"What really opened my eyes was digging soil pits and seeing how unhealthy that subsoil is - it just shocks you.
"It was alarming how dead the subsoils were.
"There was no organic matter, no carbon, no nothing.
"We have issues with compaction and the problem at depth is low pH and high aluminium levels.''
Mr Edwards said they had been following research work by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and grower groups over recent years and last season for the first time, they trialled deep ripping with lime, gypsum and a compost product, WA Broadacre Blend, sourced from Carbon Ag.
"With the Broadacre Blend as a starting point, I liked the fact it's almost like garden mulch," he said.
"And we mulch our gardens, so why wouldn't we mulch our farms?"
A muck spreader was hired to apply the compost in two tonne per hectare and 4t/ha strips over two sites totalling 100ha.
It was incorporated to a depth of 0.5 metres with the lime and gypsum and the treatments later received foliar applications of Carbon Ag's liquid fertilisers, including high-density phosphorus and potassium product DKP, soil microbial stimulant Bioprime and immediately available calcium, magnesium and nitrogen fertiliser CalMag.
Mr Edwards said he was extremely impressed with the results, especially considering an almost record dry growing season that netted just 185 millimetres of rainfall.
He said in an area of gutless white sand, yields ranged from 1.7t/ha with their normal seeding practice up to 3.2t/ha in the trial and from 2.9t/ha up to 4t/ha in better soil.
"In the trial area, I helped my old man clear some of it," Mr Edwards said.
"It was just rabbit holes, banksia trees and rubbish.
"I never thought I would see that production on that land - it's been one disappointment after another.''
"Where we deep ripped with the Broadacre Blend, there was definitely more root growth and biomass right from the get-go.
"You could see the extra root growth.''
Plant tissue testing also showed increased nutrient availability, particularly of nitrogen.
"In the coming year, in front of our amelioration program, we will be using Broadacre Blend, lime and gypsum, targeting problem areas," Mr Edwards said.
"We have got the recipe now.
"In my opinion, the two (deep ripping and Broadacre Blend) go together because you're aerating the soil and you're adding carbon to the soil to bring some life into it.
"You need oxygen and you need carbon, so the two go together.
"Something in my gut tells me that carbon is needed more for the longer term.''
Brad Wisewould, Carbon Ag, said together with lime and gypsum, the combination amounted to a total restoration program for soils and, if growers were investing strongly in amelioration programs, carbon was well worthwhile to provide for good carbon cycling.
Mr Edwards said Carbon Ag's new carbon granule for application at seeding also looked great and he definitely planned to "have a look at it this year''.
Meanwhile, the company's full liquid system of DKP, Bioprime and CalMag also was used for foliar applications with herbicides in a problem barley paddock and he said he was impressed with the yield responses.
"I can't believe the yields we got," Mr Edwards said.
"They are easy to use and with the Bioprime Trace, we dropped our herbicide rates by 10pc and the effectiveness was quite unbelievable.''
Like many growers, he said they had previously been retaining stubbles and would continue to "do the best they can for their soils''.
"We want to build organic matter and make them healthier and more productive," Mr Edwards said.
"It's been a good journey, that's for sure, since we started talking with Brad at Carbon Ag about these products and learning along the way.
"I'm just impressed with the company and the effort it is putting into improving our soils.
"For us to have confidence, we need to see an improvement in carbon levels, soil health, productivity and the bottom line.
"I've been really impressed with the products and what we have done last year.
"We've had local growers and agronomists look at the full program and it's incredible - we're all in shock.
"There is a lot of interest from people in what we are doing - and others - and from what we are seeing in these trials, it's just amazing what we can produce on such hungry soil with so little rain.''
Carbon Ag conducted further trials of its products across the agricultural region last season, from Latham in the northern Wheatbelt through to Kulin in the eastern Wheatbelt, south to Borden and across to Esperance in the south east.
The company engaged independent research businesses, SLR, a new development and extension research entity, and South East Agronomy Research, to manage fully replicated plot trials at the Liebe Group site at Latham, as well as at Tammin and between Wittenoom and Neridup in the Esperance region.
A full trials report with yield results and return on investment calculations will be available from Carbon Ag soon.
Growers keen to enhance their deep ripping and soil amelioration programs, soil health and nutrient availability and uptake can take advantage of special discounts from the company for on-farm trials this year.
In addition to WA Broadacre Blend and its carbon pellet drilled at sowing, Carbon Ag's unique granule formulation is available in 2021 to enhance its application through seeding systems and the carbon products complement the DKP, Bioprime and CalMag seeding and foliar liquid fertilisers.
