- Objective Title:Practical indicators of soil quality for sustainable agriculture
- Objective Title:On-farm monitoring of soil quality
8.1- Soil
8.1.1
| Objective Title:Practical indicators of soil quality for sustainable agriculture Research Leader: Professor K Cameron Institution:Lincoln Soil Quality Research Centre |
Aim:To evaluate the practical utility of selected indicators of soil quality which can be used to determine the sustainability of agriculture, by:
- appropriate chemical, physical, and biological analytical procedures to determine parameter values for the soil quality indicators identified in the 1995/96 MAF Policy contract;
- where possible the sensitivity, accuracy and precision of these indicators under a range of soil, climate and management conditions;
- where possible the temporal and spatial variability of the selected indicators under a range of soil, climate and management conditions;
- an improved understanding of the response of the indicators to changes in these conditions;
- evidence to support or reject the use of particular soil quality indicators for sustainable agriculture;
- critical values, where available, for selected indicators relevant to production agriculture; and
- an infrastructure and financial costings relating to large scale use of the selected soil quality indicators.
8.1.2
| Objective Title:On-farm monitoring of soil quality Research Leader: Dr M Beare Institution:Lincoln Soil Quality Research Centre |
Aim:To develop an on-farm soil quality measurement system using the USDA Soil Quality Test Kit and evaluate its performance for monitoring agricultural sustainability. This objective will be achieved by:
- the sensitivity, precision and accuracy of the on-farm soil indicator methods used in the UDSA Soil Quality Test Kit in comparison to standard research methods;
- an on-farm soil quality measurement system using the UDSA Test Kit and other suitable indicators identified;
- the acceptability of the on-farm measurement system to farmers and growers; and
- the performance of the system for monitoring agricultural sustainability on private and research farms.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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