- 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
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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