Compost, animal manures and even human waste will be compared as fertilisers at a Nutrient Cycling in Soils workshop at Blayney in NSW on March 12.

Senior land services officer for pastures Phil Cranney said there has been a lot of interest in compost products, animal manures and human waste products in the past few years.

“Many producers have been watching over the fence how these products work on ground, but they are often left wondering how they compare to the more traditional investment options such as lime and single super.

“My colleague from South East Local Land Services, Fiona Leech, will be shedding some light, and most importantly, numbers, on this subject.”

Phosphorus and paddock selection on the agenda

Central Tablelands Local Land Services is the Nutrient Cycling in Soils workshop at Blayney, with five expert speakers talking about a range of soil fertility investment options.

Researcher Dr Richard Simpson will talk on the fate of phosphorus in pasture and district agricultural consultant, David Harbison will tackle paddock selection for topdressing.

NSW DPI’s Tony Cox will outline the benefits of using the Better Fertiliser Decisions database and Central Tablelands Local Land Services pasture officer, Clare Edwards will talk about what’s been happening in soils extension on the tablelands.

“This is a great opportunity to hear directly from a range of industry experts.

“Producers really value the independent research that NSW DPI and CSIRO delivers,” Mr Cranney said.

“Funding bodies such as MLA, AWI and GRDC who, through producer levies, fund a large proportion of agricultural research and are keen to see this information delivered to the grass roots.”

The information session will begin at 9:00am in the Blayney Shire Community Centre on 41 Church street. Presentations will finish at 12:30pm and there will be a short open panel discussion till lunch at 1pm. The cost is free, but for catering purposes producers must RSVP.

For more information or to RSVP, please call Phil Cranney, Senior Land Services Officer for Pastures (0458 745 478 or email [email protected]

Source: Central Tablelands Local Land Services.