Research in the Central West of New South Wales has shown that good fertiliser practice can improve soil structure, increase soil organic matter levels, increase water infiltration rates and improve water use efficiency, as well as increase farm productivity and farm profitability. This research, conducted at Ulamambri, near Coonabarabran, was started in 1987. It shows that the benefits of fertiliser go far beyond the generally accepted role of simply increasing production at the expense of the environment. The trial site had been a native pasture paddock for many years and was of veiy low productivity, the soil set very hard. Very little pasture growth was produced, even in the spring time when it is normally expected that pastures will produce agood body of feed- The area was commonly low in plant cover. Because the soil set so hard, when rain fell it was almost totally lost through run-off, often Faking with it more of the valuable topsoil.
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