'Sub and super' history misses full pasture picture

摘要

Farmers interested in pasture management will find Dr David Smith's book Natural Gain hard to put down. It's a book which puts into context the role of agricultural science and farmer innovation in a pasture and cropping revolution which had an enormous positive impact on the financial viability of two generations of farmers across southern Australia. For that fact alone the book is an important contribution to agricultural history. But while the book's historical accuracy is unlikely to be questioned its arguments supporting "sub and super" (subclover and superphosphate) as an ecologically successful tool will be. Smith skirts around the reasons behind land degradation in southern Australia which current and future generations of farmers must address.