Hosted by Paul Blackwell, the ‘Management of heat stress and frost through soil management and ripping’ workshop will cover:

• Modified deep ripping and topsoil inclusion to reduce heat stress an dry season problems to crop tillering and grain fill
• Use of improved row and tramline orientation in CTF to help minimise heat stress and frost risk
• Inclusion of dolomite and other materials to correct low subsoil pH and toxic aluminium
• Assessment of Calcium Hydroxide and gypsum mix from Manna Ent. Kwinana to more easily correct subsoil pH and aluminium problems on these sands
• Construction and use of a modified Shearer Trashworker as a deep ripper
• Demonstration of a modified edge –on deep ripper to mix soil like a spader, but reduce erosion risk
• Early trials of top-dressed gravel to help reduce radiation frost risk on deep ripped sand plain
• Future farming trial testing the in-situ composting of lupin or wheat chaff or wattle leaves to provide some crop and pasture nutrition to reduced applied fertiliser use

It will be a full day program and more details will be circulated closer to the date.