Grain (Southern)

Aim: To determine the effect of basalt and lime application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in a southern grain farming system. 

Location and design 

The trial is being carried out on Kangaroo Island in collaboration with Pontifex Farming and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia. The climate (Köppen, Bureau of Meteorology) is Temperate – distinctly dry (warm summer), and the soil is Ironstone (Chromosol). Crops grown include wheat, barley and canola.  

The trial was established in March 2026 and will run to June 2028. Broad beans will be the first crop sown during the trial period. 

The trial has three rates of basalt application (0, 20 and 40 tonnes per hectare in 2026) in factorial combination with two rates of agricultural lime (0 and 2.5 tonnes per hectare in 2026) and 4 replicates, giving a total of 24 plots.

Each plot is 62 metres long x 12 metres wide. 

Monitoring 

  • Yield and nutrient content of the grain crops will be measured. 
  • Leaching of water and solutes will be measured during the wet season, using ‘drainage flux meters’ installed at 0.6 metre depth. 
  • Soil properties will be measured once per year, using soil cores. 

Avocados

To determine the effect of basalt and lime application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in irrigated avocados.

Bananas

To determine the effect of basalt and lime application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in irrigated bananas.

Grain (Northern)

To determine the effect of basalt application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in Northern Region grain crops.

Rice

To determine the effect of basalt application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in a rice farming system.

Cotton

To determine the effect of basalt application (in combination with synthetic or organic fertilisers) on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in rainfed cotton.

Pontifex: Grain

To determine the effect of basalt application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in a xxxxxx farming system.

Dairy

To determine the effect of basalt application on yield, soil quality and CO2 capture in an irrigated dairy system.