RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
ERA has been working with The University of Western Australia since 1996 in developing new knowledge on soil biology. This new knowledge includes testing methodologies for measuring soil biology, soil management techniques and products for increasing soil biological profile in agricultural soils.
This research was prompted by the recorded decline in soil fertility across the Western Australian Wheat Belt.
R&D Process
In 2004, ERA along with UWA, developed a new paradigm for broad acre farming that would realise greater input efficiency.
This paradigm would use as its foundation the soil biology testing and techniques that ERA had developed when working with Lyn Abbott, Professor of Soil Science, UWA.
The hypothesis behind the UWA /ERA paradigm is that changing soil biology profile and soil structure will improve nutrient efficiency and reduce weed burden. Moisture efficiency would also increase and lead to improved yields. Further, soil biology could be used as a tool to overcome soil and plant diseases that had appeared as a result of the imbalance caused by the dominance of the chemical system.
The new paradigm is called biological farming as it uses soil biology as an active factor in the production system and as a mechanism to control plant and soil pathogens.
The biological farming paradigm requires farmers to incorporate a 5 point program into their farm management.
Five Point Programs
List of Services
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Organic Matter Program:List Item 1
Stubble retention, brown and green manuring, applications of compost, applications of composted rock phosphate.
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Reduction in Conventional Fertilizer:List Item 2
Reduced by 20% to 50 % and replacement with biological fertiliser.
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Reduction in Herbicide and Chemical Applications:List Item 3
Reduction by 10% to 40 % and replacement with liquid carbon sprays.
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Inoculation of Soils with Beneficial Microbes:List Item 4
Spraying crops and soils with specific cultures.
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Feeding Soil Microbes:
Applications of liquid microbial food.
