Soil research to produce rich harvest for hill communities
Infertile soils could produce enough crops to feed the rapidly expanding populations of the hilly regions of South East Asian countries as a result of a University of Queensland research collaboration.
University researchers, staff from the Queensland departments of Primary Industries and Natural Resources and the International Board for Soil Research and Management have been working on the problem for more than 15 years with agricultural scientists in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Now a $3 million Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) project has seen substantial improvements to soil quality through the addition of lime, fertilisers and organic matter such as manures, crop residues and composts.
Associate Professor Pax Blamey of the University's School of Land and Food Sciences said it had been shown that some organic materials could substitute for lime, adding essential phosphorus to the soil.
As a result, the project will be funded for a further two years by ACIAR so demonstration plots can be established. Scientists from throughout Asia and Australia will meet in Bangkok in June next year to present an overview of their findings.
"These findings will form the basis of proposals to decision makers and funding agencies to ensure that the serious limitations to food production in the acid uplands are overcome," Dr Blamey said.
"Use of the inherently infertile soils for cropping results in the removal in nutrients in the grain harvested, while ploughing decreases the organic matter content.
"Without considerable inputs of lime and other essential nutrients, these fragile lands will further degrade, condemning people to poverty and poor nutrition."
Dr Blamey said there had been an increase in food production in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam in recent years, but this had resulted from improved crop yields in the lowlands.
"On the other hand, there has been little improvement in the lives of the farmers of the acid uplands," he said.
"These farmers remain some of the most resource poor on earth, eking on an existence on a few hectares of land or less."
For further information, contact Dr Pax Blamey on (07) 3365 2081 or Brad Turner, UQ Communications, on (07) 3365 2659.
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