By Bart Davidson of Bionutrient Solutions

In all, the two days was information rich and diverse, with a mix of pure science from the likes of CSIRO leaders discussing Carbon, its measurement and variability, sequestration and humus production and future trading, through to exceptionally successful farmers detailing how they have achieved stronger farm enterprises through carbon farming practices.

There were also talks from the likes of Peter Andrews on landscape hydrology, Maarten Stapper and Dr Carole Hungerford, a specialist in the links between human health and agricultural practices.

Overall, the two days gave the distinct impression there has been a shift in consciousness amongst scientists, growers and supply chain with respect to the future of Agriculture in a Carbon economy. There are plenty of challenges, and many opportunities. The challenges are going to be cost of production when energy prices increase and the impact that has on the farm sector. The opportunities are

- getting paid to sequester Carbon

- developing food supply chains direct to consumers through local networks giving better farm gate returns

- reversing the trend of IP and capacity flowing from growers to suppliers, which are ultimately funded by growers.

- Decentralisation of capacity amongst Growers, whether in terms of nutrient supply, risk and Intellectual Property (IP).

Prof John Crawford, Uni of Sydney

Increasing soil fungi to bacteria ratio is a marker of soil health, as measured by porosity and structural characteristics important to plant growth, to the extent that this was a measure of a soils capacity to regenerate after damage from cropping and or overgrazing.

This was the first time I've heard a scientist based within the establishment declare that a key measure of soil health was directly related to the ratio of Fungi to Bacteria in soil, in peer reviewed literature.

Dr Crawford's research has shown soils do have a capacity to heal themselves, to varying extents, with one of the primary drivers of this being increased beneficial Fungi, such as we include in just about all our liquid mixes, compost and particularly Chaetomium brasilience, which is our Stubble Digest.

Dr Clive Kirkby - CSIRO

The essence of Clive Kirkby's research is that Carbon is constantly on the move in farming systems and capturing it requires more than no-till practices. In summary:

For long term no-till farms the soil Carbon levels were:

- higher than conventional cultivation (CC) in the top 30cm of profile

- actually lower than CC in the profile below 30cm depth

Other research of Kirkbys shows that the fundamental principle of increasing soil Carbon, via greater retention of residues, roots and trash loads, does indeed require increased fungal populations but that this will itself be limited by the microbial requirement for enough Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Sulphur in a particular ratio.

He also made the statement that soil microbes drive Soil Chemistry, just as plankton drive ocean chemistry and reflect its componentry, so too do soil microbes.

The other main outcome of Kirkbys work is that there is a relatively constant ratio between Carbon Nitrogen Phosphorus and Sulphur within the soils microbial biomass, to the extent that it provides reliable predictive model for N, P and S release for given levels of Soil Carbon. A shortage of any one of these four minerals will limit the production of humus. We have developed FungalFUEL with this in mind, as a stimulant trigger to increased fungal biomass and humus production.

Gary Lewis, Canada, BioAgtive - exhaust fumes as fertiliser

The basic principle is using the combustion engine process to capture the Nitrogen and Sulphur, as well as other nutrient, being lost in fumes, and placing it in the seed row. The initial results in alkaline soils are indicating a positive response by soil biology as well as plant biomass and yield. Presumably the acidity of the fumes is good for mineralisation.

These guys have quite a following in Canada now and are getting away with nil fertiliser applications for a few years thus far.

Check http://bioagtive.com/

Carbon Trading and Measurement

Quite a few papers were given on soil carbon issues, primarily to do with measurement parameters and how Carbon trading will occur under various scenarios of verification.

The issue still seems bogged in the ‘how to' verify accumulation in soil and measurement discussion. It will and is evolving relatively quickly though so shouldn't be a barrier to entry.

Michael Longhurst, Central West CMA

Oil is running out, use for fertiliser and fuel is going to be telling, so work is underway and feasibility looks high, of using inland waterways for algae production to produce fuel as an alternative in the not too distant future.

Dr Maarten Stapper

Maarten spoke on the need for regenerative farming. He spoke of the need for nutrient rich food from healthy soils, through activating microbes while improving the hydrological and mineral cycles. Balanced nutrient rich plants had internal resistance to insects and disease, as well as external protection to things such as frost.

Building new soil requires full ground cover with green plants growing all year - pasture cropping and no-kill cropping.

Dr Carole Hungerford - GP

Enlightening views on human health from a GP's perspective, but with insight into food nutrition linked to soil fertility. Key points made were:

- Plants can physically produce Vitamins, from nutrients and energy, however they can not make minerals, so they reflect the soils they are grown in and the reduction in mineral content of food globally is disturbing. The downside to agriculture is that Vitamin production in plants has been shown to decrease with the use of high nitrate plants from synthetic Nitrogen fertiliser.

- Many of the current cancer ailments globally, and there are many, for example, more people die from Bowel Cancer (1 every 2 hrs in Australia) than die in road accidents nationally, yet Bowel Cancer rates are statistically capable of being halved, if adequate levels of Selenium in the body were to be a part of national health consciousness.

In summary, Dr Hungerford's assessment was for people with difficult health problems, they had more chance of success visiting a good Vet than their local GP, based on the bias in medicine at present to quick 15 minute consults. Just one of many examples was the over prescription of sedatives (eg Prozac) for stress, when the actual deficiency is a lack of Serotonin caused by lack of Iron and Boron in the blood. Dopamine prescription (eg Valium) could be reduced if people had greater Manganese, was another example.

The big two needs for concern in the Australian diet she identified as being Omega 3 fatty acids and Selenium. The former in fish, amongst other sources, and Selenium at 150 mcg /day per person is a base level to reduce Cancer exposure.

FoodConnect - Robert Pekin

There was too much to explain in a short grab, but a great concept driven by a family driven off their Dairy by unprofitable milk pricing in Victoria. The concept now being taken past trial phase is essentially linking growers with consumers and taking out the big two supermarkets to avoid the price gouging and domineering practices they seem to enjoy.

In practice, they talk to towns (and recently Adelaide city) to identify the food requirements of the population and source that produce within a 5 hrs radius, and what doesn't exist, they help establish enterprises to supply it. They won't go outside that distance to source produce for the consumer network.

Benefits they have identified:

- a 10 time multiplier effect on local economy when people buy local

- builds a sense of community around production

- consumers pay in advance and take what is in season, with food delivered locally by the local network

- growers get paid immediately, with no long payment terms because the consumers pay in advance with subscription

- growers are getting above market prices for all produce and are secure in supply because they have commitment that the network will not go outside the region to source product.

If this took hold you could imagine market gardens in regional centres popping up and allowing diversification from commodity production with no control as we are seeing in grains at present.

The best thing I heard from this bloke was...

"Live like you will die tomorrow and farm like you will live forever!"

Prime Carbon - Ken Bellamy - a new Revolution in Photosynthesis

Ken Bellamy made some interesting observations, such as posing the question how, if evaporation exceeds precipitation by a significant amount, do landscapes retain water? Since more goes up than comes down in simple terms.

His main hypothesis is that there are two types of photosynthesis on earth. The primary form being green plants and algae, which produce Oxygen and sugars, and consume C02 and H20 in the process.

The second, less well known yet significant component of photosynthetic activity is performed by Bacterial photo synthesisers, which do not need water to product sugars and Oxygen. They require Hydrogen and Sulphur and in the process sequester carbon. Unfortunately these are killed by artificial fertilisers and herbicides.

His data is interesting and apparently under peer review at the Australian National University at present, so we will observe with interest the outcomes, because this area of study may well explain the increases in soil Carbon we have found by using microbial stimulants.

BioNutrient Solutions - Increasing Carbon, Production and Profitability

The presentation given by BioNutrients was essentially a summary of why we believe there is a need for change in the Agricultural supply chain, and the What and How of the farming system we have developed. The need for change is essentially underpinned by the impact a Carbon aware economy will have on the worlds nutrient supply chain and the value that will create for farms which have developed independence from standard fertiliser inputs. I gave some case studies of where we have successfully shown it is possible to achieve the magic three...increasing Carbon, Productivity and Profitability without the old world fertiliser inputs.

Successful Carbon Farmers Story's

Tony Coote, of Mulloon Creek, Braidwood ACT  http://www.mcnf.com.au/

Bruce Maynard, Narromine NSW  

Tim Wright, Uralla NSW

All the above gave excellent case studies of their farms and how they have become more viable and capable of withstanding drought and variable seasons by developing resilient farming systems in their different regions and landscapes.

SUMMARY...

Change is happening. Even if you don't accept climate change and are dubious of the impact of the "Carbon economy", the value of building a farming system which can build Carbon and reduce cost of production is valuable and essential in and of its own right, but when the market does catchup, as it appears is happening - then there is additional value to be realised. Against this, the rush for Carbon trading on farm, in our view, needs to be moderated against the vagaries of regulation and measurement to ensure Farms are not exposing themselves to a risk or liability in being able to meet the obligations of the trade when due.

What is certainly clear from the Conference presentations and participants is a recognition that Agriculture represents a reliable and capable source of potential Carbon sequestration to match any others. How this is administered, measured and regulated and whether the market is ahead of the science will be the critical questions.

From our perspective, the trading opportunities are significant and to be taken seriously, though the short term focus needs to remain on enterprise viability from farming system management, not a pipe dream of Carbon payments.