A recent soil testing workshop brought together farmers from across the Geographe Bay Catchment to get a better handle on their soil nutrients. Thirty-seven farmers were involved in this year’s soil testing program, with 20,000 soil samples collected across 670 paddocks. Since 2009, 240 farmers have participated in soil testing in the Geographe Bay Catchment,...Continue Reading
Scientists from Edith Cowan University have started analysing and interpreting three years of fish, birds, aquatic plants, macroinvertebrates and water regime data, as part of the integrated ecological monitoring program in the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands. The analysis will help identify the relationships between water regime, food sources and abundance and distribution of waterbirds on the...Continue Reading
The GeoCatch Sustainable Agriculture Team have supported their local farmers by increasing their soil testing capacity this summer. While the program has been previously available through GeoCatch and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, this is the first year that GeoCatch staff have done the soil sampling themselves. “Soil testing is a critical...Continue Reading
Over 50 people from the local community and management agencies attended a community information session on the Lower Vasse River at the end of November. The event, coordinated by the City of Busselton, aimed to update the community on action that has been undertaken and planned to improve water quality in the Lower Vasse River....Continue Reading
Over 30 representatives from the Fertiliser industry, state government departments and researchers met in Busselton recently to hear the latest research to improve nutrient use efficiency on grazing farms in south west WA. The event, titled Fertilising for the Future: production, profitability, and the environment, showcased several on-farm fertiliser trials being undertaken across south west...Continue Reading
The complexities of water management and seawater trials in the Vasse estuary were demystified last week at a science webinar hosted by GeoCatch. The webinar was presented by Dr Linda Kalnejais from Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and is part of a series of webinars that is exploring the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands. Linda explained...Continue Reading
Farmers interested in changing agriculture practices in the Geographe catchment had the opportunity to help guide future water quality actions last week at a workshop hosted by GeoCatch. The farmers were given the opportunity to say what they thought could be done on Geographe farms to reduce nutrients entering waterways, while supporting farmer’s triple bottom...Continue Reading
Community members interested in the natural values of the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from scientists who will be presenting via a new monthly webinar series hosted by GeoCatch. Since 2017, seasonal ecological monitoring has been undertaken on the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands to help scientists and managers understand the potential...Continue Reading
Farmers in the Geographe catchment are set to benefit from local fertiliser trial results which are showing that costs can be saved by not applying phosphorus fertiliser on paddocks that have adequate P levels. The results have come from the first year of the state government’s uPtake trial program where 14 of 19 sites showed...Continue Reading
Geographe farmers interested in finding out more about the nutrient status of their paddocks are being invited to register for this summer’s soil testing program being offered through GeoCatch, in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). The popular program will provide farmers with whole-of-farm soil testing in the summer of...Continue Reading
