In this episode of Talkin' After Hours we chat to David Hardwick,  agroecologist and partner at Soil Land Food on getting to the root of your soil issues with the aid of the newly developed Soil HASH tool. Our conversation covers the key functions of healthy soil, the development and purpose of the Soil HASH tool, practical applications for farmers, and the significance of monitoring soil constraints. David emphasizes the need for farmers to understand their soil's condition and the benefits of using the Soil HASH tool for effective soil management. 

Key takeaways include:

• Soil health involves physical, biological, and biochemical properties.
• Understanding soil constraints is crucial for productivity.
• Regular monitoring can lead to better soil management decisions.
• Regular monitoring can lead to better soil management decisions.
• Soil HASH helps farmers identify soil constraints and monitor soil health effectively.
• Soil HASH is designed to be user-friendly for farmers.
• The Soil HASH tool is open source and adaptable.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Soil Health and the Soil HASH Tool 04:55 Understanding Soil Health: Key Functions and Indicators 09:47 The Development and Purpose of the Soil HASH Tool 14:59 Core Indicators of Soil Health 19:40 Diagnosing Soil Constraints and Tracking Improvements 23:53 Understanding Soil Composition and Health 29:49 Tools for Soil Monitoring 33:19 Identifying Soil Constraints 38:00 Using Soil HASH for Diagnosis 43:08 The Future of Soil Health Monitoring

 

The Soil HASH tool can be accessed at www.soilskills.net.au

This podcast forms part of a collaborative project with RegenWA called ‘Make Your Hectare Count’. The project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program (State Natural Resource Management Program)

This podcast also forms part of the Regenerative Agriculture in Project Program 2025. This project is supported through funding from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s Environmental Management Fund.