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Resource library · Subtropical Dairy

Soils

Manure, composting and soil testing

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Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Future Drought Fund Subtropical Dairy and Dairy Australia Delivering for Queensland, Queensland Government

Climate Smart Feedbase is led by Subtropical Dairy in partnership with Queensland Department of Primary Industries, with support through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund Scaling Success Program.

Resource overview

Manure, composting and soil testing

Soil fertility and structure underpin reliable pasture and forage production. The practical material below draws on farmer experiences, FertSmart principles and published Northern Horizons articles to guide better decisions about nutrients, organic matter and soil monitoring.

The resources below include previously published material from Northern Horizons, the earlier Dairy Grains Mentoring project and related extension work. New Climate Smart Feedbase outputs will be added as they become available.

Articles and resources

Explore Soils

Browse the published articles below. PDFs open in a new tab; page counts and download sizes help you choose what to open.

Resource collection

Composting on dairy farms

Composting can recycle dairy manure, bedding, feed waste and other organic residues into a stabilised soil amendment. The articles explain how carbon and nitrogen balance, moisture, aeration, temperature and turning affect the process, including practical windrow systems turned with a front-end loader. Site selection, drainage, machinery access and fire risk also need attention.

Resource collection

Manure as an organic fertiliser

Manure supplies nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur while adding organic matter. The 2024 trial article describes comparisons of zero, 25 and 50 tonnes of manure per hectare. It also explains why material age, spreading consistency, soil test results and crop demand matter when setting application rates and assessing the need for supplementary fertiliser.

Resource collection

Soil testing and FertSmart

Representative Farm Management Zones, repeatable sampling locations and accredited laboratories help make soil tests useful over time. The FertSmart resources cover sampling depth, number of cores, timing around fertiliser and lime applications, nutrient budgets and annual fertiliser plans. Read soil chemistry alongside soil structure, biological indicators and local agronomic advice.