Short-term research ‘has little benefit’ for Australia’s farmers

Computer modelling, guides and mobile apps designed to help farmers make decisions about soil management are often undermined by short-term research funding and lack of continuity, a national research centre has found.

The Soil Cooperative Research Centre assessed more than 100 programmes designed as decision support tools for Australian farmers. These were created by universities, government agencies, rural industry organisations and private consultancies.

They included pasture and crop management systems, apps to calculate soil nutrients, and soil water monitoring and satellite mapping services for farms.