Soil scientists dig in together

Born out of the "dark days" of cost-cutting in 2003, the soil science programme Sustainable Land Use Research Initiative is starting to stretch its legs.

Brent Clothier, programme leader and HortResearch scientist, said it would place a proposal before the Foundation for Science Research and Technology by the end of the year more than trebling its project value to nearly $9 million.

The foundation cut $3 million of funding from soil science research in 2003 but has so far committed $2.5 million to the programme, which was formed last October.

Clothier said the original cut in funding made Crown research institutes "circle the wagons".

"Inside HortResearch we got wiped completely off the map, we got zippo," he said.

"So it was fairly dark days in mid-2003 in terms of soil science research."

Crop and Food, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, HortResearch and AgResearch have put aside more than a decade of competition and joined forces on soil science, to form the new programme.

"We have joint meetings with us [as] the providers, the foundation [as] the purchase agent, talking with the industry and regional and central government - it's brilliant," Clothier said. "Why didn't we think of this first?"

He said the programme wanted to make better use of its combined expertise by drawing in soil-related projects now on contract to individual Crown research institutes.

The need for soil research had never been greater, Clothier said.

More intensive farming has increased nitrogen fertiliser use from 30,000 tonnes a year to nearly 400,000 within the past 15 years.

"Back in the 80s, we relied on natural nitrogen fixation from clover, we now get it out of a bag."

Clothier said the expertise within the programme could determine the effect such activities were having on the soil.

The organisation's five priority areas are soil functioning, managing land use, resilience under change, valuing the natural capital and strategic land use management.

Clothier said the aim was to provide verifiable data for informed debate and decisions on land use.

"Our vision is to bring together the best teams for the task, integrate our work ... and link into policy."

Stakeholders need only look across the Tasman to see the importance of soil science.

"Probably one-third of Australia's productive lands are destined for white death - the salt that's going to kill a lot of its productive land."

Sustainable Land Use Research Initiative says 17 per cent of GDP comes from productive industries dependent upon the top 15cm of soil.

"We cannot manufacture soils, they take a hell of a long time to form," Clothier said. "We shouldn't be in the business of trying to restore them after we've stuffed them."

Although the initiative has funding and support, it is proving harder to find scientists.

"I'm not that young anymore and I don't see the universities producing the kinds of people for any of these things," said Clothier.

The programme plans to fund postgraduate training and create employment stability by signing a 12-year contract with the Foundation of Science Research and Technology.

Soiled land

* More intensive farming has increased nitrogen fertiliser use from 30,000 tonnes a year to nearly 400,000 within the past 15 years.
* In the eighties, farmers relied on a natural nitrogen fixation from clover, it now comes out of a bag.
* Initiative's job is to determine the effect such activities are having on the soil.
* In Australia, about a third of productive land will be lost to white death - salt.