• Our Research
    • Research Strategy
    • Research Sites
    • Current Research Projects
    • Research Results
    • Research Collaborations
    • Research Resources
    • Seed Industry Research Centre
    Current Research
    Current Research
    Research Results
    Research Results
  • Resources
    • Biosecurity
    • Crop Action
    • Nutrient Management
    • Maize
    • Templates and Calculators
    • Podcast
    • Cereals
    • Weeds
    • Pests
    • Seeds
    • Diseases
    • News
    • Environment
    • Schools
    Podcast
    Podcast
    Environment and Compliance
    Environment and Compliance
  • Levies & Returns
    • Arable Crops Levy
    • Maize Levy
    • Cereal Silage Levy
    • Farmer Annual Return Form
    • Wholesaler Annual Return Form
    Levies
    Levies
    Annual Returns
    Annual Returns
  • Events
  • News
  • About Us
    • Governance and growers
    • Business Strategy
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Growers Leading Change
    • Women in Arable
    • Arable Ys
    • Arable Kids
    • Arable Research Groups (ARGs)
    Our People
    Our People
    Growers Leading Change
    Growers Leading Change
  • Ask FAR AI
  • Weather
  • Log In
Ask FAR AI
Weather
Log In
  • Homepage
  • Resources
  • Far Focus 15 Good Soil Is Good Business

FAR Focus 15: Good soil is good business

Richard strang strip till 5

This guide discusses what soil quality means, why it matters and how you can manage the soils on your farm to improve their quality, productivity and environmental credentials.

FAR Focus 15: Good soil is good business

Soil quality is a valuable indicator of sustainable agricultural productivity, and soil management is the key driver of soil quality.

New Zealand arable growers understand the benefits of managing their soils to maintain quality and support productivity. Their systems comprise of diverse rotations, which include depletive and restorative crops and phases. New Zealand’s high land values by international standards, mean that soils are a farm enterprises major asset, with continuous improvement in soil quality providing clear and sustainable financial returns. Work in Southland by Beare and Tregurtha (2004) showed that yields were affected by soil quality and for every 10% reduction in aggregate stability there was an 8% reduction in wheat crop yield. Based on average autumn wheat yields of 11.6 t/ha from the 2022 Cereal Performance trials in Southland, an 8% yield loss would equate to 0.9 t/ha, or $500 a hectare loss in income (wheat price $540 a tonne).

No one can ignore recent climate changes and weather extremes either. Such climate changes are pressing the need for increasing resilience of arable farm systems and improvements in soil quality have been shown to support long-term resilience through drought tolerance. Increasing public and regulatory focus on issues such as nitrate leaching to ground water, phosphorus loadings in soil runoff and greenhouse gas emissions, means there has never been a more important time to reflect on your soil and how you can maintain or improve soil quality to build profitability and resilience into your farm system. 

Read it here


Related Resources

22 May 2025

Climate change and greenhouse gases: what arable farmers need to know

What are greenhouse gases and how do they affect climate? Which GHGs are produced on arable farms and how can you measure them?  This book provides a Greenhouse Gas 101 for New Zealand arable farmers. It provides the information you need to understand public discussions and start considering a management plan for your farm business.

Read more
22 May 2025

FAR Environmental Strategy 2024-2030

FAR's updated Environmental Strategy provides a framework for research, development and extension activities to assist arable farmers safeguard vital resources and secure their future.

Read more
22 May 2025

FAR Technical Report Issue 1: Moisture Monitoring Project 2023/24

In 2023, FAR set up a Moisture Monitoring project at its Kowhai Research Site in Lincoln to provide independent insights into the range of moisture monitoring systems available in New Zealand. This report covers findings from the first year of the trial and outlines key considerations when choosing a moisture monitoring system.

Read more
22 May 2025

Technology Update 001: A guide to moisture monitoring systems

This Technology Update summarises the first year of findings from a three year moisture probe demonstration at FAR’s Kowhai Research site in Lincoln. It lists 10 key things to think about when considering purchasing a soil moisture monitoring system or service. 

Read more

Ask FAR AI

Discover the power of AI with Ask FAR. Our new intelligent tool provides instant, accurate answers to your questions by searching the vast resources on the FAR website and linking you to the original document for further information. It’s fast, easy and reliable.

Start Chatting
  • Research
  • Levies and Returns
  • Resources
  • Events
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • Schools
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

©2022 Foundation for Arable Research