According to WA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development the estimated cost of soil constraints to the state’s grain growers is $4.3 Billion in lost production. It’s a figure nearly equal to half the value of the state’s annual grain production, so soil constraint issues are significant.

The type of constraints common to the West include water repellency, acidity, subsoil compaction and soil structure decline.

And the Grains Research & Development Corporation has invested in the development of an analytical tool called ROSA.

ROSA stands for Ranking Options for Soil Amelioration and its purpose is to help grain growers rank their soils and prioritise soil amelioration options.

Find out more about ROSA on the AGRIC website: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/managing-soils/ranking-options-soil-amendments-tool

Further information

Dr Elizabeth Petersen
DPIRD Economist
0404 077 194
email: Liz.Petersen@dpird.wa.gov.au