David Waters, a soil scientist with NSW Department of Primary Industries, is presenting the series developed by leading DPI soil scientists to cover issues relating to soil carbon in agriculture.

“A lot of information has been generated in relation to soil carbon and unfortunately some of it is either confusing or at worst incorrect,” Mr Waters said.

“We want to provide farmers with some balance and context in the debate over soil carbon and what it may mean for their farming enterprises.”

Mr Waters said seminars already presented had generated some excellent feedback from local farmers and other industry members.

“Those who attended wanted to know the best ways to manage and increase carbon in their farming systems,” he said.

“They also wanted information on how to reduce their fertiliser costs by increasing soil carbon, and what timeframes were appropriate to achieve increases in soil carbon.

“As well, they were keen to understand how general ‘soil health’ relates to soil carbon levels, what capacity soils have to store carbon in relation to soil type, and how organic soil carbon measures up against inorganic soil carbon.”

Issues to be covered at the Cowra seminar include carbon cycles, soil carbon fractions, effects of climate and soil type on soil carbon, influence of management practices on soil carbon, organic carbon amendments, whole-farm carbon dynamics and overall soil health - profiles in pits.

"There is such a deluge of information on carbon that it is very easy to get confused," Mr Waters said. "This will be a hands-on day - in the afternoon we will visit a soil pit on an adjacent property, and relate the importance of soil carbon to overall soil health and best land management practices."

The Natural Resource Management 355 committee at Cowra is collaborating with NSW DPI to put on this seminar so that farmers can come to grips about the truths and fallacies of carbon farming.