Chicken manure spading study delves deep to target catchment area

Mr Pope first noticed seeps developing almost a decade ago and said they had degraded arable cropping land.

"Our main issue has been deep, non-wetting sand. We've done a bit of clay spreading, delving and even tried growing millet one year on the non-wetting sand and haven't had much success with anything," he said.

The land for the trial was spaded with different rates of chicken manure and the subsequent barley yield, quality and germination exceeded expectations. 

Trials consultant Chris McDonough said there was sparse germination and roots struggled to establish deep into the control areas. 

"The control areas were reaping 1-1.5 tonnes a hectare last year. Where we spaded without chicken manure was 2-2.5t/ha. Where we spaded with 5-6t/ha of chicken manure it went up to 3-3.5 t/ha. It was quite remarkable," Mr McDonough said.

"Mallee sands are often compacted between 20 centimetres and 40cm so roots can't break through them. We're breaking that compaction and because chicken manure is very high in nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur and trace elements you're mixing nutritious organic matter through the top 40cm, and that is changing the fertility of the soil."

Mr McDonough said the moisture-holding capacity was much better in the spaded chicken manure soil than the control area, which means the sand is less likely to contribute to seep recharge.