Amelioration and Nutrition in Focus: WMG & Summit Crop Walk at Minty’s

Sep 10,2025 Events, Soil Amelioration Project, 2025, Events, Projects, RAD2406,

By Kate Parker & Simon Kruger, WMG

On 20 August, growers gathered at the Minty family’s property on Rowes Road, Dandaragan, for a dedicated crop walk highlighting soil amelioration work and nutrient management research. The event was run in partnership with Summit Fertilizers and drew a strong turnout, with 39 farmers and industry representatives braving the mixed weather to take part. Even Daisy, Summit Fertilizer’s Area Manager and WMG Board Chair Alana Alexander’s sausage dog made an appearance!

Summit Fertilizer’s Area Manager & WMG Board Chair Alana Alexander introduces the Summit trial site.

The afternoon provided a valuable opportunity to:

Walk through the full Summit Fertilizers trial site.
Take a closer look at the soil amelioration machines that worked the paddock earlier this year.
Hear insights from the Summit team, Julian from BiOWiSH Technologies, JP from Horsch, and the WMG team.

Summit Fertilizers Trials

The program began with Summit presenting their nitrogen × sulfur ratio trial, which is comparing three nitrogen rates and three N:S ratios. A DCD inhibitor was included across treatments to reduce leaching risk, alongside demonstrations of a Crop X weather station.

The Summit team also outlined two additional trials:

BiOWiSH fertiliser trial – a biological coating designed to improve nutrient availability in the root zone. While not a “silver bullet”, the product is being tested in 14 WA trials to assess how it can support fertiliser efficiency.
H2Optimise soil wetter trial – evaluating placement of a wetting agent, either behind the press wheel or with the seed, to improve crop performance.

Attendees make their way through the crop to the Summit trial site.

Tracking Soil Amelioration & Water Repellence at Minty’s

The West Midlands Group is following the amelioration work at the Minty’s as part of the GRDC-funded Soil Water Repellence Project. Earlier this year, multiple tractors and implements were working across the paddock, creating the opportunity to collect valuable mid-season data.

Key findings presented included:

Soil tests confirmed a MED score of 2 in the surface, showing water repellence that the amelioration treatments aim to reduce.
Penetrometer readings showed compaction at 400–450 mm in the control, while ameliorated treatments allowed roots to penetrate much deeper.
Establishment and weed counts were stronger across all ameliorated plots compared to the control.
GS30 biomass results showed minimal differences at this stage, though greater separation is expected later in the season.
NDVI imagery from the past three months was displayed, highlighting crop growth trends.

Monitoring will continue through peak biomass, anthesis, and harvest, with follow-up soil testing planned to measure changes in water repellence.

The inclusion of several of the soil amelioration tools used at the site added extra value and talking points for attendees.

Economics – Lessons from 2024

As the 2025 site is still developing, WMG shared results from the 2024 Soil Water Repellence Project site at Creagh’s near Dandaragan. That trial compared the Plozza Plough, Plozza Fanger, and Nufab Ripper (single and double pass) against untreated strips.

Results showed every machine increased yield and gross margin over the control. Key takeaways included:

Yields: Control ~1.6–1.8 t/ha, Plozza ~3.2 t/ha, Fanger ~3.0 t/ha, Nufab ~2.8 t/ha.
Net benefits after investment: Plozza ~$491/ha, Fanger ~$322/ha, Nufab ~$268/ha, Nufab double ~$147/ha.
All machines broke even within the first season.
A dry September favoured efficiency, with the Plozza Plough converting more biomass into grain. In a kinder finish, the rankings may shift.

These findings underline the importance of considering machine design, cost, and seasonal conditions when investing in amelioration.

Machinery and Discussions

Growers also had the chance to engage directly with JP Coetzer from Horsch, Ben and Sean Plozza from Plozza Plows, and with some details sent through from the Lienert Engineering team on their clay delver. Questions ranged from cost and performance to soil mixing depth and management of gravel and rocks, sparking valuable conversations around practical implementation.

The Horsch Tiger and Lienert Clay Delver created plenty of discussion from the crowd.

Take-Home Messages

Early results at Minty’s show improved establishment and reduced compaction following amelioration.
Economic analysis from 2024 demonstrated that all tested machines returned a profit in their first season, though outcomes varied by design and seasonal finish.
Long-term monitoring through to 2026 will give growers greater confidence in which strategies hold up across soil types and conditions.

Acknowledgements

WMG thanks Gavin Minty for hosting and bringing the amelioration gear together, with John Minty joining in spirit from Scotland. Thanks also to Alana Alexander and the Summit team for their collaboration, Jim Hamilton for providing his Horsch Tiger, and everyone who contributed to the discussions on the day.