The Sustainable Solutions for Sandy Soils Project
A practical, grower-led approach to improving groundcover and reducing erosion risk across the West Midlands.
Pale deep sands and sandy duplex soils dominate much of the West Midlands region, and they are increasingly difficult to manage. Declining growing-season rainfall, more variable seasonal breaks and a heightened risk of erosion are making it harder for growers to maintain groundcover and protect long-term productivity.
The Sustainable Solutions for Sandy Soils project brings together local landholders, grower groups, researchers and agronomists to test and share soil and pasture management practices that can improve groundcover, soil health and farm business resilience.
Commencement: 2025 | Completion: 2030
Funding body(s): Australian Government Future Drought Fund (Resilient Landscapes Program)
Project Lead Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)
Project Partners: West Midlands Group, Mingenew-Irwin Group (MIG), Edith Cowan University (ECU)
Background
The West Midlands region sits within the Perth Sedimentary Basin, between Gingin and Geraldton, and is dominated by pale deep sands and pale sands over gravel. These soils are low in fertility and water-holding capacity, prone to water repellence and vulnerable to wind erosion. Around 21% of farmland in the region lacks adequate groundcover during the period of highest erosion risk, and satellite data show that both the extent and persistence of low groundcover have increased over the past 20 years.
A drying climate is compounding these pressures. Shorter seasons, unreliable breaks and extreme seasonal events, including cyclones and pest outbreaks, make groundcover harder to maintain and recovery slower when topsoil moves. While many growers have adopted practices that have improved productivity, further adaptation is needed to keep farming systems resilient under changing conditions.
The project does not promote a single solution. Instead, it looks at how combinations of proven practices, including soil amelioration, organic amendments, improved pasture systems, fodder shrubs and grazing strategies, can be integrated into real farming systems on sandy soils, under local conditions and seasonal variability. Support is tailored to farm-specific constraints and business goals.
WMG’s role
WMG is a partner in the project alongside DPIRD, MIG and Edith Cowan University. WMG’s contribution focuses on extension, peer learning and on-farm demonstration across the West Midlands sub-region.
Two formats are used to share knowledge and build grower capability. Peer learning groups bring together producers to explore and adopt combinations of practices suited to their district. Members discuss issues, share experiences with others farming similar soils, and build confidence to trial changes on their own properties. Demonstration sites showcase how common sandy soil challenges can be managed in practice. WMG holds field events at these sites to provide growers with practical guidance on implementing similar approaches.
The topics explored through peer groups and demonstration sites are driven by grower needs and interests, with specialist input available from consultants and researchers.
Alongside this extension work, DPIRD is conducting targeted research through the project. This includes validating satellite-derived groundcover data against on-ground measurements, and comparing soil characteristics under different farming systems to understand how groundcover and soil function are related. These research activities will generate decision-ready information to support growers across the region.
What the project aims to achieve
Improved producer capability to adopt resilient farming practices by demonstrating systems proven to be profitable and resilient in the sandy soils of the West Midlands and supporting capacity building through peer learning groups and decision-ready information packages co-designed with industry.
Better data for decision-making by assessing groundcover on 300 sites across the project area to validate the accuracy of satellite data and provide guidelines for on-farm decision-making using satellite groundcover products.
Better understanding of soil health under different systems by developing innovative methodologies to analyse soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics against productive capability and identifying ecosystem tipping points.
Latest updates
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Project Fact Sheet
How to get involved
The project runs until 2030. Growers, land managers and agribusiness across the West Midlands sub-region are welcome to get involved, whether through a peer learning group, a demonstration site event, or simply to find out more.
Contact Gabby Carrivick at WMG: eo@wmgroup.org.au