A key takeaway from the day is that soil testing is essential for all crops, but especially for pineapples, which take two years to grow. Missing key nutrients at any point during the growing cycle can result in crop failure, meaning two years of effort lost .

About the soil testing program:

Inspecting soil samples and recording differing characteristics.The first part of the program was all about individual soil tests, feedback and a soil health workshop. Delivered in an informal and interactive format, the workshop encouraged sharing and open discussion among producers. These conversations were facilitated by soil agronomist and expert David Hall, who guided growers through shared experiences with various fertilisation methods and products, highlighting both benefits and challenges.

Each producer has their own fertiliser management and application strategy, often developed in collaboration with an independent agronomist. David Hall emphasised that cropping depletes soil nutrients, and regular soil testing is a vital component of a sound fertiliser management plan. Soil test results help identify which nutrients are being depleted more rapidly and inform future fertiliser choices and quantities.

This workshop was a great learning experience for all involved, highlighting the benefits of shared discussions and the importance of local insights in improving agricultural practices.

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.