Soil physics guidelines for farmers are in development
Soil carbon change is hard to measure because it needs hundreds of samples, which holds some countries back.
|October 27, 2026Listen to the full interview:
This episode featured as part of the Agronomy segment in partnership with PGG Wrightson.
Guidelines to help farmers understand why soil physics matters are in development at Lincoln University.
Lincoln University soil and environmental science professor Tim Clough says farmers who do not understand their soil face problems down the track.
“We can see decreases in yield, decreases in nutrient supply, and poor plant health as a result,” he says.
He says this week’s focus is soil physics and how farmers can prevent compaction from animal treading or vehicle traffic.
He says measuring a change in soil carbon is hard.
“To do it well, you would need hundreds of samples, and that becomes a cost issue when you get back to the lab.”
Food and Agriculture Organization soil scientist Dr Manzonia Paleta says laboratories use different methods, so results are not always comparable.
This episode featured as part of the Agronomy segment in partnership with PGG Wrightson. Make sure to contact PGG Wrightson to plan your crop and pasture requirements. You can find your local Technical Field Representative or store team at https://store.pggwrightson.co.nz/find-your-store
Watch the full interview:
CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.
