To be eligible for a soil carbon project, a farm needs to meet the requirements under the AgriProve Universal Land Management Strategy (LMS) - 2021 Soil Carbon Method.
What are the requirements for a soil carbon project?
To start your soil carbon project with AgriProve and to register it with the Clean Energy Regulator, the landholder must commit to make a material change to on-farm management activities that is reasonably expected to improve soil carbon levels. In addition, the project area must be at least 100 hectares in size, be located within Australia and be undertaken with consent from all eligible interest holders.
Head to agriprove.io to create a FREE account and use our soil carbon eligibility tool to get started!
What farm management activities can I practise with my soil carbon project?
The LMS lists several activities that are eligible and reasonably expected to improve soil carbon levels. A landholder must make a material change in management through at least one of the following activities listed in the 2021 Soil Carbon Method:
- Applying nutrients to the land in the form of a synthetic or non-synthetic fertiliser to address a material deficiency (for example, adding recycled organics)
- Applying lime or other ameliorants to remediate acid soils
- Applying gypsum to manage sodic or magnesic soils
- Re-establishing or rejuvenating a pasture by seeding (for example, mixed species forage seeding)
- Establishing, and permanently maintaining, a pasture where there was previously no pasture, such as on cropland or bare fallow (for example, converting cropland to pasture)
- Altering the stocking rate, duration or intensity of grazing (for example, ‘rotational grazing’ or ‘emergent leaf grazing’)
- Retaining stubble after a crop is harvested
- Converting from intensive tillage practises to reduced or no tillage practices
- Modifying landscape or landform features to remediate land
- Using mechanical means to add or redistribute soil through the soil profile
- Using legume species in cropping systems
- Using a cover crop to promote soil vegetation cover or improve soil health, or both
What farm management activities are restricted under a soil carbon project?
The 2021 Soil Carbon Method sets out a list of restricted activities with special requirements for implementation and monitoring. Please consult with your AgriProve account manager if your farm has been or is expected to be subject to any of the following practices:
- Clearing or thinning of woody vegetation within the five years prior to baselining
- Land management activities that may involve the addition or redistribution of soil using mechanical means (including through clay delving, clay spreading or water ponding)
- Application of soil amendments containing biochar or coal after baselining
- Application of restricted non-synthetic fertiliser after baselining
- Annual level of irrigation 20% greater than the highest annual level of irrigation during baselining, or 5-year total irrigation 20% greater than the total level of irrigation during baselining.
What farm management activities are excluded under a soil carbon project?
The 2021 Soil Carbon Method sets out the following list of excluded activities that must not be conducted as part of the project:
- Complete de-stocking unless due to drought, due conversion to cropping or with approval from the Clean Energy Regulator
- Land management activities that disturb the soil any deeper than 10cm above the baseline nominated soil depth
- Application of pyrolysised material that is not biochar
- Land management activities conducted on hypersulfidic material that would result in drainage, physical disturbance or application of lime
- Any activity notified to the project proponent in writing by the Clean Energy Regulator