This project used market research to determine the extension needs for healthy soils irrigated cotton areas in NSW and Queensland. Existing information was collated and reshaped into an extension program consisting of training workshops, field days, regional soil forums, published case studies and on farm demonstration sites.

The extension program provided relevant regional information, primarily targeted at agribusiness, consultants, irrigated cotton and grain growers, government agency staff and regional natural resource management bodies.

Twelve case studies were published. A soils web page was rejuvenated on the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC web site and materials were provided to the National Healthy Soils Knowledge Bank. The project financed ten growers and consultants to enable them to attend the National Healthy Soils Forum.

Three regional healthy soil forums were held in Goondiwindi, Narrabri and Hillston.They were well attended with 74 per cent of respondents stating the forums had provided them with information that would change the way they would farm in the future.

Fifteen training workshops on soil nutrition, soil pits, understanding soil testing and property planning were delivered to agribusiness, consultants and farmers. 75 per cent of respondents thought the information in the workshops would increase their profitability, 88 per cent thought it would increase their sustainability and 100 per cent thought the workshops proposed useful indicators to assess soil health.

Other outcomes included:

• Practice change and intended practice change by irrigated cotton and grain managers and landholders

• Improved knowledge of R&D managers and extension providers through market research to ensure well targeted research

• Improved knowledge and collaboration of soils extension providers between regional body staff and Cotton CRC, CSIRO, NSW DPI and Queensland DPI & F in the Condamine, QMDC, Border Rivers, Gwydir, Namoi, Lachlan and Macquarie catchments

The project has met or exceeded all of its milestones. It succeeded in delivering a consistent message across the entire irrigated cotton and grain growing region of eastern Australia. Feedback from the workshops and regional forums indicate than this extension project was effective in changing practice to improve both profitability and sustainability of irrigated cotton and grains through encouraging best management of healthy soils.