Using tea tree residues & legumes to develop a low-emission tea tree industry

Summary

This project will assess the potential for using residue as biochar, with or without chicken manure biochar, to improve soil carbon and reduce nitrous oxide essmions compared to current practice. the project will also investigatae whether legume intercropping can reduce nitrogen fertiliser requirements and nitrous oxide emissions. The results of the project will be shared with farmers through industry newsletters, DPIled field days and through the production of a decision support tool. Methodologies and scientific papers will also be published to share the results with the broader sceintific community.

Program

Tea Tree Oil

Research Organisation

Southern Cross University

Objective Summary

This project will evaluate options for the tea tree industry to supply organic carbon inputs and nutrients (thereby reducing N2O emissions) by utilising tea tree leaf waste, pyrolysed leaf waste and exploiting legume cover crops. Specific objectives are to: 1) Improve knowledge of the influence of pyrolysed amendments and legume cover crops on SOC fractions and their contributions to C/N cycling with comparisons against baseline scenarios 2) Improve grower awareness of the causes of N2O emissions in the industry 3) Achieve a comprehensive understanding by growers, consultants and industry representatives of N2O emissions and soil C dynamics under current industry practices 4) Develop a Decision Support tool that enables farmers to quantify financial benefits through sequestering soil C or reducing emissions of N2O 5) Develop a data set that can occupy a “methodology” for the tea tree industry based on C sequestered in soil, reduced N fertiliser use and reduced N2O emissions