Agricultural
11 March, 2025
Soil conservation: a movement initiated by local farmers
A research trip to the United States of America by Evanslea farmer Hector Tod in 1953 changed land management practices on the Darling Downs forever.
“I don’t think we’d be farming here without it, with the soil loss and lack of water conservation.”
That’s University of Southern Queensland Agriculture Professor Keith Pembleton’s view on the importance of strip cropping, now a standard practice on the Downs.
Basically, strip cropping involves cultivating and cropping in strips across the contour of the land to break the flow of the water and retain moisture in the soil.
The technique was pioneered locally by Hector Tod, Evanslea farmer, in the 1950s, following a bad 1956 flood, which caused widespread soil erosion.
Hector spoke with local author Joanne Evans in the 1990s about his work.
“I had seen strip cropping against wind erosion in the United States during a study tour in 1953, and discussed the concept with other farmers and Department of Primary Industries (DPI) soil conservation officers thinking we could apply this erosion control principle on the Downs,” he said.
“DPI records showed strip cropping had been tried unsuccessfully on another part of the plain, but officers offered to help try again in our area.
“They surveyed my property for strip cropping on the contour and eventually we had the whole farm under this system.
“It was effective to a point, but we really needed the whole area to be under strips to solve problem. So we formed Soil Conservation Group in our area, again with DPI support, and were fortunate to have the late Rex Teakle as chairman.
“The junction of Linthorpe Creek and the Toowoomba (Cecil Plains) Road was our main problem.
“Without any defined course, water spread over the downstream area, changing course frequently depending on crop layout, boundary adjustments and internal fencing, causing extensive gullying and surface erosion.
“Over the years, we improved the system, dividing each strip into a minimum of three and a maximum of five sub-strips in areas more prone to flooding.
“This ensured we had a sub-strip of standing stubble or a summer or winter crop as a flood barrier all year round.
“The ability to extend our planting period after rain (using weedicide instead of cultivation, moisture seeking points and wheels) was another advantage of minimum tillage, and strip farming. Our best record was a good strike eight weeks after the rain.”
Professor Pembleton said that conservation farming started as a collaboration between farmers and the DPI.
“Soil conservation was a grower-led innovation and involved the solving of the problems of farmers by farmers,” he said.
“Soils on the Darling Downs are highly erodible and easily moved by water.
“Soil is by and large a non-renewable resource and losing soil means losing the fundamental resource base of our farming.”
Since Hector’s time, Darling Downs farming has seen the introduction of other crops such as chick peas and mung beans.
These crops have assisted conservation farming practices by enabling the control of weeds through grass killing herbicides.
In his account, Hector thanks the Ritter family, who are still farming in the district today, for allowing the channel of floodwater through their property.
Mount Irving farmer Rob Ritter, whose family property adjourns ‘Poplar’ formerly Hector’s property, on the southern side, remembers the 1956 flood and says that strip farming has been the common practice in the district ever since.
“We don’t work the ground much at all,” he said.
“If you go in with a plough, you’re bringing wet soil up and drying it out.
“There’s much less chance of having erosion.
“We’ve got land that’s gone five to six years now without a plough.”
Mr Ritter, who farms with his brother John said the technique of strip farming incorporates the use of stubble as a barrier.
“Conservation farming has had a big impact,” he said
“In those days, there were a lot of smaller farms and a number of people worked hard to get it off the ground.”
A 2022 flood provided a practical example of strip farming in action locally.
During this event, strip farmed paddocks (pictured, above) slowed water flow across land enabling it to be absorbed into the soil.
The use of crop barriers also forces water to disperse across a wider area.
Today, the soil conservation movement is not as strong as it once was.
In the local area, some larger farms are moving away from strip farming, planting in bulk to ensure a bigger yield with less focus on preventing erosion.
