FARMERS are losing more than income when the crop turns to dust.
The Wimmera Conservation Farming Association's Greg Antonoff has warned farmers that 1mm of topsoil loss can wipe out 13 tonnes of topsoil a hectare.
"Nature can take 100 years to recreate 3-4mm of topsoil," Greg said.
Without groundcover, susceptible soils could be eroded in winds of as little as 20-30km/h, he said.
Greg was speaking at the WCFA annual conference, which focused on groundcover.
"Our challenge now is to realise the opportunities in times of climate change," he said.
"It is all about groundcover, groundcover, groundcover."
Bernard Noonan, from the Federal Government-funded Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms project, showed the conference graphic images of bare paddocks dumping tonnes of topsoil and nutrients over the fence. He said all soil health benefits began with retaining groundcover.
"All steps towards improving soil health come with improving groundcover," Bernard said.
He said there was also little evidence to show that stubble burning would help control ryegrass.
"But we have still got people sending up smoke signals," he said.
Bernard said there was evidence that the topsoil depth around Ballarat had halved in the past 25 years and in the Mallee scrub soil was 60cm deep, but nearby cultivated soil had a topsoil depth of only 30cm.
Compaction was another issue - all soils, including sands were capable of compacting, he said.
Bernard said applying gypsum and then still burning and cultivating the soil was akin to tying your shoelaces together.
"Or going on a diet and still eating cream cakes," he said.
