PETER Eisenhauer's extensive home library is testament to a paradigm shift in his farming philosophy.
The book authors say it all - Kinsey, Albrecht, Andersen, Wheeler, Steiner, Walters, Colby, Ridzin, Fenzau, Gates, Carson Suzuki ... Peter has used science, economics and his own on-farm observations to move from a conventional to biological system over the past decade.
The result has been a proactive rather than a reactive approach to a drying climate, where crops and pastures are able to make better use of rain when it does fall.
Peter and his wife, Gay, run a cropping and livestock enterprise on 400ha of red-loam country at Ganmain, in the northern Riverina in NSW.
This year, just 172mm of growing-season rainfall fell on the farm, but the couple expect their dryland ventura wheat to yield three tonnes/ha.
In the early 1990s, Peter and Gay used a high-input, conventional cropping system, constantly pushing for maximum yields.
But cracks in the system began emerging: weeds, soil compaction, lack of water infiltration and an increasing amount of inputs to achieve the same yields.
Looking for answers, Peter began to take note of plant production successes noted by the biological farming sector.
He admitted to being an initial sceptic, with his mindset change happening over a few years, on a scientific basis.
"When a friend did a large-scale cropping trial with worm juice on a conventional farm, I sat up and took notice," Peter said.
"The extra productivity showed up in the trial area for at least two years."
At the time, the Eisenhauers were mostly burning their stubbles and the soil's organic carbon level, at less than 1 per cent, wasn't on the radar.
Peter attended a biological farming conference in 1999 and was impressed by keynote speaker Arden Anderson.
"At that point I became happy with biological farming. I could see it wasn't snake oil and had merit," he said.
Two years later, the Eisenhauers replaced their combine with a no-till air seeder to allow stubble retention and began applying biological fertilisers.
"In the past, I had been fanatical about having weed-free paddocks," Peter said.
"Now, under the no-till system, any weeds that do come up are generally non-competitive.
"I have also learnt to use weeds as indicator plants for soil-nutrient imbalances."
Before sowing, a reactive phosphate rock treated with a microbial culture to make it biologically active, is spread with lime at 400kg/ha.
A liquid seed dressing is applied at sowing to encourage rapid germination, root development and soil microbial activity.
Small amounts of the starter fertiliser MAP are added at sowing each year, while a biological foliar spray and calcium nitrate are applied at tillering.
"In some of our cropping paddocks, aluminium levels had ranged from 5 to 20 per cent, which impaired root depth," Peter said.
"But now, under the biological system, we have observed increased root depth and the growth rate of roots is markedly quicker.
"The soil is not as compacted and water infiltration has improved."
This year, the couple have grown 344ha of ventura and lorikeet wheat and mitika oats, as a break crop.
Canola was dropped from the system in 2003 because of its biofumigation effect on soil microbiology.
Peter and Gay are happy to be termed microbial farmers, working towards healthy, balanced soils.
Their strategies include removing all stock in the microbial build-up phase, retaining vegetative cover, applying a stubble digestor to break down stubbles and using a no-till tyned implement for the first five to 10 years.
"At sowing, we don't put the tractor on wet paddocks straight after rain, to avoid compaction," Peter said.
"It is important to address calcium levels first and the soil pH will sort itself out.
"Add microbes to the system by using biological-seed dressings and foliar sprays, and access atmospheric nitrogen with nitrofying bacteria.
"Observe nature and let the weeds and diseases tell you what needs correcting."
Peter said the biological fertiliser program cost $110/ha this year compared with $215/ha for a conventional application of urea and MAP based on current prices.
"Our soil is alive. We have a happy home for microbes," he said.
"With this system, there are less screenings in the grain at harvest.
"We don't necessarily receive a premium but the premium is built into the extra yield and quality.
"In 2005, our wheat averaged 4.4 tonnes/ha compared to the district average of three tonnes/ha."
Last year most crops were cut for hay but the retained wheat yielded 1.8 tonnes/ha at 13.6 per cent protein while the schooner barley and oats also yielded 1.8 tonnes/ha.
Peter said the economics of biological farming was simple: less cost and better produce.
"It took a long time, a fair bit of effort and expense to overcome conventional brainwashing that revolves around harsh fertilisers, expensive sprays, plant breeders' rights and chemical consultants' time," he said.
"The science is all there but just not many people have put it all together yet.
"It won't be long before agricultural consultants' credibility will reflect how well they can promote more biological farming practices rather than how good their toxic-chemical knowledge is."
