Skyspec Regen Ag
Biome Driven Agriculture
Unlock Your Soil's Full Potential — Naturally
Your Soil Has a Story — Now We Can Finally Read It
New technology has revolutionised how we understand soil. With the advent of DNA sequencing and advanced AI, we can now move beyond basic chemical tests to uncover the full biological complexity of the soil microbiome. Tools like BeCrop® by Biome Makers analyse thousands of microbial DNA markers to identify not just who is living in your soil — but what they’re doing. This means we can now measure functional processes like nitrogen cycling, carbon fixation, phosphorus mobilisation, and disease suppression — unlocking powerful insights into soil health, productivity, and resilience. What was once invisible is now measurable, and farmers finally have access to the same kind of precision biological diagnostics that have transformed human health.
New England dairy systems face some of the most challenging and variable soils in Australia — from rich red basalt to tight sodic clays and peaty valleys prone to waterlogging.
While traditional soil tests offer chemical snapshots, they don’t reveal the full biological story that drives pasture health, nutrient efficiency, and long-term productivity.
At Skyspec Regen Ag, we go deeper.
Through BeCrop® functional soil microbiome testing, we identify the living drivers of:
Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)
Denitrification and leaching risks
Organic matter cycling and pasture resilience
Response to lime, gypsum, and biological inputs
🧬 It’s more than testing — it’s diagnostics, insight, and an actionable roadmap.
This page gives you tailored Soil Health Checklists and BeCrop® Biome Focus summaries for the major soil types across Dorrigo, Guyra and the New England tablelands — so you can get the most from every paddock, while protecting water quality and future yields.
New England Dairy Soil Health & Biome Grid and Checklist
| Soil Type | Typical Characteristics | Key Challenges | BeCrop® Focus | Pasture System Fit | Checklist Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Basaltic (Krasnozems) | Deep, friable, high CEC, acidic | P fixation, acidity, compaction under wet grazing | Phosphate solubilisers, fungal:bacterial balance, lignin-degraders | Ryegrass/white clover, kikuyu base, high input | Lime if pH<5.2, compost to improve fungal balance, avoid pugging |
| Granite-derived Texture Contrast (Sodosols/Dermosols) | Shallow topsoil over dispersive clay, acidic | Surface sealing, subsoil sodicity, runoff | Exopolysaccharide producers, low redundancy warning, denitrifiers | Fescue/kikuyu, adaptive grazing, low/mod input | Gypsum if ESP>6%, increase ground cover, subsoil organic matter |
| Peaty or Organic Soils (wet valley floors) | High OM, poorly drained, low bulk density | Waterlogging, N leaching, low structure | Anaerobic denitrifiers, organic N transformers, microbial balance | Seasonal ryegrass, wetland buffers | Drainage mapping, BeCrop for denitrifier ratio, nutrient holding tests |
| Duplex Soils (acid top, sodic subsoil) | Contrast layers, often eroded or crusted | Topsoil acidification, poor infiltration | Acid-tolerant decomposers, compaction-tolerant species, EPS formers | Mixed pasture, strategic grazing, topdressing | Lime topsoil, gypsum base, BeCrop to monitor shifts after amelioration |
🐄 Recommended Soil Health Practices – New England Dairy Pastures
1. Regular pH Monitoring + Lime Management
Many soils here are naturally acidic, especially under long-term pasture or high N input.
Use grid or zone pH testing, and apply agricultural lime or dolomite to lift pH toward 5.5–6.2 (CaCl₂).
Liming improves nutrient availability, microbial diversity, and legume persistence (e.g. clover).
2. Use of Multi-Species Pastures
Integrate diverse species: perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, fescue, white/red clover, chicory, plantain.
Enhances:
Root architecture and soil structure
Forage resilience through seasons
Soil microbiome diversity and carbon inputs
3. Strategic Compost & Organic Matter Inputs
Apply composted dairy effluent, poultry litter, or biosolids in rotation with lime.
Builds soil carbon, improves CEC, and feeds soil biota in high rainfall zones prone to leaching.
4. BeCrop® Soil Microbiome Diagnostics
Identify microbial bottlenecks (e.g., poor nitrogen cycling or root colonisation).
Benchmark biological indicators (fungal:bacterial balance, AMF colonisation, disease suppression).
Tailor biological inputs or cover strategies based on function (not guesswork).
5. Tactical Use of Biological Inoculants
Introduce fungal-dominant inoculants in systems with compaction or low OM.
Use N-fixing and P-solubilising microbes to improve NUE and reduce fertiliser dependency.
6. Grazing Management for Soil Health
Avoid pugging and overgrazing — especially during wet periods.
Rotate paddocks to allow full root regrowth, maximise photosynthesis and root exudates.
Use rest periods to support microbial recovery and root biomass.
7. Deep Soil Testing + Functional Profiling
Go beyond NPK — test for:
Soil compaction/hardpans
Calcium:Magnesium ratios
Microbial respiration (e.g., BeCrop®)
Guides lime type, organic matter inputs, and rotational decisions.
8. Seasonal Pasture Cropping or Fodder Crops
Introduce oats, brassicas, or millet in downtime to keep soils covered and biologically active.
Choose crops that match gaps in functional diversity (e.g., deep-rooted species for structure, AMF hosts for fungi).
9. Water Management
Monitor drainage and waterlogging in flatter or alluvial areas (especially Dermosols).
Consider aeration or subsoil loosening in high-compaction paddocks — only with microbial/organic support.
Partner with us to:
Fine-tune inputs based on real microbial function
Track carbon and nutrient outcomes over time
Align with sustainability and water quality programs
Whether you’re managing ryegrass systems, mixed pastures, or valley-bottom paddocks — this guide will help you work smarter with nature.
Downloadable Checklist
