Evatt Carbon Project - Breust 1

Evatt Carbon Project - Breust 1 is a soil organic carbon sequestration project located approximately 20km west of Temora in the Riverina region of New South Wales. It was registered in September 2021 and covers a project area of 242.61 hectares.

Soil carbon sequestration projects utilizing the "Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models" methodology involve undertaking new or materially different management activities to store additional carbon in agricultural soils. Standard requirements for this method dictate rigorous baseline and subsequent soil sampling rounds, which must be carried out by independent experts and tested at accredited laboratories to accurately calculate and verify soil carbon increases over time.

The Temora area is highly regarded as a prime agricultural and grain-producing region, with local land use primarily focused on broadacre dryland cropping (such as wheat, barley, and canola) as well as livestock grazing. The region is classified as having a sub-humid to semi-arid climate, receiving a reliable average annual rainfall of approximately 520 mm. The typical soil types found in this area are fertile red-brown earths and heavy sodic clays, which form a strong foundation for the region's mixed farming enterprises.

This project aims to increase soil carbon stocks by implementing several specific agricultural practices: applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers to address material deficiencies, retaining stubble after crop harvests, and converting from intensive tillage to reduced or no-tillage systems. Interestingly, in July 2024, the project underwent a variation, successfully transitioning from the older 2018 soil carbon measurement methodology to the newer 2021 estimation and models determination.