McEwan Carbon Project 4

McEwan Carbon Project 4 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the Southern Mallee region of South Australia, approximately 20 kilometers northwest of the agricultural township of Pinnaroo. Registered on April 13, 2022, the project covers a land area of 623.01 hectares. The surrounding region is a dedicated agricultural zone, predominantly utilized for dryland cereal cropping and sheep grazing, typical of the broader Mallee district.

The project operates under the 2021 Soil Carbon methodology, which credits landholders for measurable increases in soil organic carbon stocks. To achieve this, the project has implemented a change in land management practices, specifically converting from intensive tillage to reduced or no-tillage systems, retaining crop stubble to protect topsoil, and applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address nutrient deficiencies. These activities are designed to minimize soil disturbance and increase biomass input, thereby facilitating carbon drawdown into the soil profile.

Environmentally, the project sits in a semi-arid zone characterized by low annual rainfall, typically averaging between 300mm and 350mm. The soil composition in this part of the Murray Mallee is generally defined by dune-swale systems featuring sandy loams and calcarosols (lime-rich soils). These sandy soils often have low natural organic matter, meaning successful carbon sequestration here relies heavily on careful moisture management and stubble retention to prevent erosion and build structure.

An interesting aspect of this project is its identifier as "McEwan Carbon Project 4," which indicates it is part of a larger aggregation of projects managed by the proponent, Agriprove Solutions, likely across different land titles held by the McEwan family. Agriprove employs a partnership model that streamlines the administration and measurement process for farmers, often utilizing high-tech soil sampling and remote sensing to verify carbon gains over the 25-year crediting period.