Messner Carbon Project 9

Messner Carbon Project 9 is a soil carbon project located in the eastern wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 35 kilometres east of the town of Mukinbudin and 45 kilometres northwest of Westonia. Registered in June 2022, the project covers a substantial area of 1,440 hectares. The project is part of a larger aggregation of carbon projects (including Messner Carbon Project 1 and 15) situated within the Shire of Westonia or its immediate surrounds, suggesting a large-scale adoption of carbon farming practices by the landholder across multiple property blocks.

The region is characterized by broadacre mixed farming, primarily dryland cropping of wheat, barley, and lupins, alongside sheep grazing. The climate is typical of the semi-arid Mediterranean wheatbelt, featuring hot, dry summers and cool winters with low annual rainfall, generally falling between 300mm and 350mm. The soils in this vicinity are commonly sandy loams, clays, and duplex soils, which can be prone to salinity and acidity, issues that soil carbon projects often aim to mitigate through improved soil health.

Operated by Agriprove Solutions, this project utilises the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models methodology (2021). This method involves establishing a baseline of soil carbon stocks through physical core sampling, followed by the implementation of new management activities designed to increase carbon levels. For Messner Carbon Project 9, the specific activity involves applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilisers to address material nutrient deficiencies. This approach aims to boost plant biomass production, which in turn increases the organic matter returned to the soil, sequestering carbon over the project's 25-year permanence period.