Messner Carbon Project 16

Messner Carbon Project 16 is a soil carbon project located in the Central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 25km southeast of the town of Mukinbudin and 40km north of Merredin. Registered on August 5, 2024, the project covers an area of roughly 197 hectares near the locality of Warralakin.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models (2021) methodology. This method credits landholders for increasing soil carbon stocks through changes in land management. Specifically, this project involves applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies in the soil. By optimizing soil nutrition, the project aims to boost plant growth and root biomass, which in turn sequesters atmospheric carbon into the soil profile.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with low annual rainfall, typically averaging around 290mm. Land use in this area is predominantly broadacre dryland cropping (wheat, barley, canola) and sheep grazing. The soils in this part of the eastern Wheatbelt are generally sandy loams, yellow sands, and duplex soils (sand over clay), which can be fragile and benefit significantly from improved organic matter levels.

Messner Carbon Project 16 appears to be part of a larger portfolio of projects in the Westonia and Mukinbudin shires managed by Agriprove, a major Australian soil carbon project developer. The project's specific focus on nutrient management suggests an effort to regenerate productive capacity in these lighter Wheatbelt soils while generating Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).