Messner Carbon Project 17

Messner Carbon Project 17 is a soil carbon sequestration project located in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, approximately 35km east of the township of Mukinbudin. Registered in August 2024, the project covers roughly 229 hectares within the Shire of Westonia or the adjacent Shire of Mukinbudin. This region is a significant agricultural zone, primarily utilized for broadacre cropping (wheat, barley, canola) and sheep grazing.

The project operates under the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models Methodology Determination 2021. This methodology rewards landholders for increasing soil carbon stocks through changes in land management. Specifically, Messner Carbon Project 17 focuses on applying synthetic or non-synthetic fertilizers to address material nutrient deficiencies in the soil. By optimizing soil nutrition, the project aims to enhance plant growth and root biomass, which in turn drives the sequestration of organic carbon into the soil profile.

Environmentally, the site sits in a semi-arid zone with an annual rainfall average of approximately 300mm, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The local landscape typically features ancient drainage systems with soils ranging from sandy loams and "wodjil" sands to duplex soils (sand over clay) and heavier clays in valley floors. The project is part of a larger cluster of carbon projects managed by Agriprove in the area, likely on properties associated with the Messner family aggregation.