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Need a clay spreading or soil amelioration contractor in South Australia?
If you are dealing with non-wetting sandy soil around Western Flat, Bordertown, Keith, Mundulla, Padthaway, Naracoorte, Tintinara or elsewhere across South Australia, give Dillon at Broadacre Contracting a call on 0439 300 380.
Broadacre helps growers connect directly with agricultural contractors for clay spreading, earthworks and other soil amelioration work.
Cadell Earth & Ag is based at Western Flat in South Australia’s Tatiara and Limestone Coast region, and in Talking Gear Tuesday EP24 Shaun Francis walks us through the clay spreading work his team is doing on non-wetting sandy country.
If Cadell Earth & Ag does not suit your location, timing or job requirements, Broadacre can help get the job in front of other suitable contractors.
Give Dillon a bell from 6am to 9pm. If it is genuinely urgent and gear needs organising, ring.
Righto. Now come back, because this Talking Gear Tuesday sent me down one hell of a soil rabbit hole.
For Talking Gear Tuesday EP24, Dillon Harrison and the Broadacre Contracting film crew are at Western Flat in South Australia with Shaun Francis, director of Cadell Earth & Ag.
And this episode was a completely new one for me.
Clay spreading.
Non-wetting sand.
Soil amelioration.
Digging clay out from underneath the country and using it to change how the sandy topsoil behaves.
I had not spent time around this type of work before filming with Shaun.
So just like our baling episode with Newells Contracting, I am learning here too.
And honestly, I bloody love that.
“The wife said if you get enough work, you can buy another tractor.”
— Shaun Francis, Cadell Earth & Ag
Kate, if you are reading this, we are all feeling the pressure now.
Shaun better keep that phone ringing.
But behind the laugh is a seriously interesting agricultural service.
The basic idea sounds simple.
Take suitable clay-rich subsoil.
Spread it over problem sandy country.
Incorporate it correctly.
And change some of the characteristics that make those sands difficult to crop.
Simple idea.
Not necessarily a simple job.
For EP24, we are spending the day with Shaun Francis from Cadell Earth & Ag.
Shaun is based at Western Flat in South Australia.
One thing I want to correct from my own early understanding of the area is where Western Flat actually sits.
It is not the SA Mallee.
Western Flat sits in the Tatiara district within South Australia’s Limestone Coast and Upper South East region, around the broader Bordertown and Keith farming country.
And this country gave me plenty to look at.
Sandy rises.
Clay underneath.
Mixed soil types.
And, in some areas, serious water repellence.
The South Australian Government’s Western Flat land-system information actually identifies bleached siliceous sands and notes severe water repellence as one of the limitations affecting crop and pasture growth in parts of this landscape.
So Shaun is not solving some theoretical soil problem.
This is a real issue in the country he works.
And that brings us to the question I had to ask first.
What the hell is clay spreading actually doing?
Clay spreading is one form of soil amelioration.
In simple terms, suitable clay-rich subsoil is brought into or onto sandy topsoil and then incorporated through the soil profile.
Why?
Because very sandy soils behave differently to soils containing more clay.
They can have:
By adding suitable clay and mixing it through correctly, growers can change important properties of that sandy soil.
GRDC describes clay spreading and clay delving as methods of incorporating clay-based subsoil into sandy topsoil, particularly where the surface soil contains very little clay.
The aim is not simply to put brown dirt over yellow sand.
The aim is to physically change how that soil behaves.
Shaun explained it much more simply when we filmed.
You have got sand.
You bring the clay up.
You spread it.
You incorporate it.
And the resulting soil can hold water and nutrients differently.
That was the point where the whole concept started clicking for me.
For anyone outside these sandy cropping regions, the term non-wetting sand can sound a bit strange.
Water falls on soil.
Surely it gets wet?
Not necessarily.
GRDC explains that organic waxes associated with decomposed plant material can coat sand particles and create a hydrophobic, or water-repellent, surface.
Instead of water infiltrating evenly through the topsoil, it can bead on the surface or move through preferred pathways.
That can contribute to uneven crop establishment and poor use of rainfall.
This is where adding clay can become useful.
GRDC research has found that increasing clay content can greatly reduce susceptibility to soil water repellence.
But there is a big warning here.
More clay is not automatically better.
The type of clay matters.
The amount matters.
Where it sits in the profile matters.
How it is incorporated matters.
And the existing sandy soil matters.
This is proper soil amelioration work.
Not a case of finding any clay pit and covering the paddock with as much material as possible.
Now this is where the numbers become interesting.
Because when Shaun was showing me what they do, I started wondering what measurable difference clay spreading can actually make.
GRDC’s clay spreading and delving research reports yield increases of up to 130% in some correctly treated sandy soils.
That does not mean:
“Spread clay and automatically increase your yield by 130%.”
Absolutely not.
Those are research results across particular soils, treatments and seasons.
But the potential benefits identified by GRDC are significant.
There is also a really relevant South Australian example not far from where we filmed.
A GRDC GroundCover case study followed the Jaeschke family’s soil amelioration program on farms around Keith, Mundulla and Wolseley near Bordertown.
Their program combined clay spreading, delving, spading and deep ripping across non-wetting sandy country.
The case study reported an overall combined earthworks cost of around $680 per hectare at the time.
Important words there:
combined earthworks.
And:
at the time.
That was a 2021 case study.
It is not today’s clay spreading rate.
It is not a quote from Cadell Earth & Ag.
And it is certainly not the figure you should put into your next farm budget without getting your own job assessed.
But what makes the case interesting is that the growers reported recovering the approximately $1.36 million spent across 2,000 hectares over the following three seasons through improved productivity.
They also reported growing a 3t/ha wheat crop on renovated country where wheat had previously not been considered suitable.
That is the better way to talk about ROI.
Real farm example. Real numbers. But not a guarantee that every paddock will respond the same way.
So my original thinking was not completely off.
This absolutely can be a long-term investment in the productive capacity of a paddock.
But the economics need to be worked out paddock by paddock.
I asked Shaun to walk me through what the process actually looks like.
At its simplest, the job we discussed goes something like this.
That is the simple version.
The real job depends on what is underneath the paddock.
How deep is the clay?
Is the clay suitable?
How far is the pit from the treatment area?
How much clay does the soil actually require?
How are you going to incorporate it?
What does the paddock look like after the earthworks?
The principle might be simple. The execution is not.
This is where I need to separate what Shaun sees in his contracting work from a blanket agronomic recommendation.
During EP24, Shaun told us jobs can vary massively.
He has seen jobs around 100 tonnes per acre.
Others around 200 tonnes per acre.
And some going considerably heavier again.
Those are examples from Shaun’s experience.
They are not a universal clay spreading prescription.
For comparison, published Australian soil amelioration projects use a very wide range of rates depending on the soil and objective.
A PIRSA demonstration project in sandy country used around 80–120t/ha of clay.
The Bordertown-area GRDC case study used around 300–350t/ha in a high-intensity program designed partly to deal with severe erosion risk after fire.
Very different jobs.
Very different rates.
That is exactly why copying somebody else’s clay rate off the internet is a terrible idea.
Clay quality.
Existing topsoil clay percentage.
Water repellence.
Depth.
Crop system.
Target outcome.
Incorporation depth.
Economics.
All of those things need to be considered.
This is where soil testing and good agronomic advice need to sit alongside a capable contractor.
Another thing I learnt after this episode is that soil amelioration is much bigger than clay spreading alone.
Depending on where the clay sits and what problem needs fixing, growers might use different operations.
Suitable clay is excavated, moved over the treatment area and then incorporated through the sandy topsoil.
Specialised equipment reaches into the soil profile and brings clay-rich subsoil upwards so it can be mixed through the sandy surface.
A spader can be used to aggressively mix different soil layers and amendments through part of the soil profile.
Deep ripping targets physical constraints such as compaction and can be combined with other amelioration treatments where appropriate.
The interesting bit is these treatments can work together.
The GRDC Bordertown case combined all four.
But that does not mean every paddock needs all four.
If useful clay is sitting shallow enough below the surface, delving may make more sense than excavating and carting clay from a pit.
If clay is deeper, spreading extracted material may be the better approach.
Same problem category. Different tools depending on what is actually under your feet.
This is the bit I really enjoy.
Before filming this, I probably would have looked at all of this and gone:
Sand is non-wetting.
Chuck some clay on it.
Problem solved.
Not quite.
The more you learn, the more you realise there are levels to everything.
Clay spreading.
Delving.
Spading.
Deep ripping.
Different rates.
Different depths.
Different clay.
And probably 50 different opinions from 40 farmers.
Welcome to agriculture.
Shaun mentioned sowing a grass or cereal crop following the initial work.
On the day I did not ask him enough about why.
I was concentrating on not saying something stupid on camera.
So afterwards I went looking.
And this is another area where I do not think we should invent a universal rule.
A South Australian PIRSA clay demonstration project used barley in the first year after applying clay, with the grower describing it as a way to help the paddock settle before returning it to pasture.
The GRDC Bordertown case also describes cereal production and stubble as part of the longer-term strategy for stabilising renovated sandy country.
But that does not mean every freshly clayed paddock in Australia needs barley.
The first crop needs to fit the actual amelioration job, soil condition, erosion risk and farming system.
So I am deleting the confident Google-expert version of me telling everyone exactly what they should sow.
That is what agronomists are for.
What I can say is that there are real Australian examples where cereal crops form part of the establishment and stabilisation process after claying.
This was another question where Shaun gave probably the most useful answer possible.
You cannot give one number.
During the episode he explained that some jobs might move at around an acre an hour.
Some might get closer to two.
Others could fall back towards half an acre.
Why such a big difference?
If the pit is close and the clay is easy to work, that is one job.
If the machine is climbing sand hills all day, pulling hard clay from depth and moving huge tonnages, that is another.
This is why I hate pretending agricultural contracting can always be boiled down to:
“What is your hectare rate?”
What hectare?
What soil?
What rate?
What pit?
How far are we travelling?
How wet is it?
What are we actually trying to achieve?
A contractor needs to understand the job before a meaningful price or productivity number means anything.
Get the contractor to look at the country.
Show them the problem.
Talk through the scope.
Then talk dollars.
That conversation is worth more than trying to compare two completely different paddocks using one number.
I need to leave this bit in because the whole trip was part of the experience.
I had spent the previous night in Portland, Victoria.
Then left around 3am to get across to Shaun’s place early.
Plenty of dark roads.
Plenty of wildlife.
Plenty of pine plantations.
And a pretty good test for the STEDI lights.
Financial disclaimer:
this is absolutely not investment advice, but after some of the roads I drove, owning a tyre shop still feels like a reasonable business model.
Anyway.
I got to Western Flat in the dark.
Then the sun came up.
Red.
Purple.
Blue.
Orange.
The whole bloody sky going off.
So naturally the drone came straight out.
I had a coffee in me.
I was in a completely new farming area.
I was about to learn a completely new contracting service.
And everything just came together.
Mate, I was pumped.
These are the days that remind me why I love doing Talking Gear Tuesday.
Another thing I have noticed since filming with Shaun is that everyone seems to have their own method to the madness.
The approach we saw with Cadell Earth & Ag is not necessarily the same setup you will see in Western Australia or somewhere else in South Australia.
I have watched other clay-spreading crews online using excavators and dedicated trailed spreaders.
Nufab in Western Australia, for example, builds spreaders used for a wide range of bulk materials.
I am not bringing that up to say one method is better.
I also do not know enough about those individual jobs to tell you why they chose that setup.
And that is the important bit.
Different country creates different solutions.
The clay depth changes.
The cart distance changes.
The soil changes.
The required rate changes.
Available machinery changes.
What matters is choosing a method that achieves the agronomic result the grower actually needs.
Now back to probably the most important part of Episode 24.
Shaun wants another tractor.
Kate has apparently set the KPI.
Get enough work.
Then we can talk tractors.
No pressure whatsoever.
This is also what I love about getting contractors onto Talking Gear Tuesday.
We can talk machinery all day.
But there is always a business behind the machinery.
A family behind the business.
Someone making decisions about the next machine.
Someone taking the financial risk.
Someone deciding whether the work is there to justify growing.
That is agricultural contracting.
The gear might get your attention.
The people and the story are what make it interesting.
So Shaun:
we are doing our bit.
Now go earn that tractor.
Episode 24 is exactly why we keep building Talking Gear Tuesday.
I had never been around clay spreading.
Shaun does it for a living.
So we put the cameras on.
I asked questions.
Shaun explained the job.
Then I went away and researched the bits I did not understand.
Everybody wins.
If you are doing something interesting in Australian agriculture, I want to hear about it.
We are interested in the gear.
But we are even more interested in why you use it.
And there is plenty more to come from Cadell Earth & Ag too.
Shaun appears again later in Talking Gear Tuesday when we look at their Väderstad Seed Hawk, and Episode 30 gets back into the cab with Jack from Cadell Earth & Ag for another clay-spreading yarn.
Broadacre Contracting helps growers connect directly with agricultural contractors across Australia.
If you are dealing with water-repellent or non-wetting sandy country and are considering clay spreading, the first step is giving the contractor enough information to understand the job.
Do not worry if you do not know all of that.
That is why you talk to experienced people.
Broadacre can help you start the conversation.
This does not mean Cadell Earth & Ag services every location listed above.
Contractor availability, mobilisation and service area need to be confirmed for the individual job.
But if you need help finding the right operator, post a tender through Broadacre or give Dillon a call.
This article started with our Talking Gear Tuesday yarn with Shaun and then sent me into the research.
These are useful places to keep learning.
Reading about soil amelioration is one thing.
Watching Shaun show us what actually happens in the paddock makes a lot more sense.
Jump into Talking Gear Tuesday EP24 to hear directly from Shaun Francis and see Cadell Earth & Ag’s clay spreading operation at Western Flat in South Australia.
And if you have got problem sandy country of your own, Broadacre can help you start finding the people and gear required to assess the job.
Clay spreading involves excavating suitable clay-rich subsoil, distributing it across sandy topsoil and then incorporating it through the soil profile. It is one form of soil amelioration used to address constraints such as water repellence, low water-holding capacity, low nutrient retention and erosion risk. The suitability of the treatment depends on the soil and the clay available.
Very sandy soils can become water repellent and have relatively low capacity to retain water and nutrients. Research from GRDC has shown that correctly increasing clay content can reduce water repellence and improve water and nutrient retention. Results depend heavily on clay type, application rate and incorporation.
Clay spreading involves excavating clay and moving it across the soil surface before incorporation. Clay delving uses specialised machinery to reach into the soil profile and bring suitable clay-rich subsoil upwards. Where clay sits relatively shallow, delving may be more practical; deeper clay layers can make spreading from a pit more suitable.
There is no universal rate. Published Australian projects range widely because the correct amount depends on existing soil clay content, clay quality, water repellence, desired outcome, incorporation depth and other site conditions. Soil assessment and agronomic advice should determine the treatment rather than copying another farm’s rate.
Clay spreading does not have one meaningful flat rate because excavation depth, pit distance, clay volume, terrain, incorporation and machinery requirements can vary substantially. A 2021 GRDC case near Bordertown reported about $680/ha for a complete program combining clay spreading, delving, spading and deep ripping, but that historical case should not be treated as a current clay-spreading quote. Contractors need to assess the individual job.
No result is guaranteed. GRDC research has recorded significant responses, including yield increases of up to 130% in some correctly treated sandy soils, but outcomes vary with soil type, clay selection, application rate, incorporation, crop, rainfall and seasonal conditions.
Generally, effective incorporation is an important part of clay spreading because the aim is to change the properties of the sandy topsoil rather than simply leave a layer of clay on the surface. Equipment such as spaders, discs and other tillage implements may be used depending on the soil and treatment design.
There is no universal first crop for every ameliorated paddock. Australian case studies include cereal crops such as barley and wheat as part of post-claying programs, but crop choice should account for soil condition, erosion risk, farming system and agronomic advice.
Cadell Earth & Ag is based at Western Flat in South Australia. Western Flat sits in the Tatiara district within the Limestone Coast and Upper South East region. Shaun Francis features in Talking Gear Tuesday EP24 explaining the business’s clay spreading work.
You can view Cadell Earth & Ag through Broadacre Contracting or call Dillon on 0439 300 380. Growers can also post a tender with their property location, hectares, soil problem, timing and known clay information so suitable contractors can assess the opportunity directly.
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