Compost firm on carbon mission

A Nambeelup-based compost company is bringing home the importance of soil carbon in crop productivity by rebranding itself.

C.Wise - formerly known as Custom Composts - will launch its new name and brand on Friday reflecting its focus on restoring carbon to the soil.

C.Wise director David Cullen said the company aimed to restore the natural balance of soils by adding organic carbon waste.

"We have known for years that our soils need carbon to be productive," he said.

"We need people to know that we are not just about compost - we are about sustainability, because we recycle waste, turn it into something that is valuable and put it back into the system."

C.Wise produces compost products for more than 50 different crops, from wheat and barley to strawberries and mushrooms.

Its main broadacre product is Balance pellets, which farmers can combine with conventional fertiliser to raise the biological profile of the soil.

"Growers have traditionally used high rates of fertiliser, but realise they need something to balance the soil, and our product provides that" Mr Cullen said.

"It enables them to use half the amount of fertiliser and achieve the yield they normally achieve, if not better."

He said a 50/50 blend of C.Wise's Balance pellets and chemical fertilisers would raise soil carbon levels and improve soil biology.

C.Wise is hosting soil carbon talks at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days this year, educating growers on the role carbon plays in soils.

"There are different maturities of carbon in soils and we are going to talk to farmers about what results they can achieve using different types of carbon," Mr Cullen said. "It is about understanding how the carbon cycle works so farmers' inputs can work better for them."

C.Wise has operated for more than 15 years in WA and sends some of its products to the eastern states.