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How building soil and vegetation health helps weather climate extremes
By Cindy Eiritz
From drought to deluge, healthy soil and vegetation systems reduce risk, cut costs, and sustain land, livelihood and legacy.
movement when runoff does occur. Grazing for Groundcover
Agriculture is and will increasingly be impacted by climate extremes: storms, wind, floods, frosts, drought, aridification and wildfires. The result? Resilience isn't just a buzzword - it's a necessity. With our variable climate, rising input costs, and the need to do more with less, many are turning their attention to what they can control: the health of their soils and vegetation. Producers are rediscovering that resilient land leads to resilient business. Healthy soils store more water, support stronger plants, and buffer farms against drought and flood. These practices are proving to be both sound economic decisions vital for the long-term viability. Their value is often most evident in challenging years. Healthy soil is more than just dirt underfoot. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem teeming with microbes, fungi, and organic matter that supports the entire farm system. When managed with care, soil acts like a sponge - soaking up rainfall, storing nutrients, and feeding plants more efficiently. At the same time, thriving vegetation protects that soil, cools the sur- face, and reduces erosion by allowing increased water infiltration and dramatically reducing soil
In Australia’s pastures and rangelands, groundcover is gold. Graziers from The Kimberley to the NSW South Coast are using a scientific understanding of the symbiotic relationship between grazing ani- mals, plants and soils to increase plant diversity and maintain perennial cover. The results? Fewer bare patches, deeper root systems, better rainfall infil- tration, and more grazing days per hectare - even during tough seasons. Beyond pasture health, these methods also im- prove livestock performance by ensuring more con- sistent forage availability. Holistic planned grazing allows producers to adapt paddock use to rainfall and plant growth, while building long-term land- scape function—converting excess growth into fer- tility rather than letting it go to waste or burn off in dry spells. Building Cropping System Resilience In broadacre cropping, it’s a similar story. Stubble retention, cover crops, increased diversity, and reduced tillage are helping soils retain moisture,
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