Mapping the Future: Updating Queensland’s Phosphorus Landscape

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for cattle, required for skeletal growth, muscle development, metabolism, and milk production. A deficiency increases the mortality rate in cows, reduces growth rates, and reduces calf weaning weights. Knowing if your country is deficient or not, and whether you need to supplement is vital in managing northern Queensland properties.

A map of available phosphorus (bicarbonate extractable) across the state of Queensland has recently been updated to include the Cape York, Northern Gulf and Southern Gulf catchments, and to be more spatially accurate.

In this BeefConnect webinar recording, join Jim Fletcher (Senior Beef Extension Officer, DPI), Dr Stephen Leo (Senior Scientist, DETSI) and Grant Stone (Principal Scientist, DETSI) when they discuss:

• Selecting P sites and soil sampling
• Spatial modelling and P map production process
• Improvements made on the new P map
• Overview of the variability in phosphorus across land types in the sampled catchments
• How to get a FORAGE ‘Indicative Soil Phosphorus’ report for your property

You can watch the full recording or use the playlist below to jump to the start of a particular section within the presentation (50:37; published 21 February 2025 by FutureBeefAu).

Download a copy of the presentations:

1. Phosphorus availability, sampling and interpretation (PDF; 3.17 MB) – Jim Fletcher (DPI)
2. Mapping the Future: Updating Queensland Phosphorus Landscape (PDF; 0.95 MB) – Dr Stephen Leo (DESTI)
3. Soil Phosphorus property report – through FORAGE (PDF; 3.38 MB) – Grant Stone (DESTI)

Additional resources:

• Indicative Soil Phosphorus report – FORAGE (The Long Paddock – Queensland Government)
• Phosphorus supplementation of cattle in northern Australia (FutureBeef)
• Phosphorus supplementation at Kidman Springs (FutureBeef)
• Improving beef business performance with phosphorus supplementation (FutureBeef)
• MLA Phosphorus Hub (Meat and Livestock Australia)
• Dry season management of a beef business (FutureBeef)

Full recording

Playlist

1. Phosphorus availability project: Sampling and interpretation for industry (Jim Fletcher)
2. Phosphorus information resources
3. The old Colwell P map
4. Why is it worthwhile mapping P?
5. What goes into identifying your Phosphorus status?
6. Ground truthing work
7. Methodology
8. Reflections on the work
9. Mapping the Future: Updating Queensland’s Landscape (Dr Stephen Leo)
10. Project overview
11. Soil site selection
12. Available soil P data
13. Available soil P data – GLM region
14. Available soil P data – Soil type
15. Soil mapping methods
16. Modelling framework
17. Prediction accuracy
18. Prediction accuracy (2022 map)
19. Prediction accuracy (2024 map)
20. Prediction uncertainty
21. The Soil Phosphorus property report – Through ‘FORAGE’ (Grant Stone)
22. 14 individual FORAGE reports (currently)
23. Out with the old and in with the new
24. The P report: Page 1 – Soil P Map
25. The P report: Page 2 – Land type table
26. The P report: Page 3 – Soil P ‘Uncertainty Map’
27. GEO-PDF accessory file
28. How to receive FORAGE reports?
29. Soil P report progress (to date)
30. What’s new and in-development?
31. Request a FORAGE report – it’s all free!