by Bill Crabtree, Agronomist and General Manager of 4Farmers
Aquifer soil wetter is being used by WA growers as low-cost germination insurance on sandy, water repellent soils. This article explains where it works best, how it mixes in liquid systems, and what results farmers are seeing.
Aquifer soil wetter: best-fit scenarios
After some social media posts and chats online via X, Instagram and Facebook, it’s clear that the 800 kg/ha wheat yield increase from 2 L/ha of Aquifer has created good discussions. The table below shows how large the increase in yield was in 2025 at Mindaribin.
Further, we have spoken to two farmers this week who both said they picked up an extra 1 t/ha from using Aquifer. I have spoken to a dozen farmers who are all very happy with the results. Only one farmer said his response was not obvious. But this is what you would expect if the soil was already wet from summer and autumn rains – not a common situation in our environment.
There are likely four main situations where Aquifer will give strong improvements in crop establishment and improved crop yield.
- Non wetting sandy soils – these become especially hard to wet up after a dry summer
- Sandy soils that are dry sown with a knife point – as the knife points fluff up the furrow
- Where you have had a good summer rain and moisture is just out of reach.
- Dry sowing with light and patchy opening rains.
Aquifer works on all soil types and in all crop types. The wetter component of aquifer will help negate any non-wetting issues while the humectant will draw water to the seed zone and hold it there, assisting in germination. Perhaps the western and southern edge of the dry wheatbelt with sandy soils has likely the largest yield improvement potential. Having one liquid system is key and two would be better.
Aquifer also mixes well with UAN, EDTA and most trace elements, making this a flexible solution for liquid systems. Unlike other similar products, Aquifer remains a low viscosity liquid in cold conditions so that application can still occur on cold mornings.
I suspect liquids with precise placement could be the next big thing in WA agriculture. The full benefit of soil wetting agents with humectants is yet to be fully realised. Further, research into the addition of insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, enzymes, inhibitors, hormones, liquid fertilisers and more has only just begun.
More research is needed to understand the potential benefits from loamy soils in hot dry environments like Morawa in the NE wheatbelt. When there is good subsoil moisture like in 2002 and 2017 and then no connecting rain, who knows what the humectant component can do. Perhaps this is the role for Aquifer Sustain.
When and where dews are common and there is no subsoil moisture, placing the seeds within 2 cm of the surface may allow the Aquifer placed with the seed to draw moisture out of the dew and into the seed zone. There is anecdotal evidence from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia that this has occurred. If this is done in April then no rain and only small dews follow then it might not work in your favour. But there sure is room for plenty of farmer trials. The upside is large and the cost is small.
Several farmers have decided just to put it over their whole farm as “germination insurance”. The price is low and the potential benefits for dry sowing are significant. At $11 per ha they see this as a small price to pay for the increased germination potential.
Get hold of 4Farmers Aquifer soil wetter today and see what it can do for your farm this season. Contact your local 4Farmers distributor, or sales@4farmers.com.au, or call us on (08) 9356 3445.