Key points:- Trial work has been conducted at 11 sites with a range of soil types across the West Australian grain belt- Soil is dug in layers to a depth of 80cm and returned with a range of treatments including compost- Re-engineered soil enables plants to grow long and healthy roots to access more waterThe re-engineering trial involves digging layers of soil to a depth of 80 centimetres, adding a range of organic and inorganic soil improvers before putting it back in layers and sowing grain."I think if anyone was looking at that patch right there of barley they would not know what to say either, except that it is going to yield a lot."However, Dr Azam said once agricultural industries saw just how much grain could be grown when soil constraints were fixed, the notion of what was practical might change.Mr Fulwood said current soil amelioration treatments, like spading or mouldboard ploughing, were also expensive but were also one-off costs providing years of reward."Maybe early on with super phosphates when it was first introduced, and maybe some of the other nutrition, and maybe lime to some extent, but we never saw the same amount of gains.""