In a run of seasons characterised by drought, that's $510,000 worth of risk that the Buronga, NSW, graingrower doesn't have sitting under crops.

Mr Linklater two years ago became the first Australian to pick up the Canadian technology for injecting tractor exhaust gases into the soil.

The concept attracted the interest of the Lower Murray CMA, which is funding Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc. and the NSW Department of Industry and Investment to run replicated trials on Mr Linklater's 3850 ha winter cereals operation.

Drought hasn't helped the project. Last year Mr Linklater stripped only about 700 kg/ha of wheat, but other crops in the district completely failed–and soil tests showed that BioAgtive treated soil subsequently had available phosphorus in the range of 28-63 units, compared to a district average of 6-8 units.

This year other crops in the district started well, but fell off badly during a dry spell, many of them failing and others losing considerable yield potential. Mr Linklater believes he may still be on target for 2.5 tonnes per hectare of wheat.

Although he hasn't used fertiliser since buying the BioAgtive system, Mr Linklater said it's not about replacing fertiliser

"By putting carbon into the soil we're stimulating soil biology, and we're negating our emissions into the atmosphere," he said.

"Hopefully down the track people using this system will have the grain coming off their properties recognised as being carbon neutral and get a premium for it."