Category: News
Program spotlight: Soil performance metrics
Program 2 of the Soil CRC seeks to define the indicators of soil performance, create better tools for on-farm soil measurement and develop better systems for managing soil data. Program Leader Associate Professor Richard Doyle from the University of Tasmania said that farmers need to measure soil pe...
Next-gen soil sensors on the horizon
With the recent completion of the Soil CRC’s ‘Smart soil sensors’ project, we’re one step closer to delivering easy-to-use, field-based senor technology to farmers. Led by Dr Marcus Hardie from the University of Tasmania, the project has successfully developed two new sensing technologies to...
Visualising Australasia’s Soils: extending the soil data federation
The Soil CRC’s Visualising Australasia’s Soils (VAS) project provides an online portal to quality soil data from across Australia and New Zealand. Project Leader Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus from Federation University Australia said VAS is a dynamic web-based platform where Soil CRC resear...
Sky’s the limit for ‘Lab-on-a-Chip’ creator
Known for his sharp wit and steely determination, Soil CRC PhD student Reuben Mah is a self-proclaimed perfectionist who strives for continuous improvement. His endless curiosity and process-focussed approach were ingrained from an early age. “I was born in Malaysia and raised in a family environm...
Program spotlight: Integrated soil management solutions
Program 4 of the Soil CRC aims to develop cost-effective and sustainable soil management solutions to build more productive and resilient soil. Led by Dr Lukas Van Zwieten from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the program underpins a dynamic, sustainable, and profitable Australian agricultu...
Food waste solutions for a sustainable future
With a fierce curiosity and a passion for science, it’s not surprising that Novocastrian James O’Connor is on the verge of completing his PhD with the Soil CRC and University of Western Australia. “Even as a child I was curious about the most efficient way to grow a plant,” James said. “I...
Understanding soil microbial functional resistance and resilience to drought
Sustainable agricultural ecosystems rely on healthy soil that supports beneficial organisms and functions. Environmental stressors such as drought, heat, fire, and compaction affect soil properties and can lead to reduced soil health. To help address these challenges, concepts such as soil resistanc...
Grower group conversations: Reflecting on knowledge sharing
The Soil CRC Knowledge Sharing Project extension series is now available on the Soil CRC YouTube channel. This four-part series is produced and presented by Simon Kruger, project grower group participant and Project Communications Officer at West Midlands Group in Western Australia. Simon sits down ...
Supporting grower groups to better inform farmers
Based in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, West Midlands Group is one of 20 grower group participants in the Soil CRC. Their dedication to agricultural research communication and extension means they’re well placed to lead a Soil CRC project that is helping grower groups better deliver informati...
PhD research shines light on regen ag
Soil CRC PhD student Mathew Alexanderson doesn’t consider himself a traditional academic. As an avid traveller and a passionate environmental advocate, he spent almost a decade exploring the world before deciding to give university a go. Mathew enrolled in an Environmental Science degree at Southe...
Program spotlight: Investing in high performance soils
Program 1 of the Soil CRC is focused on human aspects of soil management. Led by Professor Catherine Allan from Charles Sturt University, the program undertakes economic and social science research to help farmers achieve their soil stewardship and profitability goals. “Australian farmers are ofte...
Managing your research data
How do you store your research data? And what happens to it when you move on? The Soil CRC’s ‘Improving soil data management’ project is helping Soil CRC researchers and PhD students develop a cohesive understanding of best practice data management and why it’s so important. Led by researche...