Soil CRC
In 2017, the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) 
was awarded $39.5 million over 10 years to assist Australian farmers make decisions on complex soil management issues. Federation University has a major role in this CRC project, which is designed to optimise productivity, yield and profitability and ensure long-term sustainability of farming businesses. The University will contribute research expertise to better assist management and decision making in the use and development of high performance soils.
In 2021, over $1.5 million in funding was granted to three projects in which CeRDI is leading or collaborating on. These include;
- $1 million in funding over three years to extend ‘Visualising Australasia's Soils’ (VAS) project.
- The Soil CRC awarded $250,000 in funding for a project involving the ‘Matching soil performance indicators to farming systems’. Led by CeRDI Senior Research Fellow Dr Nathan Robinson, the project involves conducting research with growers to explore and understand their information needs in relation to soil properties, soil health and soil performance.
- Another $300,000 has also been awarded for another two-year project to examine ‘Knowledge-sharing for good soil stewardship’. This project, which is led by Dr Hanabeth Luke and researchers at Southern Cross University researchers, is supported by CeRDI researcher’s Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus.
Listed below are the scoping studies that CeRDI has been involved in including the CeRDI team member involved:
- Project 1.1.01: Activating markets to create incentives for improved soil management literature scoping study
- Dr Ben Wills
- Project 1.2.01: Scoping systems of acceptance of improved soil management, with a focus on decision support systems and tools
- Project 2.1.01: A review of indicators of soil health and function: farmers’ needs and data management
- Project 2.2.01: Soil sensor technologies - which ones are most useful for smarter farming?
- Project 3.3.01: Mapping projects on ameliorating soil constraints, and review of soil constraints, products and technologies
- Project 4.3.01: Soil models, tools and data: Current state of play, future directions and setting up for longevity and a legacy from the CRC for High Performance Soils
Visualising Australasia’s Soils
Led by Assoc Prof Pete Dahlhaus, Federation University with collaborations from Landcare Research New Zealand, University of Tasmania, University of Southern Queensland, Birchip Cropping Group, Burdekin Productivity Services, Central West Farming Systems, Gillamii Centre, Herbert Cane Productivity Services, Landmark, Liebe Group, Mackillop Farm Management Group, Mallee Sustainable Farming, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Riverine Plains Inc, Southern Farming Systems, WANTFA, Wimmera Catchment Authority.
Soil Sampling Research
The Soil Sampling Research project is supporting the establishment of a soil monitoring network to help farmers improve and protect their soil.
Led by Dr Nathan Robinson, senior research fellow, CeRDI
Knowledge Sharing for Good Soil Stewardship
Knowledge Sharing for Good Soil Stewardship project is funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC). The project will identify knowledge-sharing strategies to increase landholder engagement in soil health improvement practices.
Additional Soil Health Projects
The following soils projects involve Federation University:
'Smart' soil sensors
Led by Dr Marcus Hardie, University of Tasmania with collaborations from University of Southern Queensland. (Project video length 2:34).
Improving decision support systems
Led by Dr Keith Pembleton, University of Southern Queensland with collaborations from University of Tasmania, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Burdekin Productivity Services, Birchip Cropping Group, West Midlands Group, Riverine Plains Inc. (Project video length 2:30).
Bioindicators for high performance soils
Led by Dr Pauline Mele. Agriculture Victoria. (Project video length 2:16).
New amendments for sandy soils
Dr Richard Bell, Murdoch University, with collaborations from Primary Industries and Regions SA, West Midlands Group, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australian Organics Recycling Association. (Project video length 2:26).
Reports
Dahlhaus, P., Bennett, J.McL., Corbett, J., Crawford, D., Grelet, G., Imhof, M., MacLeod, A., Mele, P.M., Stevenson, B., Wells, N. and Wong, M. (May 2018) A review of indicators of soil health and function: farmers’ needs and data management . Final Project Report, Soil CRC Project 2.1.01 . Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils.
Visualising Australasia's Soils: Phase 3 - 17 December 2024
Earlier this year, the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) announced funding for Phase 3 of the VAS project... Continue reading...
Soil Indicators project: Phase 1 completed - 17 December 2024
The application of soil indicators within agriculture is widespread, but little is known about the factors farmers use to make decisions about soil indicators on their farms.... Continue reading...
Knowledge Sharing for Good Soil Stewardship - 17 December 2024
The Soil CRC has released a new guide to help grower groups and extension professionals plan their farmer engagement activities.... Continue reading...
Visualising Australasia's Soils Phase 3 - 17 June 2024
CeRDI recently received confirmation that the Soil CRC will extend funding for VAS until 2027.... Continue reading...
Visualising Australasia's Soils: Extending the Soil Data Federation - 17 June 2024
The following story about VAS was featured in the April issue of the Soil CRC newsletter.... Continue reading...
Soil Indicators Project: Update - 17 June 2024
Soil indicators are observations, assessments and measurements used in agriculture to obtain essential information about soil.... Continue reading...
Enabling Soil Data: Research and Resource - 14 March 2024
The Managing and Enabling Soil Data project, an initiative between CeRDI and the Soil CRC... Continue reading...
Soil Indicators project: Making sense of soils - 21 December 2023
Farmers, agronomists and researchers are invited to participate in a project that looks at the factors influencing their decisions about soil indicators.... Continue reading...
Improved soil data management - 22 September 2023
The Managing and Enabling Soils Data project is an initiative of the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC)... Continue reading...
Knowledge sharing for good soil stewardship - 22 September 2023
Dr Hanabeth Luke of Southern Cross University is leading the Soil CRC’s research effort to address challenges with sharing knowledge... Continue reading...
Managing and enabling soil data project - 10 March 2023
Dr Nathan Robinson is leading a research project that aims to develop guidelines, processes and policies that supports soil research data.... Continue reading...
Soil-Stewardship and knowledge sharing project - 10 June 2022
Soil is a fundamental resource on which much depends, and the careful and responsible management of soils (soil-stewardship) has an important role...... Continue reading...
Soil CRC funding success for CeRDI researchers - 16 September 2021
Three newly funded soil research projects will assist Australian farmers to better manage their soil for more profitable and productive farming.... Continue reading...
Soil CRC national participant meeting: Ballarat hub - 17 June 2021
Federation University was one of eight regional hubs involved in the recent Soil Cooperative Research Centre (Soil CRC) national participants meeting.... Continue reading...
Project to manage and enable soil data - 22 June 2020
CeRDI's Dr Nathan Robinson and colleagues were recently notified of funding success to develop a comprehensive online platform.... Continue reading...
Visualising Australasia's Soils Newsletter, March 2019 - 29 March 2019
The first Visualising Australasia's Soils project newsletter has been released.... Continue reading...
Major investment in soil projects - 21 March 2019
CeRDI's Nathan Robinson, Ben Wills and Megan Wong recently received news that three Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program applications have been funded.... Continue reading...
Visualising Australasia's Soils: Off to a great start! - 21 March 2019
The 2-year project, funded by the Soil CRC, will create a web portal to access shared public and private soil datasets.... Continue reading...
Soil CRC: Investment for New Research - 23 January 2019
CeRDI has recently been successful in a major investment round for the Soil Co-operative Research Centre (CRC).... Continue reading...
Soil CRC Workshop - 17 June 2018
In March, Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus facilitated the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) workshop on Soil Performance Metrics.... Continue reading...
CeRDI leads scoping project for CRC High Performance Soils - 2 February 2018
CeRDI is leading a project examining the role and function of soil health and performance indicators used by farmers.... Continue reading...
Cooperative Research Centre bids involving Federation University progress to stage 2 - 26 October 2017
Federation University (Federation University) is a major participant in two of CRC bids invited to submit a full business case.... Continue reading...
Soil CRC videos
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The Soil CRC journey to find soil health, soil function & soil performance indicators (4:17)
Visit the Soil CRC YouTube Channel
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Is a suite of soil indicators a better measure of soil performance? (3:00)
Visit the Soil CRC YouTube Channel
Visualising Australasia's Soils - Ballarat Workshop 2019 (4:28)
Project kick-off workshop 11-14 February 2019 held at CeRDI, Federation University, Ballarat.
