New projects aim to boost soil performance metrics, data accessibility, and sustainable farming practices across Australia
The Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) has announced a substantial investment of $4.1 million in eight new research projects over the next three years. These initiatives are designed to deepen understanding of soil issues among growers and explore innovative strategies to improve soil conditions.
Michael Crawford, CEO of Soil CRC, highlighted that these projects build upon previous research efforts focused on soil data analytics, technology integration for enhanced soil function, and fostering farmer engagement. The investment underscores Soil CRC’s commitment to equipping farmers with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate complex soil management challenges effectively.
The latest round of funding involves 19 participant organizations committing $8.7 million in in-kind contributions, reflecting a collaborative effort to advance agricultural research and innovation.
One of the funded projects, led by Federation University’s Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation, will receive $1.2 million to extend research on soil-performance metrics and federating soil data. This initiative aims to enhance farming yield and productivity by providing access to extensive, high-quality soil data across Australasia.
Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus, leading the Visualising Australasia’s Soils (VAS) project, emphasized the goal of making soil data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). The project aims to support research, on-farm decision-making, and policy development through comprehensive soil data accessibility.
Another funded project, focusing on reviewing target values for soil performance indicators, will receive $400,000 to engage agriculture stakeholders in co-designing approaches to maximize soil potential. This research extension aims to ensure reliable storage, sharing, and analysis of soil-related data crucial for optimizing farming productivity.
Additional projects funded by Soil CRC include initiatives by Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland, South Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Southern Farming Systems, Charles Sturt University, and Southern Cross University. These projects cover a range of topics from organic-based fertilizers to decision support tools for soil amelioration, reflecting Soil CRC’s broad approach to sustainable agriculture research.
Overall, the investment underscores Soil CRC’s pivotal role in driving innovations that enhance soil sustainability, improve farm profitability, and support long-term agricultural resilience across Australia.
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