Soil CRC Conference highlights

Last month, more than 150 Soil CRC researchers, PhD students, grower groups and industry representatives from across Australia came together at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga NSW for our 2024 Soil CRC Participants Conference.

We heard about our latest research and how it’s delivering practical solutions to help farmers better manage their soils to improve productivity and sustainability.

Day one kicked off with our engaging project team meetings and program workshops for Soil CRC participants and staff, along with our ever-popular PhD student workshop. The day was peppered with opportunities for networking amongst peers, facilitating new connections and alliances.

Members of the public joined us for day two of the conference, which started with a very warm Welcome to Country by Wiradjuri Elder Aunty Dorothy Whyman. The conference was officially opened by Member for the Riverina and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Soil, the Hon Michael McCormack MP, who reinforced the importance of soil and researchers working with farmers to help them better manage their soil resource.

The Hon Penny Wensley AC then addressed delegates in her role as Soil CRC Patron, followed by an insightful keynote presentation by Charles Sturt University’s Professor Jim Prately, who spoke about the challenges that arise as our farming systems continue to evolve.

We then heard from our NSW farming group participants—Diana Fear from Central West Farming Systems, Shaughn Morgan from FarmLink, Alison Southwell from Holbrook Landcare Network, and Jane McInnes from Riverine Plains—who provided a local perspective and spoke about their own operations and experiences.

The opening session was followed by in-depth research presentations, a thought-provoking panel discussion about inclusivity in knowledge sharing, a ‘fireside chat’ on communication in agriculture, and ten inspiring PhD student presentations that highlighted the work being delivered by the Soil CRC.

The Soil CRC’s ag tech was on display again this year, facilitated by Simon Edwards, Shane Powell and Chris Boucher from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture. Demonstrations of our QUOLL® e-nose, BILBY® below-ground communications node, and BANDICOOT® soil diagnostic tool drew a strong crowd, with delegates eager to learn about the development of these innovative devices.

Day two concluded on a high, with Soil CRC PhD student Reuben Mah delivering his award-winning research presentation, ‘Lab-on-a-chip: combining precision and convenience in soil monitoring’.

Recordings of all Day 2 presentations will be available to view on the Soil CRC’s YouTube channel in the coming weeks.

On day three, Wagga Wagga rolled out the sunshine and golden fields for our field trips to Mangoplah, Lockhart, Junee and the Charles Sturt University Farm, where we were able to inspect research trials being undertaken by the Soil CRC and others.

Thank you to all our presenters, participants, delegates, staff and organisers who made our 2024 Participants Conference such a great event. We look forward to seeing even more participants at next year’s conference.