Drawing on qualitative social data collected from seven mixed farming regions from across Australia, this presentation uses the theoretical lens of ‘care’ to explore different strategies for enhancing the adoptability of soil improvement practices. These include the (a) ‘hardening’ of local farming knowledge through the development of regional metrics for ‘good’ soil management; (b) ‘softening’ of scientific knowledge through using farming systems groups as knowledge brokers between soil scientists and farmers; and (c) facilitating mutual adjustment between farming and scientific ways of knowing through regional communities of practice that support farmers in interpreting soil data.

Presented by Soil CRC Project Leader Associate Professor Vaughan Higgins, University of Tasmania who leads the project Why soil management practices are adopted.