Webinar unlocks the power of soil biology: which soil microbial indicators really matter?

Soil biology is at the heart of productive, resilient farming systems, but with so many soil health tests available, how do you know which indicators provide meaningful insights and support better management decisions?

The Soil CRC’s next webinar is exploring the latest findings from the Centre’s research on soil microbial indicators and their practical applications for Australian farming systems. The research evaluated more than 400 soil samples across multiple Australian farming systems and assessed a wide range of biological indicators to determine which tests provide the most valuable information for growers and advisers.

What you will learn

• Why soil biology is critical for soil health, crop performance and resilience.
• Which soil microbial indicators are most useful for practical on-farm monitoring.
• How low-cost ACE soil protein testing compares with other biological measures.
• The strengths and limitations of DNA-based testing.
• How to use microbial indicators alongside soil chemistry, soil physics and crop performance data to make more informed management decisions. Discover how to move beyond soil health scores and use soil biology testing as a practical decision-making tool for your farming business.

The session will finish with a Q&A to allow open discussion and questions from attendees.

Presenters

Associate Professor Mick Rose, Southern Cross University
Dr Rose’s research focuses on the interactions between plants, soil microorganisms and their environment, and how farming practices influence these relationships. He led two Soil CRC research projects, developing new knowledge and tools for managing herbicide residues and soil microbial indicators – what do they mean and how can they be used?

Dr Kattie Weigh, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Dr Weigh’s research has focused on using environmental and ecological methodologies to profile the structure and function of soil microbial communities and characterise microbial interactions with their physicochemical soil environment.

Event details:

Thursday, 3 December at 11.30am ACDT

FREE online

Register here.

And you can find out more about the Soil CRC and it’s work here.