Australian Government announced on March 16, a two year program to provide farmers and land managers access to low-cost soil sampling.

Under the program, farmers can access up to $10,000 towards soil testing costs and receive assistance to interpret their results.
Southern Cross University will be working with farmers and scientific labs to offer a comprehensive suite of soil sampling and testing, as well as putting land managers in touch with soil extension officers to interpret soil test results to better manage their valuable assets and enhance soil productivity, health and resilience.

The supported types of testing include: bulk density, texture, EC, pH, total organic carbon, available nitrogen (Nitrate and ammonium nitrogen), available phosphorus, and soil microbial biomass.

By taking advantage of the grant farmers can improve understanding of their land, helping them to manage changing climatic conditions while contributing to the national soil database.

The program closes on 30 June 2023.