Biological Properties Of Soil - Soil Quality Knowledge Base

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Soil attributes
Explore an underground world

Learn about what’s going in soil and why.
Understand soil properties and processes

The Soil attributes section contains information on different topics within soil biology, physics or chemistry. Pages within these topics present an overview of the current state of knowledge, explain the principles and properties of different soil attributes, and highlight insights from research and resources like case studies. Resources are suggested throughout these Pages.
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Soil management
Looking after soil for long-term sustainability

Protecting and conserving a critical resource.
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Soil management focuses on practical advice and guidelines to improve soil management. This information discusses how soil management integrates into different farming systems and considers different options that may be available to improve soil quality. Resources are linked throughout Soil Management pages.
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- Controlled traffic farming
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- Soil amendments
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Soil analysis & testing
Dig deeper with analytical insights and data

Support better decision making and create value with soil monitoring and testing.
Learn how soil testing and monitoring can unlock potential

Soil analysis & testing provides information on how soil attributes and properties are measured and tested, as well as guidance on how to analyse and interpret soil test results and set up soil sampling and monitoring.
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- Soil sampling
- Soil groups
- Testing soil colour
- Testing soil texture
- Testing soil structure
- Testing soil nutrients
- Identifying soil constraints
- Measuring soil organic carbon
- Understanding trial results and on-farm experimentation
Resources
Curated collection of high-quality, evidence-based soil information

The knowledge you need, all in one place.
Explore our collection of videos, case studies, fact sheets, tools, journal articles, links and more.

The Resources section lets user explore and access a curated selection of additional resources for soil information and management. These Resources can be searched, and filtered by topic(s), format, date, and organisation so you can find what you’re looking for, or discover something new.
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Explore a living underground world

The Soil biological attributes section contains information on different topics within soil biology. Pages within present an overview of the current state of soil biological knowledge, explain the principles and properties of different soil biology attributes, highlight insights from research, and Resources are suggested throughout these.

Photo: Alicia Christin Gerald via Unsplash.

Soil processes driving organic matter turnover. Image: Redrawn from Hoyle F (2013). Managing soil organic matter: A practical guide. Grains Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.

Soil carbon for a paddock with natural clay gradient. From Soil Quality: 3 Soil Organic Matter (Hoyle and Murphy 2018). Data: Murphy et al. unpublished.

Soil organic matter

Soil organic matter is critical to soil function, contributing to nutrient cycling, water, structure, degradation, and sustaining life in soil.

Information Resources

Hand with soil and worms — Photo: Jonathan Kemper via Unsplash.

Soil biota contribute to soil aggregation. From Soil Quality: 5 Soil Biology (Murphy et al. 2021). Image: Illustrated by Frances Hoyle, Murdoch University.

Microorganisms cover up to 40% of the plant root surface. Photo: Anke Herrmann.

Soil biological fertility

Soil-dwelling organisms provide essential ecosystem services that enable a soil to function.

Information Resources

Wheat plant roots affected by take-all infection — Progression of take-all symptoms in wheat. Photo: DPIRD.

Conceptual diagram of soil diseases — Factors influencing soilborne disease. From Soil Quality: 5 Soil Biology (Murphy et al. 2021). Illustration by Ooid Scientific.

Hardened cereal cysts — Hardened cereal cyst nematode. Photo: Pooria Insafe, University of Idaho.

Soil biology – pests and diseases

These undesirable soil organisms include a range of insects, parasitic nematodes, protozoa, viruses, bacteria and fungi. For a disease to develop there must be a host plant, a pathogen and an environment suited to its growth.

Information Resources

Video

Soil organic matter: the essentials

Soil organic matter

03:01

An overview of why soil organic matter is so important to the function and fertility of agriculture and living...

Video

Efficacy and longevity of biological amendments in a farming system

Soil biological fertility

01:22

There is currently little evidence for efficacy of biological inputs within the broadacre dry-land grains context.

Physical and chemical properties of soil types used for crop production in the south-west of Western Australia

Soil analysis and testing

Understanding how physical and chemical soil properties vary at depth in different soil types can inform management decisions.

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