The Soil CRC (the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils) was established in 2017 to give farmers the knowledge and tools they need to make decisions on extremely complex soil management issues.

Underperforming agricultural soils cost Australian farmers billions of dollars in lost revenue each year. The Soil CRC brings together scientists, industry and farmers to find practical solutions for Australia’s underperforming soils, ensuring that soil performance is increased not just in the short term, but in the long term.

The Soil CRC aims to enable farmers to increase their productivity and profitability by providing them with knowledge and tools to improve the performance of their soils. It is the biggest collaborative soil research effort in Australia’s history. The approach to research is multi-disciplinary. The Soil CRC coordinates research across a range of disciplines including social science, economics, biology, chemistry, agronomy and soil science.

The Soil CRC will deliver:

• New mechanisms for financially rewarding management of high performance soils
• New integrated soil management solutions that provide greater precision for farmers
• New ways to measure the performance of soils
• New advanced and innovative products to increase soil fertility and function.

The Soil CRC has 40 participants that along with the Australian Government contribute $167 million to the CRC through both cash and in-kind contributions. It has funding until 2027.