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South Australia

Welcome to the South Australian branch home page!

Here in SA we have a lively soil science community committed to digging deeper into soils and expanding new horizons. Spread across the state our members work for The University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Flinders University, PIRSA, SARDI and private enterprise, to name just a few.

Our diverse group meets regularly at informal seminar nights, and a large crowd historically gathers for our Annual Lecture, held in September/October each year. The annual field trip is always an exciting day, drawing people from far and wide.

If you wish to connect with other soil scientists in SA and learn about what is happening on the ground in your state then please join us and become a member of the SA branch. You can email the branch sa@soilscienceaustralia.com.au if you require any additional information.

We look forward to seeing you at our next event, all welcome!

Meet our Committee

President:  John Weber
Email:  SA.president@soilscienceaustralia.org.au

Vice President:  Dr Erinne Stirling
Email:  SA.vicepresident@soilscienceaustralia.org.au 

Treasurer:  Ruby Hume
Email:  SA.treasuruer@soilscienceaustralia.org.au

Secretary:  Dr Amelie Jeanneau
Email:  SA.secretary@soilscienceaustralia.org.au

Committee members

  • Emily Leyden
  • Nathan Strawbridge
  • Bonnie Amour
  • Brian Hughes
  • Michael Cutting
  • Michael Eyres
  • Chelsea Janke
  • Mark Farrell
  • Brett Thomas

State Soil

The South Australian State Soil is a Calcarosol – As the name suggest these soils are calcareous which means they contain finely divided (<2mm diameter) calcium carbonate throughout all or most of the profile. They also often contain hard calcium carbonate segregations in the form of nodules, fragments or concretions. Hard carbonate can be thick and dense, while many Calcarosols are also underlain by calcrete (a layer of hard carbonate).

The Calcarosol in this photo has wind-deposited loamy to clay loamy soil to 50 cm, with abundant hard carbonate segregations from 25-50 cm. From 50 cm is Blanchetown Clay Formation material – which was laid-down in an ancient lake. Fine carbonate extends to a depth of approximately 130 cm.

South Australian Calcarosols typically have a sandy loam texture and are well drained, alkaline, moderately fertile and reasonably deep. Calcarosols occur widely throughout Southern Australia (mostly in low to moderate rainfall areas) but are not common in other regions. These soils in South Australia are used widely for broadacre cropping, pasture and irrigated horticulture.

 

News and Events

Branch news and events

Awards and Sponsorship

Branch awards and sponsorship

Soil Science Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future.