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Soil Management Training

Build your skills. Grow your career. Improve soil outcomes.

Soil lays the foundation for agriculture, infrastructure, and healthy ecosystems. Understanding how to manage it effectively is essential for professionals who advise landholders, shape policy, or work directly with soil in the field.

The training is designed for practitioners who provide advice to landholders, including agronomists, farm advisors, agricultural consultants and extension officers, as well as policy officers who deal with soils within their work context.

Soil Science Australia’s Soil Management Training equips practitioners with the skills to collect, analyse, and interpret soil data confidently. It is designed to:

  • Strengthen your professional knowledge and hands-on skills.
  • Contribute to your ongoing professional development.
  • Provide a practical learning experience you can apply immediately in your work.
  • Act as a pathway to accreditation for those seeking formal recognition as soil professionals.

Soil Management Training

Join the next cohort, and complete your training.

Enrol Now

What You’ll Learn

Soil management training is delivered through a blend of self-paced online modules and resources, along with in-person field training and assessment.  By completing the program, you’ll be able to:

  • Understand soil fundamentals: soil formation, functions, classification, and degradation processes.
  • Design and implement sampling strategies tailored to different sites and purposes.
  • Carry out field analysis and recognise soil features that inform management decisions.
  • Collect and prepare soil samples for laboratory analysis with quality control and accurate record keeping.
  • Interpret soil test data to provide evidence-based recommendations that reduce costs, improve productivity, and support sustainable land management.

How the Training Works

We know professionals are balancing work, study, and personal commitments. That’s why the program is delivered flexibly through a combination of:

  • Self-paced online modules (Modules 1–4): Training videos, resources, and assessments you can complete at your own pace.
  • In-person training field days (Module 5): a two-day practical workshop, where you apply your learning directly in the field.

On average, allowing for a two hour commitment per week, participants take around three months to complete the course.

Modules 1–4 Online Training
Open From		Module 5 Training Field Days
Scheduled Between
January to MarchApril to May
July to SeptemberOctober to November

Training Field Days are limited to between 10 and 16 participants.

Training Field Days for 2026 have been scheduled as follows:

South Australia (Urrbrae) – 12-13 May – Register

ACT/NSW (Cooma) – 12-13 May – Register

Victoria (Dookie) – 14-15 July – Register 

Queensland (Warwick) – 2-3 September – Register  

Investment

This nationally recognised training reflects the depth of content and practical skill development offered.

Module Member Non-Member
Module 1 $399 $599
Module 2 $399 $599
Module 3 $399 $599
Module 4 $399 $599
Module 5 $399 $599
Total (5 modules) $1,995 $2,995
(All prices include GST)

Soil Management Training

Join the next cohort, and complete your training.

Enrol Now

Training Modules

The program is structured around five modules, covering the full spectrum of soil management knowledge and skills:

  1. Basic Soil Fundamentals – Understand soil functions and the ecosystem services delivered by soil. Understand soil formation, composition, classification and distribution. Understand soil threatening processes and their impacts on soil function. Understand physical, chemical and biological soil properties, nutrient cycles and the role of soil organisms.
  2. Soil Field Analysis and Site Interpretation – Develop skills and confidence to assess an area in preparation for fit-for-purpose soil sampling and testing (e.g. monitoring, problem investigation). The collection of relevant available information, records and observations in the field. Locating sampling sites most representative of identified soil types.
  3. Soil Sampling for Laboratory Analysis – Addresses the selection of fit-for-purpose soil tests (e.g. monitoring, problem investigation) and the procedure to follow to collect soil samples at selected sites. This includes selecting and using the sampling equipment correctly, and accurate and reliable sample collection, labelling and record keeping.
  4. Soil Data Interpretation and Application – develop skills and knowledge required to interpret soil test results to determine best management practices considering land capability, soil test results and future paddock management (e.g. production targets, landholder goals).
  5. Field Training (two days) – Put it all into practice through hands-on fieldwork and assessment with SSA trainers.  Dates and locations for the field training and assessment components will be updated below. 

Please note modules 1 – 4 must be completed before attending Module 5.

View the Training Syllabus here

For any further questions get in touch with [email protected]

A Pathway to Accreditation

This training is aligned with the Standards for Registered Soil Practitioner – Soil Management (RSP-SM) accreditation.

Completing the training helps participants fill knowledge gaps and strengthen their expertise in soil management. While training alone does not provide accreditation, it acts as a recognised pathway for those who wish to pursue professional recognition through RSP-SM accreditation.