Australia’s farms cover a wide range of soil types, each of which has an impact on sustainability, management techniques, and agricultural productivity throughout the continent’s diverse landscapes. Understanding these soils, which range from ancient, weathered profiles to regionally dominant patterns, allows for optimised farming. KG2’s reporting tools at kg2.com.au help with soil data tracking, compliance, and yield forecasts.
Overview of Major Soil Orders
According to the Australian Soil Classification, Australia has more than 12 soil orders, and the majority of its agricultural land is covered by old, low-fertility profiles. Due to nitrogen constraints, these soils, which are frequently severely weathered, support horticulture, livestock, and cereals but call for specific inputs.
Prevalence-based key orders:
- Kandosols: Earthy, uniformly grained soils found throughout the Northern Territory that are perfect for tropical farming and agriculture.
- Vertosols: 58% of agriculture occurs on alluvial plains in Queensland, while cracking clay soils make up 28% of the state.
- Calcarosols: In South Australia, broadacre crops and horticulture depend heavily on calcareous, alkaline soils. Twenty per cent of fertile land in Victoria and New South Wales is made up of texture-contrast soils like sodosols and chromosols.
State-Specific Soil Profiles
Each state has distinctive soils that influence local farming practices by reflecting geology, climate, and land use.
- New South Wales- Red Chromosol, a “workhorse” duplex soil used for vineyards, crops, and grazing in New South Wales, is vulnerable to acidity from cultivation.
- Victoria – Victoria’s Mottled Brown Sodosol: Duplex soils that transition from dairying to crops in rainfall zones of 450–800 mm.
- Western Australia- Arenosols, the largest order by area in Western Australia, are deep sandy soils found in the wheatbelt and dry zones. The classification was modified in 2025.
- Queensland- Vertosol in Queensland: shrink-swell clays atop shales and basalt that sustain grains and brigalow forests.
- South Australia- Calcarosol, a sandy loam with layers of calcrete that drains well for pastures and irrigation, is found in South Australia.
These profiles cover millions of hectares, and in Tasmania’s wetter climates, ferrosols, structured clays, are more common.
Difficulties and Degradation Hazards
Climate variability exacerbates erosion, acidification (affecting 50 million hectares), salinisation, and loss of organic matter in Australian soils. Broadacre farms use less tillage (68%) and stubble retention (85% adoption) to combat this.
Considerations for management:
- Half of the productive soils are affected by acidification, which is frequent in horticulture and dairying.
- In certain places, the half-life of erosion might decline to decades, surpassing formation rates.
- Lime, gypsum, and precise fertilisers are necessary for low fertility; 65% of farmers maximise inputs.
These are addressed by innovations like regenerative practices, which improve resilience and carbon storage.
Australian Soil Datasets
Soil is a living resource that supports agriculture, biodiversity, and environmental balance; it is much more than just a growing medium. Stakeholders throughout the agricultural ecosystem can make well-informed decisions that preserve soil health and boost productivity by utilizing comprehensive and trustworthy soil statistics. Policymakers can develop measures that support long-term sustainability and climate resilience, scientists may increase research and conservation efforts, and farmers can optimize crop selection and resource usage. Investing in soil data and appropriate soil management is not only advantageous, but also essential to protecting our environment, guaranteeing food security, and assisting future generations as the demands on land and food systems continue to increase.
For a detailed read on this topic, please have a look at another blog by KG2- Australian soil data sets for agriculture.
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