Our Vision Promoting the importance of soils through knowledge and expertise.
Our Mission To harness our expertise and knowledge to improve the management of our soils
Description The NSW Soil Knowledge Network is an independent group of retired and semi-retired soil specialists which captures critical soil knowledge and experience. They are an effective link between community, industry and government. The members of the NSW Soil Knowledge Network are a valuable resource and seek to mentor and inspire the next generation of soil specialists.
This is a good video, and I am also passionate about its message of the importance of soil. However, I find it very disappointing that everyone talking on this video is a white male. Diversity is important to spread the importance of the role of soil, where are the expert voices of women scientists, women farmers, indigenous Australian etc. Perhaps this could be addressed in the next update. Thanks
Hello Mikaela, Thank you for reaching out and I'm happy to hear that the messages in this video resonated with you. The SKN is a group of retired/semi retired soil scientists. They are all volunteers the members who are present in this video are the ones put their hand up. Not all members participate in all of our activities. I completely agree that diversity is valuable. In the last few years, the SKN has made a deliberate choice to build positive relationships with female soil scientists, inviting them to workshops, meetings and fieldtrips with a view to membership on their retirement. We encourage female soil scientists as role models and mentors. Its hard to imagine yourself in a role if you can't see it. We aim to encourage women to take up and hopefully keep a career in soil science - and perhaps this may become a pathway to membership. NSW and the world needs more soil scientists! That being said, gender bias and gender balance in the SKN is something we are conscious of. This video is now several years old and since its publication two women have been accepted as SKN members (we now have 3 including myself). It is a fact that there are not very many retired female soil scientists with relevant experience in NSW. This is largely a reflection of gender bias among past agencies and policies which has led to low female representation among soil scientists. This video is about members speaking about why soil is important to them and why it it should be important to others. I really like your idea about a future video showcasing the diverse female voices and their soil related values. Thanks for the suggestion, but it is beyond the scope of our small group, perhaps a collaboration with others for the future. Best wishes Sally McInnes-Clarke NSW SKN
Hi Charles, those are pretty standard terms used in track and road design and construction. However, your suggestion is a good one and I will reach out to Peter and ask him to put something together
Thanks did not know that! I'm very interested in what salt does and how to find plants that will grow ,also find ways to manage the problems caused by salt
@@gerrycoleman7290 that's interesting. In New South Wales, and Australia generally, soil profile description follows the method described in 'the yellow book' where C horizons are defined as layers below the solum (A and B horizons) and consists of material which is usually weathered but little affected by soil forming processes. C horizons include consolidated rock and sediments that when moist can be dug with hand tools. C horizons can also be described as substrate. Here is a link to the reference www.publish.csiro.au/book/5230/
Hello :) I am a viticulture student in the southwest U.S. and currently studying soils. This video was perfect in the explanation and differences of salinity and sodicity! Visuals and examples are much more powerful for me to learn, i appreciate you having made this video! Thank you!
Hi Lacey, we worked hard on the narrative for this short video and wanted to keep it simple and still ensure it made sense. Happy to hear that it worked for you. Thanks!
For my assignment I am supposed to investigate soils in South Africa. One of the properties is said to be: sodic, and the property is long and comparatively narrow, stretching from upland to lower reaches of an elongate drainage basin. - Do I understand it correctly that because of the sodic soil and the water of the drainage basin the ground is probably unstable especially at the low end of the slope? Because the Sodium in the clay minerals is reacting with the water.
Great description of difference between sodicity an salinity. I've been trying to find different sources to describe why there is low EC in sodic soils. You would think EC would be higher than saline-sodic, but by definition it is lower. Similar SAR, but lower EC in sodic.
Thanks Robert,it all comes down to soil chemistry, but essentially saline soils have high dissolved salt in the soil water, sodic soils that are dispersible don't. Salinity and sodicity do the opposite to soil structure. Saline soils don't disperse, while sodic soils do. You can observe this by adding one lump of sodic clay to a glass of freshwater and another to a glass of saltwater to see the difference!
@@nswsoilknowledgenetwork2890 Thank you for your quick and thoughtful reply. So the EC is lower in sodic soils (below 4) because the sodium is stuck in the soil and won't go into solution so it can't be read by EC meter?
Hi, great video. Just one question though, doesn't the Na have to be in ionic form to be moved around the soil in water? So does it then revert back to its salt chemistry and form Na Cl2 and reside in the soil as a salt? Is that soil salinity? I get the sodic soil as Na ions attaching to cation exchange sites on clay, does that mean just not all the Na attaches to clays and is left to roam as free Na? Ok it was more than one question.
Hi Shaun, We have two soil chemists in the group and they have both responded to your question. The first reply is - Na is always in its ionic form, Na+, in soils. Never in the metallic form. When the Na+ is attached to a soil (which has a net negative charge) it is referred to as “sodicity”. When the Na+ is not attached to a soil clay, that is “free” or “soluble” Na+, the positive charge is normally balanced by Cl- or HCO3- and sometimes SO4-- and NO3-. That is ‘salinity’. The second reply is - Sodium is always in its ionic form (Na+), but it can often attach to the negative surfaces on, or in rocks or soils. If all the available CEC sites are filled with sodium, then if there is still more sodium (often attached to chloride), it can move freely about and the soil will be sodic and saline. Hope this answers your question.
Thank you ! Wheat grows in several different soils. In central NSW it grows in red and brown chromosols and dermosols, topsoils are usually clay loam and subsoils light to medium clay. In northern areas it also grows on black vertosols. Topsoils are usually light clay and subsoils medium to heavy clay.
Hi Victoria Gauld, Thank You very much!! I am so pleased to hear that. Passing on knowledge of soils and landscape processes is what we are all about. Sally McInnes-Clarke
