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You are invited to a research presentation on:
Novel AgTech applications for sensing of soil moisture properties in Queensland broadacre cropping systems
Project Team: Assoc. Prof. Joseph Foley, Dr Alice Melland, Dr Jochen Eberhard, Dr Simon Kelderman, Dr Derek Long, Dr Serhiy Marchuk, Isaac Halling
Presentation Overview:
An overview of novel soil moisture sensing AgTech research conducted in the final year of the QDPI-UniSQ Broadacre Cropping Initiative will be presented. The research aimed to build capacity at both UniSQ and QDPI to apply novel AgTech sensing solutions to quantify soil moisture and groundcover properties at high temporal and spatial frequency. The QDPI research and extension project, and the existing GRDC-funded Pampas Northern Farming Systems field site in the eastern Darling Downs provided a platform for both evaluation of soil water AgTech installations in the field and for collaborative learning across UniSQ and QDPI work teams.
Key technologies that were applied and evaluated were:
• in-situ paired soil matric and moisture content sensors
• vehicle-mounted passive microwave polarimeter sensor
• groundcover estimation mobile phone camera app
• laboratory matric potential measurement technology
Five questions were addressed by the research over the summer of 2025-26;
1. Soil moisture sensors – do they all need calibrating and what are the pros and cons for each in the Black Vertosols?
2. Soil matric potential sensors – can useful soil moisture retention characteristic data be captured when paired with soil moisture sensors?
3. Passive microwave polarimeter for vehicle-mounted soil moisture sensing – can it be made operational and provide useful soil moisture data?
4. Groundcover mobile phone app – how well was groundcover captured across the wider range of conditions tested?
5. WP4C benchtop dry end matric potential sensor – was this easy-to-use sensor able to provide dry end soil matric potential data to complement the wet end paired sensor data, for developing soil moisture characteristic curves?
Answers to these questions and broader learnings from the research will be presented.
Presented by Dr Alice Melland
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Dr Alice Melland is a Senior Research Fellow in Soils and Environmental Chemistry. Alice has expertise in the influence of agricultural land management on the environmental quality and sustainability of soil, atmosphere and water. She has measured and/or modelled soil, water, greenhouse gas and nutrient dynamics from plot to catchment scale. Alice has conducted research in the grains, cotton, dairy, wool, livestock, sugarcane, horticulture and mine rehabilitation industries and has worked in Australia, Ireland, Lao PDR and Cambodia. Alice has supervised three PhD students and has contributed to over 45 peer-reviewed journal publications. Alice co-led the BACI-funded Novel AgTech applications for sensing of soil moisture properties research with Assoc. Prof. Joseph Foley.
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