A NEW online tool can help farmers, miners and developers identify soil types at the touch of a button.
Science and Innovation Minister Ian Walker today launched the Soils Globe, an interactive user-friendly tool that lets users view and explore maps and up-to-date satellite imagery of Queensland soils, as well as download reports and data.
“We have unearthed a treasure trove of information to create a one-stop shop about Queensland dirt that has huge benefits for our agricultural industry, land developers, the resources sector, community organisations and local government,” Mr Walker said.
“It’s World Soils Day tomorrow (5 December) and the release of this tool is a fitting way to mark this milestone as we move into the UN International Year of Soil in 2015.
“In Queensland, knowing our soils has always been important because agriculture and resource sectors are central to our economy.
“Being more knowledgeable about soil will help us grow crops best suited to Queensland and sustain more livestock. Science is the key to that, as well as innovative ways to make the data we have open and useful to all.”
Mr Walker said Soils Globe gave free access to world-class knowledge via the Queensland Globe, an interactive platform that merges open data with digital technology.
The Soils Globe was developed by soil scientists at the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. It contains data from 90,000 soil sample sites across the state as well as historical information.
“The demand for soils information has been increasing at a huge pace in recent years and Soils Globe will save business thousands of dollars in time and resources with information now available at their fingertips,” Mr Walker said.
“Previously, to get this information you had to get on to several websites, contact government agencies for reports, or do some of the work yourself, including collecting soil samples, all of which cost money.”
Canegrowers CEO Brendan Stewart welcomed the launch of the Soils Globe. He said it would be of huge benefit to the sugarcane industry, particularly supporting precision agriculture.
“It will assist producers get a better understanding of their soil types which will help farm productivity,” he said. “The Soils Globe can be used by farmers to plan efficient irrigation management programs for their properties and to support effective and efficient fertiliser management which leads to reduced run-off and better farm efficiency.”
Senior Soil Scientist Dr Katharine Brown with Jacobs, a major engineering and consultancy company which works closely with the resources sector in Queensland, praised the Queensland Government for establishing the Soils Globe.
“This will save us time in research review and soil investigation, which equates to cost-savings, which we will pass on to our clients,” Dr Brown said.
Other beneficiaries of the Soils Globe include local government authorities, land developers, community organisations and residents.
The Soils Globe is available at https://data.qld.gov.au/maps-geospatial/qld-globe
