• to develop skills & knowledge to assess natural resources on farms (pastures, vegetation, soils & topography) to better match land-use to land capability.
• to help farmers make more informed decisions about managing landscapes and allocating resources to better balance production, profit & sustainability issues.
• provide a process to help explain and make decisions about complex, often inter-related issues like  soil acidity, ground cover, pasture & nutrient decline.
• provide a sound basis for developing or modifying a farm plan.

• recognise major land classes, land capability and landscape potential
• relate landscape features to soil characteristics
• understand basic soil properties and descriptions
• take meaningful soil samples
• understand basic plant nutrition
• interpret soil tests
• identify soil limitations in your paddocks
• recognise major forms of soil degradation and their causes
• match production to soils and landscape
• manage soil degradation issues
• develop paddock management strategies
• develop a farm plan 

Session 2: Understanding soils and soil sampling

Session 3: Interpreting soil test results

Session 4: Sustainability and productivity

Session 5: Tools and strategies

Session 6: Making decisions

This course is delivered on farms and includes many outdoor practical activities such as identifying landscape features, trees and pasture species.

Participants will need to collect soil samples from at least two paddocks and pay for their own soil tests through a NATA accredited laboratory. A discount rate has been negotiated for course participants. Soil sampling equipment is available to participants to collect their soil samples.

• RTF5521A - Monitor and manage soils
• RTF4004A - Develop a plant nutrition program
• RTF2504A - Determine basic properties of soils
• RTC2016A - Recognise plants