Soil science built for and delivered in the paddock.

Common Ground works with landholders, agronomists, project developers, funders, and agricultural input companies who need scientific support that's practical, defensible, and grounded in real farming systems.

Our work covers several areas.

our services

  • soil constraints & farming systems

    Specialist diagnosis and management advice for soil constraints limiting productivity and land function: acidity, sodicity, compaction, aluminium toxicity, salinity, non-wetting soils, and combinations of these across depth horizons. We design amelioration strategies that reach the constraint where it’s happening in the soil profile, and practically integrate these solutions into your farming operation.

    Multi-depth soil constraint profiling and interpretation

    Amelioration strategy design: amendment selection, placement method and timing

    Liquid versus solid amendment delivery assessment and advice designed for cost and time efficiency

    Co-amendment design: liming, gypsum, and organic material combinations

    Integration with precision agriculture and variable-rate systems

    Economic analysis of amelioration investment against yield response

  • Field Trials & On-Farm Testing

    Independent design and delivery of field trials that are scientifically credible and workable within commercial farming operations. We develop trial structures around the paddock, machinery, seasonal timing and management constraints of each site, then interpret the results in the context of what the farm or business needs to decide.

    Factorial, replicated, strip and commercial-scale trial design

    Site selection, paddock stratification and treatment layout

    Grower and collaborator coordination

    Sampling design, replication, compositing and quality control

    Soil, root, crop, canopy and yield monitoring on the ground, and using drone technology

    Integration of spatial, machinery and production data

    Statistical analysis and uncertainty assessment

    Practical interpretation of what the trial can and cannot establish

  • Monitoring & Data Interpretation


    Practical monitoring of soil, crop and environmental performance over time. We combine field measurements, spatial observations, imagery and whole-farm production data to build a clearer picture of what is changing, what may be driving it and what the results mean for management.

    Soil health and soil function monitoring design

    Baseline establishment and repeat measurement programs

    Soil, crop, pasture and environmental indicator selection

    Spatial monitoring and paddock-zone interpretation

    Integration of aerial imagery, field observations and ground measurements

    Soil, yield, input and management-record analysis

    Data-quality review before major decisions are made

    Clear reporting of trends, variability, uncertainty and limitations

  • Product Development & Validation


    Technical development and testing of agricultural products, amendments and management technologies. We help companies define the problem a product is intended to solve, build a credible testing pathway and produce the data needed to understand where it works, why it works and where its limits sit.

    Product concept and technical strategy development

    Review of the scientific basis and proposed mode of action

    Laboratory, glasshouse and field-testing pathways

    Trial design under commercial farming conditions

    Soil, plant, canopy and yield response assessment

    Refinement of application method, placement and timing

    Performance assessment across contrasting soils and farming systems

    Technical review of product claims and supporting evidence

  • Project Review & Due Diligence

    Independent review of agricultural, soil, environmental and carbon projects before landholders or organisations make significant commitments. We assess whether the science is sound, the proposed management changes are realistic, the risks are understood and the evidence supports the claims being made.

    Review of project assumptions, evidence and proposed outcomes

    Assessment of land-management changes under real farm conditions

    Soil opportunity and constraint analysis

    Review of monitoring, sampling and modelling approaches

    Assessment of productivity, permanence and implementation risks

    Review of landholder obligations and long-term management implications

    Technical interpretation of soil carbon methods and project requirements

    Identification of unsupported claims, hidden assumptions and unresolved risks

  • Training & Technical Communication

    Applied training and technical support for farmers, agronomists, advisors and agricultural organisations working across soil science, farming systems and environmental outcomes. We make complex science usable without stripping away the uncertainty, context or limitations that matter to good advice.

    Soil constraint, soil function and nutrient-cycling training

    Advisor capability programs for agronomy and agricultural businesses

    Workshops, field days and technical presentations

    Interpretation of emerging soil health and environmental requirements

    Support for advisors working across conventional and evolving management systems

    Technical report, guidance and educational material development

    Translation of complex science for farmers, boards, regulators and technical audiences

    Support for research, policy and regulatory communication

Enquire about our services

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We start with a conversation about what you need to understand or solve, then shape the work around that. It might be a single diagnostic visit, a multi-year trial, or ongoing advisory support, delivered on a project, part-time or retainer basis.

  • We bring specialist depth in soil constraint diagnosis, trial design and evidence review that sits alongside, not in competition with, agronomic advice. Many of our engagements are in partnership with a farm's existing agronomist, and we work hand-in-hand with some of Australia’s biggest agronomic service providers.

  • Yes, as an independent technical service to landholders and organisations. We assess the science, project assumptions, monitoring approach, management requirements, long-term obligations and where risk sits before a landholder commits.

    Common Ground’s founder, Dr Kirsten Ball, has strong concerns about the quality and independence of some advice being given to farmers on soil carbon projects. Too often, landholders are asked to make long-term commitments without a clear understanding of the evidence, obligations or risks. This service exists to change that.

  • We can review the technical and land-management aspects of a proposed project, including whether the assumptions are credible, the management requirements are realistic and the risks are clearly understood. Legal and financial terms should also be reviewed by appropriately qualified advisors.

  • We work on difficult soil and production problems that are not resolved by a standard recommendation. This includes soil acidity, sodicity, salinity, compaction, aluminium toxicity, non-wetting soils, nutrient cycling, organic matter, soil function and interacting constraints across the soil profile.

  • Our work spans the whole country, partnering with leading agronomic organisations across Australia on trial delivery, fieldwork, advisory, due diligence, training and technical writing. We also maintain ongoing research connections and project work in the United States and Europe, drawing on our international research background and networks.

  • We work with landholders, agronomists, project developers, input companies, government and research institutions who share a common goal: making farming systems work better for farmers through practical, evidence-based methods.

  • No. Soil constraints are a significant part of our work, but we also work across nutrient cycling, organic matter, soil health monitoring, farming-system performance, product development, field trials, project review and technical training.

  • We do not sell specific products or receive commissions for recommending them. Where a product or amendment is relevant, we assess whether it suits the soil problem, the farming system, the delivery method and the commercial context.

  • No. We work alongside agronomists and farm advisors, bringing specialist soil science, trial design, monitoring or data interpretation where additional depth is needed. We maintain close partnerships with some of the country’s largest and most successful agronomic services companies, and other independent agronomists.

what else would you like to know?

Get in touch by text, or through the form, and tell us what you're trying to find out. We'll come back with how we'd approach it.

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