OptiSoil's Ned Skehan Presents at AgriFocus 2026

OptiSoil founder and soil scientist Ned Skehan attended AgriFocus 2026 in Streatham, Victoria, on Wednesday, 21 October, presenting on the topic "Turning Soil Data into Better Decisions".

Hosted by Southern Farming Systems (SFS), AgriFocus is an annual technical field day that brings together farmers, agronomists, researchers and industry professionals to explore the latest agricultural research, technologies and practical farming solutions.

Now in its 16th year, the event focuses on farming systems in Australia's high rainfall zones, with field trials, technical presentations and discussions covering soil health, crop production, farm profitability and precision agriculture.

Turning Soil Data into Better Decisions

Ned's presentation focused on a topic central to OptiSoil's work: using soil data to support better agricultural decision-making.

Understanding soil variability is an important part of managing productive farming systems. Soil properties and constraints can change considerably across a paddock, influencing crop growth, nutrient availability, water use and ultimately farm profitability.

Through soil testing, soil coring, proximal sensing and digital soil mapping, growers and agronomists can develop a more detailed understanding of these differences.

Turning this information into practical management decisions can help identify opportunities to improve productivity, better target inputs and address soil constraints.

At OptiSoil, our approach is to bridge the gap between soil science and practical farm management, providing growers and advisers with meaningful information they can use in the paddock.

Bringing Soil Science into Practical Farming

AgriFocus 2026 provided an opportunity for agricultural professionals to share knowledge and explore new developments in farming technology and research.

The event's program covered a wide range of topics, including crop rotations, soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, precision agriculture, farm profitability, soil profiles and emerging technologies.

For OptiSoil, participating in events such as AgriFocus is an important part of connecting soil science research with the people making everyday farming decisions.

We thank Southern Farming Systems for organising the event and providing the opportunity to contribute to discussions about the future of Australian agriculture.