Better soil health is one of the big headline trends in global agriculture, and DAS is responding.

We have used machine learning and advanced computing to deliver a next-generation soil map that's estimated to be 50 per cent more accurate than any other.

The soil map, which is integrated as a data “layer” into the DAS Rural Intelligence Platform™, has been developed specifically to meet the needs of agriculture.

The technology automatically identifies and links soil type with location and rural property – instantly classifying the kind of soil on any farm, anywhere in the country.

Soil types are categorised into easy-to-understand soil types – highlighting critical landscape attributes such as water, porosity, or whether the soil retains nutrients.

The work by DAS, in conjunction with CSIRO and Data 61, which a range of relevant data sources including leverages the Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia, is an example of the potential of advanced machine learning techniques.

The DAS soil map can be used in different ways – for instance, to improve productivity estimates or understand property values are just two examples.

While the map is developed for agriculture, it is applicable to multiple industries and users, including property, regional planning, land managers, farming groups, scientists, engineers and valuers.

In some instances, it also reduces the need for direct measurement of soil properties, which can be slow and expensive.