Trusted Information Sources and Preferred Delivery Methods for Soil Indicator Information Among Farmers, Advisors, and Researchers

Extensive industry efforts have led to the delivery of information supporting farmer production practices, including soil management. Education and extension activities are vital, with wide-ranging information sources being delivered to inform decisions around sustainable food production practices. Despite this, there remain knowledge gaps about actual and preferred delivery of soil indicator information for Australian farmers and supportive stakeholders, including advisors and researchers. This research explored the current and preferred sources for delivering information about soil indicators for farmers and industry stakeholders across different farming enterprises (cattle, grains, and sheep). Data were collected using a 20-item survey. Survey responses (N = 265) were received from farmers (n = 156), advisors (n = 72), and researchers (n = 37) to understand how they currently receive soil indicator information, what sources they prefer for receiving this information, and the relationships between sources of soil indicator information to support farming practices. The findings indicate that farmers receive soil information from many sources but prefer to receive it from industry advisors—including researchers; farmer, grower, and producer groups; agronomists; and consultants—and at industry events such as field days, farm walks, and tours, as well as via education and training. The findings demonstrate that information about soil health for farmers must be delivered by trusted individuals and organisations in ways that farmers will find, understand, access, and use. This includes prioritising information delivery through stakeholder engagement and connections, to foster personalised information exchange. In contrast, no preferred information sources were identified for advisors and researchers. While online sources of information delivery are increasing in the digital age, this study did not identify any strong associations between farmers and these approaches. This study highlights the pivotal role that trusted industry intermediaries have in delivering information about soil indicators. This identifies a priority for future support that is directed towards industry advisors and researchers to optimise their delivery of soil health information to farmers.