This one-day technical symposium, led by the Institution of Environmental Science's Land Condition Community, focuses on knowledge exchange, debate, and discussion addressing topical issues at the centre of land condition.
Hear from experts at the cutting edge of research, policy, and practice in the assessment and remediation of land whilst finding ample opportunity to network with sectoral peers and gain valuable CPD.
Confirmed speakers include:
For more information and to book tickets, click here
This Net Zero Sustainable Agriculture Workshop, hosted by the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS) at the University of Nottingham, brings together industry and research to explore actionable pathways to Net Zero. The event will highlight how applied research can support sustainable transitions across soils, fertilisers, crops, emissions reduction, and technologies, including these thematic areas:
Through short talks, discussion, and networking, the workshop will showcase Nottingham’s research capabilities and demonstrate how businesses can partner with the University to commission research, run trials, and de risk innovation. Case studies from existing collaborations will demonstrate how research moves from concept to field ready solutions.
The workshop will open with an overview of CSAS and its Net Zero ambitions, followed by contributions from academic speakers and our industry partnerships. There will then be a tour of the outstanding facilities that we have to offer at The University of Nottingham. Attendees will have opportunities to connect directly with researchers and industry experts, explore facilities, and discuss potential collaborations aligned to their business challenges.
This workshop is designed to spark new partnerships, unlock innovation, and support the delivery of resilient, productive, and Net Zero agricultural systems.
To register for the event, click here
SEESOIL Annual Group Meeting on Tuesday 17 March (Cambridgeshire)
The South East England Soil Discussion Group (SEESOIL) is holding their Annual Group Meeting and networking session on Tuesday 17 March, from 09:30 to 16:00. The meeting will be held in-person, with presentations and discussion in the morning (venue TBC near Ely, Cambridgeshire) and a visit to Waldersey Farms in the afternoon.
The programme will be as follows:
Morning:
Afternoon:
Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided with networking to continue over the lunch break. Please indicate any dietary requirements when booking. You will need to provide your own transport to/from the venue and between the morning and afternoon sessions.
If any members have anything they would also like to present or share during the meeting, please contact SEESOIL Chair, Izzy Lloyd, at isobel.lloyd@adas.co.uk.
Cost to join is £10 for EC members, £15 for Full/Fellow/Technical members and £20 for Non-members.
----------------------------------
If you have booked but would like to cancel for whatever reason, please refer to our Cancellation Policy.
Registration of interest is now OPEN to join Bridging Fields at the RAU for their 3rd residency on Livestock! This will be held on Tues 24th March – Thurs 26th March. If you want to up your game when it comes to collaborative research with farmers, immerse yourself in the current challenges and research needs of the livestock farming sector… then do apply!
For more information and to register, click here
Private Soil Classification Training course
[Day 1 - Cranfield University. Day 2 - neighbouring field sites]
This course covers two days and helps to improve field soil description and identification skills. It includes presentations, practical sessions on soil description techniques and then field visits to demonstrate a range of soil types and to hone your profile description skills.
By the end of the training, attendees will be equipped with a ‘toolbox’ comprising a series of flow charts and look-up tables that, together with Soil Survey Technical Monograph No. 17. Criteria for Differentiating Soil Series (Clayden & Hollis, 1984), included in the course pack, will enable them to complete the sections on Page 5 (Named diagnostic horizons) and page 8 of the Revised EES soil classification survey field manual. Delegates will receive field experience of using this toolbox to classify a number of diverse soil types.
Delegates will be able to interpret a detailed profile description in order to identify its diagnostic features and parent material and, from those, identify its Avery soil subgroup and soil series.
[Catering will be provided. Please indicate any dietary or accessibility requirements on the registration form. Transport will be provided from Cranfield University to nearby sites on Day 2. Accommodation is NOT included. Suggested accommodation is linked on the confirmation email.]
This summer school is being organized as part of the ongoing Horizon project, LEGUMINOSE which focuses on soil health and intercropping.
About the Summer School
The summer school aims to bring together young researchers, graduate students, and professionals interested in sustainable cropping systems and soil ecology. The program will focus on the mechanisms of plant–soil feedback and its role in improving productivity, nutrient cycling, and soil health in legume–cereal intercropping systems. Participants will gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in assessing soil biological properties, exploring microbial communities, and interpreting the ecological processes driving soil fertility and plant performance.
Who Should Attend
Master’s and PhD students, early-career researchers in agronomy, soil/ecosystem science, or related fields; practitioners and advisors interested in intercropping and soil health. No prior intercropping experience needed.
Program Details Theoretical sessions will be complemented by hands-on, practical sessions and roundtable discussions. The following topics will be covered:
Organisers and Lecturers
Participant Requirements
Participants are expected to attend all sessions and actively contribute to discussions and group exercises. Basic laboratory and field safety training will be provided; adherence is mandatory. Proficiency in English language
Registration Details
Contact information
For more information, please contact Dr Shamina Imran Pathan (shamina.pathan@unifi.it)
Summer school on soil health and intercropping
Organized by International Union of Soil Sciences and Soil Science Society of China, the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS2026) will be held in June 7-12, 2026 in Nanjing International Expo Center. World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS) is poised to be a landmark gathering for the global soil science community. Since its inception in 1927, WCSS has been convened every four years, serving as a pivotal scientific forum in the realm of soil sciences.
WCSS2026 theme, 'Soil and the Shared Future for Humanity' focuses on the importance of soil for our future, with a variety of arrangements including plenary session, parallel sessions, poster exhibition and soil judging contest. Tours will also be organized for participants to visit typical soils in combination with unique landscapes and cultural diversification as China is a vast country with rich soil resources.
Building on its longstanding legacy, the Congress has received 3338 abstracts from 96 countries for 138 sessions, aiming to attract more than 3500 participants globally. The sessions encompass the full spectrum of soil science, including fundamental soil processes, innovative monitoring technologies, policy frameworks, and community-engaged practices. By fostering international collaboration across academic, governmental, and industrial sectors, WCSS2026 aims to accelerate the translation of soil science into tangible sustainability outcomes, supporting global goals for food security, environmental protection, and climate resilience.
The Organizing Committee of the congress cordially invites global soil science communities, institutions in related fields and friends who care about soil health to actively engage in the congress and enjoy the early-bird registration before March 7th, 2026.
Visit the official congress website for more information and registration:
Metals and Oxygen for Planetary and Human Homeostasis - Royal Society Hooke meeting
There is an upcoming Royal Society Hooke meeting organised by Karen Johnson, Stephen Chivasa and Djoko Karrera from University of Durham. It is called "Metals and Oxygen for Planetary and Human Homeostasis" and runs from Monday 15th to Tuesday 16th June at the Royal Society in London.
You may have seen the BBC news in 2024 on the newly discovered "Dark oxygen" (literally oxygen produced in the dark without photosynthesis), this has made us question whether we really understand how oxygen is produced. Which has significant implications for human health and environmental health.
You can register at the url below and it is free to attend in person or online. We would really value your input to the discussion if you were free/interested.
There is also a poster session which might be of interest and we welcome transdisciplinary perspectives on the role of metals and/or oxygen in either human or planetary health.
This two-day symposium is part of a series of events exploring current soil-focussed research from a range of disciplinary perspectives.
Previous events have brought together researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, encouraging attendees to share their research on the topic of soil, identifying areas of synergy and forging connections to allow for future collaboration.
The Finding Common Ground symposium continues this work, and has four key aims:
We also hope that this event will lay the foundations for an interdisciplinary soil network that enables conversations on soil across disciplines.
Our confirmed Keynote speaker has experience undertaking interdisciplinary research in soil:
The programme for the symposium is still being compiled, and will include short 20 min papers from 12 soil researchers: Science, English Literature, History, Archaeology, creative practitioners, and more.
You can find the draft programme for both days at the bottom of this page - please note that this is not yet finalised and subject to change. We are expecting to publish the final programme towards the end of February. The confirmed programme will be included here and on the Symposium webpage.
Poster submissions are still open until 27th February (no later than 5pm BST): delegates are encouraged to submit poster presentations to be displayed throughout the symposium. Please complete this form to submit your proposal.
Soil is a part of our environment. It forms the ground that we walk on, although in an urban setting, soil is rarely left exposed: it is covered with paving stones to form paths, or seeded with grass and confined to flower beds in a city park. As such, soil is our foundation, but it is also often forgotten. We tend to leave it beneath our feet, without thinking much about it until the path gets muddy. Then, our shoes become undesirably encased in mud: it gets in the ridges of our shoes, dirties the carpet, before it is vacuumed up and disposed of. Soil is base: it is at the bottom quite literally (on the ground) but also figuratively (something dirty, to be removed).
It is also base in the sense that it is foundational: it is out of soil that all plant matter grows, including the food we eat. Without our base of soil, neither the human nor the more-than-human would survive. It is little wonder that the earth has long been conceptualised as ‘mother’ across the globe. And in the face of developing climate catastrophe, soil will become more vital than ever: the UK’s soil association has suggested that ‘without healthy soils, we can’t tackle the climate crisis’.
As with previous events and with the intention of our network in mind, this symposium aims to bring together researchers from across disciplines working broadly on the subject of soil. We hope to create productive contact zones between different areas of research that will allow for fruitful discussions and potential collaboration.
If you have any questions, please contact the organisers: Meg Meredith (mbp05mel@sheffield.ac.uk) and Emily Naish (ejnaish1@sheffield.ac.uk).
For more information, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/finding-common-ground-an-interdisciplinary-symposium-on-soil-tickets-1981326188967