Episode 7: Soil Texture Part 2. How to Measure Soil Texture (and Why Overseas Research Can Mislead You)

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our soil texture series, we get practical. Leonie walks through how to measure soil texture in the paddock using the classic hand-texturing and ribbon test and explains how particle size analysis works in the lab, including the clever physics of Stokes’ Law that lets scientists separate clay from silt. You’ll also learn how to read the texture triangle, and why the same soil can be given different names depending on which country the research comes from. This international difference in particle-size boundaries is one of the most useful (and most overlooked) things to understand when reading global soil science. We finish by looking at how texture changes down the profile (uniform, gradational and duplex soils) and the practical decisions texture drives on farm: water storage, nutrient holding, salinity risk and carbon. A clear, practical episode for anyone who wants to move from knowing the words “sand, silt and clay” to actually using them with confidence. **Reference List**  Barton, L. (n.d.). *ENVT2236 Soil Science laboratory manual* \[Unpublished course material]. School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia. Brown, K., & Wherrett, A. (n.d.). *Measuring soil texture in the lab* \[Fact sheet]. Soil Quality. https://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-texture-measuring-in-the-lab Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. (2024). *Estimating soil texture by hand* \[Fact sheet]. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/nrm\_factsheets/1 Galloway, P., van Gool, D., Stuart-Street, A., Griffin, E., Pathan, S., & Schoknecht, N. (2024). *Western Australian soil groups: A diagnostic key to identify soils in Western Australia* (5th ed., Resource Management Technical Report 427). Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australian Government. Minasny, B., & McBratney, A. B. (2001). The Australian soil texture boomerang: A comparison of the Australian and USDA/FAO soil particle-size classification systems. *Australian Journal of Soil Research, 39*(6), 1443–1451. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR00065 National Committee on Soil and Terrain. (2024). *Australian soil and land survey field handbook* (4th ed.). CSIRO Publishing. Pluske, W., Boggs, G., & Leopold, M. (2018). *Soil quality: 2. Integrated soil management*. SoilsWest. https://soilqualityknowledgebase.org.au/soil-texture/ Pluske, W., Murphy, D., & Sheppard, J. (2018). *Integrated soil management* (Soil Quality ebook series, Book 2). SoilsWest, The University of Western Australia. Soil Quality. (n.d.). *Measuring soil texture in the field* \[Fact sheet]. https://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-texture Stuart-Street, A., Short, N., Galloway, P., & Schoknecht, N. (2025). *A simple guide for describing soils* (2nd ed.). Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australian Government. **Connect with Leonie** Instagram: @agfromthegroundup Website: www.agriculturefromthegroundup.com.au