How to become a Soil Scientist

Soil scientists analyse soil samples to provide information about its quality and structure for construction, agricultural, government, industrial and scientific staff. A large proportion of soil scientists’ work is office based, although some fieldwork is necessary to collect and test soil samples.

Soil Scientists assess the soil’s ability for growing crops, recommend land management methods to prevent landslide erosion and can advise on environmental issues, tackling problems such as the pollution and acidification of soils by chemicals and heavy metals. This is then used to influence practices such as agricultural and horticultural production, habitat management and forestry.