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EUROPEAN SOIL JUDGING CONTEST 2025

As part of the EUROSOIL 2025 we are pleased to announce the launch of the 1^st European Soil Judging Competition!

Co-financed and under the formula of BIP Erasmus+ Program EU

Event Date

1 - 5 Sep 2025

Event Location

Alcoi, Alicante
Spain

About the Soil Judging Contest

This is an opportunity to demonstrate your skills, whilst enjoying some time away in Alcoi, Alicante, a beautiful Mediterranean mountain area of Eastern Spain. In teams of four you will spend time in training with some of the foremost experts in the field of soil science, before representing your country or region in competition at sites around two Natural Parks.

EUROPEAN SOIL JUDGING CONTEST 2025

As part of the EUROSOIL 2025 we are pleased to announce the launch of the 1^st European Soil Judging Competition!

Co-financed and under the formula of BIP Erasmus+ Program EU

Event Date

1 - 5 Sep 2025

Event Location

Alcoi, Alicante
Spain

About the Soil Judging Contest

The Training Course and the Competition

The Soil Judging Contest is open to all registered students who are not otherwise employed in any job related to soil survey. The scope of the competition is that participants use their knowledge and practical skills to describe, understand and interpret soil characteristics in the field. Participants (in the form of teams and individuals) will describe a series of contest profiles using basic field methods, selected standards and guidelines. They will give a basic classification according to World Reference Base for Soil Resources and according to Soil Taxonomy. The winners will be selected on their ability to correctly describe and classify each soil, evaluate potential soil functions and interpret their capacity to perform under different land use and management practices. To prepare for the competition, the event includes a four-day technical training course.

The Teams

All teams, and team members, must satisfy the conditions below to participate in the soil judging competition. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact the organisers on esjc2025@gmail.com

Teams will be made up of four members representing a European country, or a combined team from neighbouring countries.
Countries are limited to only one team each.
At the time of competition all members of a team must fulfill one or both of the following requirements:
- Registered at an academic institution based within the represented country.
- Be a national of the represented country.
Teams must be registered by the National Soil Science Societies.
All competing team members must satisfy the following:
- All team members will be present for the entire event (training course and competition), except where illness or emergency prevents that.
- All team members must be a registered student (BSc, MSc, PhD) at the time of competition.
- Team members should not be employed, or have been employed, during the six months prior to competition, in a soil judging, interpretation, or analysis role, except if this employment is directly related to their thesis.

The Teams

Teams will be made up of four members representing a European country, or a combined team from neighbouring countries.
Countries are limited to only one team each.
At the time of competition all members of a team must fulfill one or both of the following requirements:
- Registered at an academic institution based within the represented country.
- Be a national of the represented country.
Teams must be registered by the National Soil Science Societies.
All competing team members must satisfy the following:
- All team members will be present for the entire event (training course and competition), except where illness or emergency prevents that.
- All team members must be a registered student (BSc, MSc, PhD) at the time of competition.
- Team members should not be employed, or have been employed, during the six months prior to competition, in a soil judging, interpretation, or analysis role, except if this employment is directly related to their thesis.

Key Dates

1 Sep 2024: Expression of interest from National Soil Science Societies

France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Spain

10 Dec 2024 – 31 Jan 2025: Registration (CLOSED)

1-5 Sep 2025: Course and Contest

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Programme

28/08/2025. Previous online (3h) 10:00-13:00 h CET:

Presentation of the course-competition dynamics and structure, materials, logistics (Jorge Mataix-Solera).
The History of the USA soil judging (first part of conference at Universidad Miguel Hernández; John Galbraith) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZiuI4lMSs)
Soil Judging Contests – Summary of previous ones at World Congresses (Erika Michéli)
Fundamentals of soil description and classification manuals – World Reference Base for Soil Resources and Soil Taxonomy (Peter Schad, John Galbraith).
Edaphos web (David Badía) https://www.cienciadelsuelo.es/

01/09/2025. Travel by bus from Alicante bus station to Alcoi and course

Morning (indoor)

8:45: Meeting point: Alicante bus station https://maps.app.goo.gl/zCCdhmv2QzgWGWe48
9:00-10:30: Travel by bus from Alacant bus station to Alcoi
10:30-11:00: Reception of participating teams
11:00-11:30: Opening ceremony
11:30-12:00: Coffee break
12:00-13:00: Introduction to the study environment: soil-forming factors and processes in the region, land uses, including disturbances, e.g. wildfire (Jorge Mataix-Solera and Minerva García-Carmona)
13:00-14:30: lunch

Afternoon (indoor)

14:30-17:00: Description of site properties and soil profiles (color, texture, structure, horizon differentiation) and designation of horizons (Sections 1, 2, and 5 of this handbook). NRCS Field Book (David Badía Villas and Rosa M. Poch). WRB Field Guide (Peter Schad) and WRB horizon designations (Erika Michéli)
Registration in hotel

02/09/2025. WRB

Morning (indoor)

9:00-13:00: Introduction to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) (Section 5.1.): General rules, architecture of the system, diagnostics (Peter Schad). Selected RSGs and selected qualifiers (Erika Michéli).
13:00-14:30: lunch

Afternoon (field)

16:00-19:30: Visit of two soil profiles to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom (Soil Profiles 1 and 2).

03/09/2025. Soil Taxonomy

Morning (indoor)

9:00-13:00: Soil Interpretations (Section 4). Introduction to Soil Taxonomy (ST) (Section 5.2): Epipedons, diagnostic horizons, selected Orders, Suborders, Great Groups and Subgroups (John Galbraith, Maxine Levine).
13:00-14:30: lunch

Afternoon (field)

16:00-19:30: Visit of two soil profiles to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom (Soil Profiles 3 and 4).

04/09/2025. Training and Competition (Teams)

Morning (field)

9:00-13:00: Training (Teams) Field training with a visit of two soil profiles. Competition simulation (Soil Profiles 5 and 6).
13:00-14:00: lunch

Afternoon (field)

14:30-18:00: Competition (Teams). First phase of the competition – Teams (Soil Profiles 7 and 8).

05/09/2025. Competition (Individual)

Morning (field)

9:00-13:00: Competition (Individual) Second phase of the competition – Individuals (Soil Profiles 9 and 10).

Afternoon

14:30-18:00: Organizers: Scoring: evaluation of results and ranking of winners (individual, team and overall).
Participants: Free time.

Evening

20:00: Closing dinner and awards.

06/09/2025. Travel bus from Alcoi to Alicante

8:30- 10:00: Travel by bus from Alcoi to Alicante.

25/09/2025 (tentative date). Post course Online (3 h)

Detailed discussion of the soil profiles studied in the competition.
Feedback from participant

Materials

Standards for Soil Description

Standards for Soil Classification

Examples of Soil Description and Classification

Video of soil description of a Luvisol

Handbook of the contest

Downloadable here

NOTES:

If you arrive by train, please be informed that real knives are not allowed in Spanish fast trains. Presenting a letter of information, why you need the knife, the railway staff will normally accept the knife. This letter can be sent to participants by the Universidad Miguel Hernández. Here you can download a template of the letter, once filled write to jorge.mataix@umh.es to get it signed by UMH

Materials

Standards for Soil Description

Standards for Soil Classification

Examples of Soil Description and Classification

Video of soil description of a Luvisol

Handbook of the contest

Downloadable here

NOTES:

If you arrive by train, please be informed that real knives are not allowed in Spanish fast trains. Presenting a letter of information, why you need the knife, the railway staff will normally accept the knife. This letter can be sent to participants by the Universidad Miguel Hernández. Here you can download a template of the letter, once filled write to jorge.mataix@umh.es to get it signed by UMH