Science student heads to international soil judging competition in China

The Bachelor of Science student is preparing to represent Australia on the world stage next week after being selected for the Australian team competing at the 5th International Soil Judging Contest in Nanjing, China. 

The international competition, held ahead of the 2026 World Congress of Soil Science, will bring together soil science students and emerging professionals from 23 different countries to test their skills analysing and classifying soils in real-world field conditions. 

For Melita, who is due to graduate this year with a Bachelor of Science specialising in regenerative agriculture, the opportunity is the latest chapter in a journey that began far from the classroom. 

Planting the seed 

“I did a solo van trip around Australia when I was 21. I picked up farming jobs along the way which is where my interest in soil and farming began,” she said.  

Before discovering agriculture, Melita worked as a beauty therapist, but after returning home to regional Queensland from her trip she found herself drawn to regenerative agriculture and the science behind healthy soils. 

Melita said one of the biggest misconceptions about soil is that people don’t realise it is alive. 

“Once you start learning about soils, it’s addictive,” she said. 

Living in Kingaroy, Melita now balances full-time work with her online studies. She works as a nursery supervisor on a neighbouring horticulture farm. 

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to apply what I am learning at work. My university studies have helped me understand what’s happening at the nursery, and it’s made me better at my job,” she said. 

Melita chose Southern Cross University because of the Lismore campus’s proximity to a key agricultural region, as well as the opportunity to study regenerative agriculture online. 

“I knew Southern Cross University was based in the Northern Rivers, a region well known for regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming. I also wanted to major in regenerative agriculture, and Southern Cross University was one of the only universities offering it online,” she said. 

She said studying online while working full-time offers flexibility, but also requires some discipline. 

“The six-week terms can be intense, so you need to be really organised to stay on top of deadlines,” she said. 

“I am able to work full-time and then study in the afternoons and at night.” 

Although she studies online, Melita has had plenty of opportunities to connect theory with hands-on agricultural practice through on-campus residentials, which involve fieldwork and the chance to see regenerative farming systems in action.  

“During our on-campus residentials we go out to soil pits and do fieldwork. We also spend time in the labs looking at different soil and their microbes and bugs,” she said. 

Going global 

Melita was selected to represent Australia at the upcoming 5th International Soil Judging Contest following an impressive performance at the Australian Soil Judging Competition held in December 2025 at the University of New England in Armidale. 

The competition attracted hundreds of participants across 35 teams, making it the largest soil judging competition ever held in Australia. 

Melita said joining the Southern Cross University team across the four-day event was a standout experience that reinforced her passion for soil science. 

“The highlight was being around so many people who were just as interested and passionate about soil as I am,” she said. “Everyone was really engaged and speaking the same language.” 

“There were about 120 people in my category, so I was pretty happy to place second,” she said. 

Melita will now take her soil judging skills to the international stage as part of the Australian national team, joining undergraduate and postgraduate students from universities across the country to compete at the 5th International Soil Judging Contest in Nanjing, China.  

“These judging events are much more than a competition. They are a chance to immerse yourself in the world of soil. You meet other students, researchers and industry experts and you are talking soil from morning to night,” said Dr Grant.  

“Our students are passionate about soil, sustainability and the future of agriculture, and they’re building the skills and connections that will help shape the industry in years to come,” he said. 

Southern Cross University’s regenerative agriculture students are using their passions to help shape a new generation of agricultural focused on sustainability, ecology and soil health. 

“The agriculture that these students are looking for is different,” said Dr Grant. “It’s not the chemicals, it’s not the big tractors. It’s looking at agriculture in a more holistic way.” 

This is Melita’s hope as well. 

After graduating, Melita hopes to work exploring the world of research or within roles that support and help farmers adopt more sustainable practices. 

She is now looking forward to travelling to China with her Australian teammates for her first international soil judging competition. 

“I love travelling and I have never been to Nanjing, China, so I’m really excited,” she said. 

From a van trip around Australia to representing her country internationally, Melita’s journey reflects how curiosity can lead to discovering passion and profession.