IT WAS a meeting of the old and the new as three generations of soil scientists went on tour in the Mallee in Victoria recently.

Veteran scientists Jim Rowan, 80, who produced the original 1963 study of Mallee landscapes and John Martin, renowned for mapping soils in the Wimmera region, joined the group of younger scientists for the three-day tour.

They visited numerous sites in the northern and central Mallee on a tour aimed at combining high-tech digital elevation modelling with the pioneer surveyors' skills to better define the landscape.

Department of Primary Industries soil scientist David Rees, who has kept retired scientists such as Mr Rowan and Mr Martin close to the action, marvelled at the different methods the men used.

"When these men went out on field work in the 1950s they took a pick, shovel and soil auger and literally got down on their hands and knees to learn about Victoria's soil types and conditions," Mr Rees said.

"They spent hours using rulers and graphs to plot out each region's terrain and soils, to produce maps and reference books that became the foundation of land development from the 1950s through to the 1990s."

Mr Rees said new technology and modelling allowed maps to be created differently, more quickly and at better scales, but the traditional methods used by the retired scientists were still vitally important.

"We still need the basic skills in reading landscapes and interpreting the history of their development and the nature of soils," Mr Rees said.

Fellow soil scientist Richard McEwen said Mr Rowan had highlighted the complexity of the Mallee landscape.

He said Mr Rowan's 1963 report findings still stood up well, more than four decades later, but last week's trip would allow for more refinement.

The trip also aimed to determine the erosion vulnerability of different parts of the landscape and provide better information about soil differences.

Beyond the science, the three-day tour was also very historic.

"It is a rare opportunity to take the first generation of soil surveyors into the field," Mr McEwan said.