02Mar/20

Illinois study shows universally positive effect of cover crops on soil microbiome

March 2, 2020Soil Healthagriculture, cover crops, farmers, farming, literature review, meta-analysis, microbes, microbial communities, soil healthLeslie Johnson

A meta-analysis of current cover crop research was done by researchers at the University of Illinois. They found that microbial abundance was up 27%, activity was up 22%, and diversity increased 2.5% when using cover cropsRead More…

22Jan/20

Farmers in a field looking at soil health results

Farmers Find Solutions Through Nebraska Soil Health Initiative

January 22, 2020Soil Healthcover crops, on-farm research, soil healthAnne Nardi

Story by Fernanda Souza Krupek – Agronomy Graduate Research Assistant, Andrea Basche – Assistant Professor in Cropping Systems, Daren Redfearn – Extension Forage Crop Residue Specialist, and Laura Thompson – Extension Educator. This story was orginallyRead More…

04Dec/19

We’re at it Again, New Tool “Drawer” Available: Soil Physical Properties

December 4, 2019Soil Healthfarming, resources, soil, soil health, soil texture, toolboxPaul Gross

Soil physical properties, including soil texture and soil structure, have a tremendous influence on its ability to function as a living productive ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. The Soil Health Nexus has added a new “Drawer” in their Soil Health Toolbox titled, Soil Physical Properties.

27Nov/19

Cover Crop Recipes Being Developed by States in the Midwest Cover Crop Council

November 27, 2019Soil Healthagriculture, cover crops, crops, extension, farmers, farming, nebraska, soil amendmentsLeslie Johnson

A number of states within the Midwest Cover Crop Council have developed cover crop recipes. These publications are intended to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. With experience, farmers may fine-tune the use of cover crops for their systems. Additional states will be coming soon.

16Nov/19

Poultry manure improves profits, soil health

November 16, 2019Manure, Soil Healthagriculture, animal manure management, erosion, farmers, farming, manure, manure application, manure benefits, nutrients, organic matter, phosphorus, poultry litter, poultry manure, research, runoff, science, soil organic matter, soils, state of the science, water qualityLeslie Johnson

A 20-year study by Iowa State University researchers shows fertilizing cropland with poultry manure can benefit soil health and farm profits when compared to a commercial fertilizer. The study looked at long-term impacts of poultry manure on soil quality, crop yield, production costs and water quality in conventional Iowa cropping systems.

04Nov/19

5 tips for soil health test sampling

November 4, 2019Soil Healthagriculture, farming, haney, nutrients, organic matter, soil amendments, soil health, soil testingLeslie Johnson

Soil health tests often include a variety of new and diverse soil measurements. They can help you understand whether you have the microbial activity to supply nutrients to plants or whether your soil structure is sufficient to allow air and water to flow.

04Oct/19

Is soil pore structure key to carbon storage?

October 4, 2019Soil Healthcarbon, carbon storage, microbes, research, soil carbon, soil health, stable carbonPaul Gross

Dr. Alexandra Kravchenko, Michigan State University professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences along with several of her colleagues discovered a new mechanism determining how carbon is stored in soils. A recent article in ScienceDaily drew attention her research findings published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

23Aug/19

New Soil Health Videos

August 23, 2019Soil HealthAnne Nardi

The Soil Health Nexus team recently released a series of how-to videos explaining how to host soil health demonstrations and in-field assessments to help producers learn how to assess soil health on their operations. Videos range in topic…

25Jun/19

How can animal manure help my soils be healthier and more productive?

June 25, 2019Manure, Soil Healthanimal manure management, manure, manure and soil health, soil biological properties, soil biology, soil chemical properties, soil physical properties, soil propertiesrkoelsch

The purpose of this article is to explain how manure application can help improve your soil health and productivity. It is easier to understand soils when we split their characteristics into their chemical, physical, and biological properties. However, these property classes are part of a whole system and are all important.

03Jun/19

Understanding Farmers, Educators, and Agency Staff’s Perceptions of Soil Health

June 3, 2019Soil Healthbarriers to adoption, perceptions, resource needs, soil healthAnne Nardi

Over the past decade, there has been significant research aiming to better understand the biophysical processes and indicators of soil health. Significantly less research however, has been dedicated to understanding people’s perceptions surrounding soil health. To help address this research gap, the Soil Health Nexus team conducted a survey to better understand how different audiences define soil health, growers’ perceived barriers to adopting soil health practices and resource needs for teaching soil health.

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