04Jan/19

Getting to the Science of Soil Health: USDA Releases Standard Indicators and Laboratory Procedures to Assess Soil Health

January 4, 2019ManureARS, indicators, NRCS, soil health indicators, soil health measurements, standard methods, state of the science, USDA NRCS, webinarPaul Gross

The enthusiasm for the soil health principles in some cases has gotten ahead of the science behind them. To address this, NRCS and the Agricultural Research Services (ARS) lead a diverse group of technical experts in selecting methods to assess six standard soil health indicators, which focus on key physical and biological process that must function well in healthy soils. The document titled “Recommended Soil Health Indicators and Associated Laboratory Procedures”, Technical Note No. 450 (PDF) was developed by a group of experts and provides information getting us closer to understanding the science behind soil health and how it is best measured.

15Nov/18

Time to Assess and Take Stock of Your Soil Health

November 15, 2018Soil Healthagregates, conferences, cover crops, discussions, farmers, farming, science, soilMahdi Al-Kaisi

As the season approaches its conclusion and harvest conditions are most challenging, there are a few things worth remembering to protect and sustain soil health. Consider attending the 2019 Soil Health Conference held on February 4-5.

01Nov/18

Building Soil Organic Matter Takes Time

November 1, 2018Manure, Soil Healthbuilding organic matter, organic matterTodd Whitney

Our “instant” culture gravitates to testimonials about how to rapidly increase soil organic matter by 1% within 1 to 3 years. Conversations with lenders and landlords regarding rewards on manure applications and multi-species cover crops investments would likely be easier if financial rewards or measured soil physical properties came quickly.

28Sep/18

Maintaining soil fertility is important for soil health

September 28, 2018Manureagriculture, crops, farming, fertility, nutrients, phosphorus, research, soil, soil amendments, soil health, soils, soybeans, state of the scienceFrancisco Arriaga

Maintaining soil fertility is important not only for profitable crop production, but also soil health. In a long-term P and K fertility trial, we can see that there is much greater residue cover in plots that have received adequate potash applications over time compared to where no K was applied. Application of P had minimal to no effect on residue cover.

02Sep/18

Stan Boltz demonstrating infiltration with jars of soil

Demonstrations Teach Soil Health Comparisons

September 2, 2018Soil Healthaggregates, demonstrations, erosion, extension, infiltration, runoff, soil aggregates, soil health demonstrations, soil health tools, tools, water quality, wind erosionLeslie Johnson

Have you ever wondered how to demonstrate differences in the health of soils? At a recent meeting of the Soil Health Nexus team, Stan Boltz of the South Dakota Natural Resources Conservation Service shared tips and tricks he uses when demonstrating soil health principles to producers and other farm advisors.

01Aug/18

A saline-sodic headland along state Highway 5 East roadside ditch in Cavalier County, N.D.

Perennial Salt-Tolerant Covers for Saline-Sodic Headlands in NE North Dakota

August 1, 2018Soil Healthagriculture, cover crops, crops, saline soils, sodic soils, soil, soils, waterNaeem Kalwar

Wet weather results in shallow groundwater depths and saturated soils, whereas, dry weather results in lower groundwater depths. Establishing a vegetative cover is the key to utilize excessive soil moisture, intercepting salt-carrying water before it will affect productive areas, reducing evaporation from the soil surface, adding organic material and increasing microbial activity. With time, these headlands might be planted with crops like wheat, canola and corn and soybean again.

02Jul/18

Soil Health Parameters and Water Quality

July 2, 2018Soil Healthagriculture, soil health, soil health webinar, soil test, soil testing, water, water quality, webinarLeslie Johnson

As measuring soil health becomes more of a common practice, there are a variety of factors to consider based on location, soil type, and cropping system. So, which tests makes sense for you? To help address this question, Francisco Arriaga and Donna Brandt of the Soil Health Nexus team presented on Soil Health Parameters and Water Quality for the North Central Region Water Network’s The Current Webinar Series.

04Jun/18

Now Available: 2017 National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health Presentations

June 4, 2018Soil Healthagriculture, cover crops, national conference, sare, science, soil healthLeslie Johnson

Videos and presentations from the 2017 National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health held on December 7-8, 2017 in Indianapolis are now available. Hosted by the Soil and Water Conservation Society with video development supported by SARE, the conference highlighted insights from some of the nation’s most innovative producers, conservation leaders and scientists on using cover crops to improve soil health.

01May/18

Research demonstrates that animal manures can produce both environmental and productivity benefits over the commercial fertilizer it replaces.

Manure’s Impact on Yield, Nitrogen, and Carbon

May 1, 2018Manurecrops, environment, farmers, farming, literature review, manure benefits, manure value, nebraska, nitrogen loss, soil, soil amendments, soil organic matter, state of the sciencerkoelsch

Manure is often viewed by many as an environmental liability. However, if manure is applied at rates equal to or less than the nitrogen (N) requirement of a crop, can manure produce environmental benefits over commercial fertilizer? This was the focus of an Asian research group which summarized the results of 141 published studies from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. comparing manure substitution for fertilizer. This article summarizes the “Take Home Messages” from this research paper.

02Apr/18

What is your definition for soil health?

April 2, 2018Soil Healthagriculture, farmers, farming, soil, soil health, soilsLeslie Johnson

Over the past several years, state and federal agencies and researchers have been trying to come up with a definition for soil health. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service defines soil healthRead More…

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