Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium dynamics in a soil health system

As part of the Soil Health Nexus Digital Cafe Series, Matt Fryer of the University of Arkansas hosts a panel discussion soil health and fertility. This presentation was originally broadcast on July 22, 2020. Panelists included:

• • Steve Culman, The Ohio State University
  • Sarah Noggle, The Ohio State University
  • Amy Schmidt, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
  • Agustin Olivo, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
  • Karla Melgar, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
  • Mike Hodges, Nebraska farmer

You’ll learn the basic science behind soil testing and fertilizer recommendations. You’ll learn what soil fertility trends might be observed while transitioning to a soil health system and what fertilizer inputs possibly can and cannot be reduced.

Panel Discussion

Panelist Biographies and Contact Information

Matt Fryer earned his Bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from Arkansas State University and his Master’s in soil fertility from the University of Arkansas. His thesis focused on the validation of soil-test based phosphorus and potassium fertilizer recommendations in soybeans and flood irrigated rice. He worked as a county extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service for about 3 years before he moved to a support role as a soils instructor in January 2019 where he focuses on soil health related work. He supports county extension agents in soils related on-farm demonstrations like the cover crop/soil health demonstrations established across the Arkansas delta where most of the state’s row crops are grown and soil fertility demonstrations in other parts of the state where most of the state’s forages and cattle are grown. Email: mfryer@uaex.edu

Steve Culman is an Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist of Soil Fertility in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University. His research and extension programs focus on improving soil fertility, nutrient management and soil health. Steve earned his M.S. in Soil Science and Ph.D. in Agronomy from Cornell University. Before joining Ohio State in 2014, Steve worked as a postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Davis and Michigan State University. Email: culman.2@osu.edu

Sarah Noggle started with OSU Extension in late 2013 after teaching High School Agricultural Education for 13 years.  She grew up in NW Ohio on a crop and livestock farm.  Growing up, she helped with her family beef feedlot and also raised dairy goats. Additionally, she helped on the crop side of the operation where her family raised corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa. Growing up, her favorite job was helping during the silage harvest. Her extension specialty areas include farm management, farm succession planning, farm stress and mental health, and soil health/cover crops. Email: noggle.17@osu.edu

Amy Schmidt is an Associate Professor and Livestock Manure Management Extension Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She leads an integrated research and extension program focused on supporting socially and environmentally responsible livestock production to enhance soil, water and air quality. Prior to joining the faculty of the Biological Systems Engineering Department at UNL in 2012, Dr. Schmidt held extension faculty positions at Mississippi State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Email: aschmidt@unl.edu

Agustin Olivo has just completed his master’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, working under the supervision of Dr. Amy Schmidt. At UNL he was mainly involved with the project “Transforming manure and cedar mulch from ‘waste’ to ‘worth’ “, a research and extension initiative that aims to equip farmers with skills to identify agronomic and soil health benefits of recycling animals’ manures as soil amendments. Agustin is currently working with the science and research team at Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and will start a Ph.D. program at Cornell University this fall.  Email: agustinolivo@outlook.com

Karla Melgar just started her master’s degree at UNL in Mechanized systems management. Her research is focused on transforming manure and red cedar woodchips from waste to worth in 6 farms located across Nebraska, as well as implementing a soil health curriculum in high schools. Before she became a student at UNL, Karla spent some time in Missouri, working on land nutrient management on a hog farms. She is originaly from El Salvador but she got a degree on Environment and Development engineering in Honduras. Email: km.veliz12@gmail.com