Tag Archives: soil health

23Sep/20

Soil Health and Climate Resilience

September 23, 2020Soil Health2020, climate, climate change, climate resilience, digital cafe, farming, resilience, soil health, soil health webinar, soil health webinars, sustainable farming, webinar, webinar seriesLeslie Johnson

As part of the Soil Health Nexus Digital Cafe Series, Gregg Sanford with University of Wisconsin, presents “Soil Health and Climate Resilience”. Diverse and perennial cropping systems are recognized for their soil health benefits, but that’s not all these cropping systems have to offer. A recent analysis using 26 years of data from the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trail (WICST) shows that these systems also provide the co-benefits of long-term stable production and resilience to a changing climate, both hallmarks of sustainable or regenerative agricultural systems. In this webinar, Gregg discusses the findings from this long-term analysis of perennial and diverse agroecosystems and their importance for farming in a changing climate.

15May/20

Soil Health Nexus Toolbox Grows with Additional Resources

May 15, 2020Soil Healthbiological properties, chemical properties, resources, soil health, soil properties, toolboxLeslie Johnson

The Soil Health Nexus has further expanded its resources by adding two new “drawers” in their Soil Health Toolbox. The Biological Properties “drawer” and the Chemical Properties “drawer” are now published and available for use. SoilRead More…

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.

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.

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.

25Mar/19

Soil Health Not Just a Trending Topic

March 25, 2019Soil Healthagregates, agriculture, crops, erosion, farmers, farming, soil health, soil organic matter, soil tilth, soilsLeslie Johnson

Many of us take the soil we stand on for granted, including myself. I mean, it’s everywhere – especially on my carpet with 2 boys in my house. However, without soil, we can’t grow crops. Farmers know that soil is a critical part of farming, and making sure that soil can continue to grow crops for many years to come is at the forefront of every farmer’s mind – sometimes without even realizing it.

01Feb/19

Soil Health Events Coming Soon!

February 1, 2019Soil Healthagriculture, cover crops, crops, farmers, farming, nebraska, organic matter, science, soil, soil amendments, soil health, soil organic matter, soil tilth, soils, state of the scienceLeslie Johnson

Soil health conferences in South Dakota and Nebraska will take place on February 14, 2019.