Soil health

Soil Health Practices Helping Chesapeake Bay Farmers

July 10, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

As he has dozens of times since stumbling into the benefits of cover cropping and no-till farming nearly 50 years ago, Pennsylvania farmer Leroy Bupp set up his props for a talk on soil health at a large Chesapeake Bay conference. There were goofy moments, like calling out volunteers from the audience to replicate how worms breed. Read more in this article from the Chesapeake Bay Journal (Seven Valleys, PA).

South Dakota Farmers Trying Soil Health Practices

July 10, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

David Kruger and Todd Boesen don’t know each other. But these two South Dakota farmers share a desire to test out practices on their farms. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News (Aberdeen, SD).

[Video] The Other Soil Carbon

July 8, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Soil is an organic reservoir for carbon, but carbon is subject to loss, according to Mark Rasmussen, Director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture with Iowa State University. Decades of conventional farming have depleted soil carbon levels. In this video, Rasmussen discusses the many forms of carbonate, what Iceland is doing to store carbon long-term in the soil, and more.

[Podcast] Grazing Systems Need Soil Health Improvement Too

Grazing systems can also gain from the soil health benefits offered by cover crops, according to Matt Poore, Extension Livestock Coordinator and Ruminant Nutrition Specialist with North Carolina State University.

July 8, 2020 | Posted in Grazing

Grazing systems can also gain from the soil health benefits offered by cover crops, according to Matt Poore, Extension Livestock Coordinator and Ruminant Nutrition Specialist with North Carolina State University. In this podcast, Poore discusses using annuals to improve soil health in grazing systems for livestock.

Soil Degradation Becoming a Concern

July 3, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Soil health, as defined by a team of researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University, is “the state of the soil being in sound physical, chemical, and biological condition, having the capability to sustain the growth and development of land plants.” Rajan Ghimire, a cropping systems agronomist at the Agricultural Science Center in Clovis, put it more simply: “Healthy soil leads to healthy human beings.”

Dig Into Soil Organic Matter

July 3, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Lincoln Journal Star

Steven Hall is dedicated to exploring how farmers can get the most out of their soil. Hall, an assistant professor with the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University, runs a biogeochemistry lab where students look at the different factors that can effect soil health. Read more in this article from the Lincoln Journal Star.

New Mexico State University Researching Soil Health

June 29, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Las Cruces Sun News

Soil is a natural resource that supports human civilization and plays a vital role in global food security. So, while we may not be ranchers, crop growers or researchers, we all have a vested interest in soil — especially soil health. Read more in this article from the Las Cruces Sun News.

Cover Crops Lower Cropping Input Costs

June 26, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Environmental Defense Fund

Cover crops have proven benefits for soil health. A recent Iowa Soybean Association study shows that cover crops can also reduce the input costs associated with growing crops. Read more in this article from the Environmental Defense Fund.

[Video] Improving Soil Health with Cover Crops

June 18, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Cover crops were interseeded into V4 corn in mid-June to evaluate what species will survive in a shaded crop on the Seim farm in Merrick County, Nebraska.

[Video] Soil Biology Basics

June 5, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Soil health is the basis for all types of agriculture. In this webinar, Mark Schonbeck with the Organic Farming Research Foundation discusses the role of soil health in crop nutrition, how the soil food web works, how bacteria and fungi play into soil health, and more.