This Tech Talk highlights the economic and social implications of soil loss. From a farm level economic perspective, soil is an important input in agriculture production and productivity. Loss of soil is not only a concern for agriculture producers, as the movement of soil off of fields has downstream effects. In this session, participants will become familiar with the current approaches used to evaluate economic value of soil loss.  Additionally, they will become familiar with the evidence surrounding the costs and benefits of conservation practices that reduce soil loss.

Farmers must manage water resources to provide sufficient yet not excessive moisture to their crops, and to protect surface and groundwater from nutrients and other contaminants. While the soil’s capacity to hold and provide moisture to crops is determined in part by soil texture and other inherent properties, organic soil health management practices can improve soil water relations, expand water holding capacity, and enhance crop resilience to drought and flood, which have become more intense as a result of climate change.

Charlie Johnson explains how he controls weeds in corn and soybean crops without the use of pesticides on his organic farm in Madison, S.D. Johnson relies largely on a six-year crop rotation and cultivation tools to control weeds while maintaining good soil health. Johnson illustrates how a custom rotation leverages diversity to manage weeds. 1,600 acres of corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa are divided into six equal portions. Oats are planted as a nurse crop, followed by two years of alfalfa hay. Row crops follow, with a year of soybeans followed by corn and then a final year of soybeans.

Charlie Johnson shares how he and his family control weeds on 1,600 acres of organic corn and soybeans in Madison S.D using ecological strategies to control weeds without herbicides. Johnson explains how late planting, patience, diversity and a six year crop rotation all play a role in managing weeds on his farm. “There is no such thing as a weed-free organic field, and there’s no such thing as a weed-free farm,” says Johnson.

We use soils to provide 98.8% of our food, but the bonds between soil health and human health extend far beyond what fills our plate. The science of public health, especially epidemiology, provides a framework for capturing the links between healthy soil and a range of direct and indirect health factors and outcomes, such as economic security and community vitality. Climate change is increasing the pressure on many of these factors, highlighting the need for deeper collaborations between soil and health scientists and communicators.

Planting seedlings is an essential part of any reforestation plan but where should your seedlings come from? Concerns about survival, growth and adaptation to local growing conditions are historical considerations; however, climate change and the desire for new species in a warming climate has complicated the search for seedlings. Join us for a discussion on the considerations and approaches to sourcing and planting seedlings for your next reforestation project

Organic farmers need crop cultivars that perform well in organic production systems, and several farmer-participatory plant breeding networks are beginning to meet that need. Breeding priorities for the organic sector include disease and pest resistance, weed competitiveness, nutrient and water use efficiency, rapid emergence and establishment, overall vigor, and resilience to drought and other weather extremes as well as market traits such as flavor and nutritional value.

This Digital Café features Dr. Rob Myers, Director of the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture and also Regional Director of Extension Programs for NCR-SARE, discussed several of the key ways that cover crops can improve soil health. These factors include nutrient cycling, soil organic matter, rainfall infiltration, addressing soil compaction, aggregate stability and impacts on earthworms, mycorrhizal fungi, and other aspects of soil biology. This presentation was originally broadcast on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

This training series is intended to provide an introduction to organic systems, including basic principles of organic production; the organic certification process; organic regulations and areas of alignment with NRCS practices; and challenges and opportunities in organic production. Attendees are encouraged to attend all three sessions. In this third session, the organic regulations are discussed along with NRCS practices that may support organic transition and organic production. This session also has some time for small group discussions and three guest speakers.

Organic farmers rely on cover crops to provide soil fertility, crop nutrition, weed suppression, and mitigation of other pest problems in a production system that excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and crop protection chemicals. A large majority of organic producers use cover crops as a key component of their soil health management system.