In this webinar, Josh Beniston, NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist covering urban areas, presents an overview of soil health in the context of urban soils. Josh walks through the aspects of urban soils may be different than rural agricultural soils and discusses the additional questions and observations that should be addressed for conservation planning in urban soils. The information in the presentation follows the topics that are presented in a new series of technical notes from the NRCS Soil Health Division. Specific topics in the presentation include:

Brush Management is becoming increasingly needed on our grassland and savanna habitats to maintain their open character. However, this tool can be very expensive, and if not used properly, somewhat ineffective. This session focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques used in brush management, plus how knowledge of basic brush biology can increase the effectiveness of a brush management program.

Karin Jokela, Xerces Society Partner Biologist, covers how to design and evaluate native seed mixes using the latest version of the NRCS seeding and certification calculator, plus some complementary tools. Finding the right native mix that achieves multiple conservation objectives and conforms to practice standards can be a complicated endeavor. This overview of the unique considerations that should be factored into diverse native seed mixes used to support pollinators and other wildlife.

An overview of successful long-term brome conversion methods based on field results. Grassland management for long-term success. Considerations to make when planning brome conversions or habitat enhancement projets. 

Bruce Potter, UMN Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist, looks at pest management considerations for the coming year. Bruce discusses the expected effects of the 2023-24 winter on insect pest survival and pest problems to be aware of during the 2024 growing season.

This is a follow up to the in person Basic Pest Management Concepts training sessions that were held in January, 2024. Courtney Cheever, NRCS State Water Quality Specialist and TSP Coordinator discusses the certification/check out process for Integrated Pest Management Systems (CPS 595) as well as explains the relationship between NRCS, the producer, and the TSP. Adam Reed, Regional Agronomist, demonstrates the Excel worksheet tool that helps document IPM techniques and conservation practices for reducing pesticide environmental risk using a MN specific WIN-PST scenario.

Melissa Carlson, lead researcher and coordinator of Minnesota Wheat's On Farm Research Network, provides an overview of how they work with growers in northwest Minnesota to successfully implement replicated on farm research trials. Learn about helpful hints on how to move a trial from the first phone call to the final data report, as well as lessons learned as the network evolved over the last 11 seasons of conducting field scale research trials.