soil organic matter News
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New Tool Offers Growers Easy Option to Measure Soil Organic Matter Content
Researchers with Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences have developed a new tool that allows farmers to easily predict soil organic matter content and can help them make decisions about whether or not to sell crop residue. The tool can benefit growers by providing information for more timely planting and harvesting, reducing operating costs, increasing ...
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Why choose organic fertilizer?
Organic fertilizers contain a lot of organic matter. The state strongly advocates the application of organic fertilizers. The biggest advantage of organic fertilizers is that they are rich in organic matter! 1. Organic matter promotes the growth and development of crops. Humic acid in soil organic matter can enhance plant respiration, improve cell membrane permeability, and enhance the ...
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Can one-time tillage improve no-till?
A one-time tillage has no adverse effects on yield or soil properties on no-till land, according to field research conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Although tillage is another expense for farmers and generally increases the risk of soil erosion, a one-time tillage may be performed to correct some problem, such as a perennial weed problem. The feasibility study was conducted for ...
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Trace elements, activate soil
Our company extracts small molecule fulvic acid from ore source humic acid, the content of fulvic acid is up to 40%, potassium oxide is 10%, it has full absorption, full water solubility, no flocculation, no precipitation, can be applied, drip irrigation, easy to apply. Etc. After application to crops, it has the following characteristics: Chelate trace elements and activate soil The active ...
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Select groundcover management systems found viable for organically managed apple orchard
Determining and implementing orchard management practices that can improve soil organic matter is one of the primary goals of the USDA's National Organic Program. For producers in the southeastern United States, where interest in small-scale and organically managed orchards is growing, the challenge can be finding combinations of groundcover management systems and organic nutrient sources that ...
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Can simple measures of labile soil organic matter predict corn performance?
Organic matter is important for soil health and crop productivity. While an indicator of soil quality, a lot of organic matter is in extremely stable forms, and the nutrients in such forms are difficult for plants to use. The active, labile fraction, however, is a modest but important part of the organic matter. “The labile fraction is small – usually less than 20 or even 10 percent, ...
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New tool calculates impact of bioenergy crops on soil quality
Today Alterra and CLM, supported by Netherlands Enterprise Agency, jointly launched the tool BioESoil that allows farmers and advisors to assess the impacts of bioenergy production on soil quality. With a worldwide rising demand for biomass, uncontrolled production may cause a serious deterioration of soil quality. However, so far no methodology existed to assess the impact of biomass production ...
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Strategic organic matter throughput helps to build soil carbon and boost crop yields
Potential improvement in crop yields and reduced greenhouse gas emissions were among the benefits of increased soil organic matter throughput according to the findings of a project funded by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI). The relationships between organic matter inputs ...
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AHDB develop soil health scorecard
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) have developed a way to quantify the health of your soil. In 2016, AHDB and BBRO funded the five-year Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership. With its focus on soil health, one ambition was to produce a toolkit to assist with its measurement and management. One of the first tasks was to review what could be measured and how practical ...
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EPUK launches website outlining the vital Importance of Healthy Soil to mark World Soil Day 2011
Healthysoils.org launches on 5th December to mark 2011 World Soil Day – an annual event set up to advocate the use and need of soils for human survival and the importance of its sustainable management. Healthysoils.org sets out the importance of soils to key aspects of human life including climate change, food, water, biodiversity and health. Soil produces food, provides nutrients, cleans ...
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No-Till Can Lead to Increases in Soybean Yields , Says Researcher
Have you tried no-till in your fields? According to Chad Lee, Ph.D., this may be something more farmers should consider. That’s because no-till practices have recently been credited with increasing soybean yields in the Mid-south and Midwest regions of the United States. “Over the last forty years, no-till practices have come a long way. Farmers have learned to better manage no-till ...
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Experiment demonstrates 110 years of sustainable agriculture
A plot of land on the campus of Auburn University shows that 110 years of sustainable farming practices can produce similar cotton crops to those using other methods. In 1896, Professor J.F. Duggar at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University) started an experiment to test his theories that sustainable cotton production was possible on Alabama soils if growers ...
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Defra Sings Praises of Cover Crops – Vertical Strorage Tanks For All Farming Applications
Defra has recently been hailing the many merits of cover crops as part of a long-term approach to farming success, according to Farmers Weekly. Cover crops deliver a range of soil and environmental benefits and they fit in well with spring cropping. Experts are advising that cover crops should in fact be viewed as part of an integrated management strategy to help with various faming challenges. ...
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Increasing diversity through crop rotation boosts soil microbial biodiversity and productivity
Planting a variety of crop species in rotation in agricultural fields increases the diversity of soil microbes below ground, recent research has found. This in turn positively affects soil organic matter, soil structure and aids the healthy functioning of the soil. The researchers say that rotational diversity can help farmers to grow crops in a more sustainable way that promotes soil stability. ...
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Using organic fertilizers could protect against climate change
Studies show that soil fertilized with organic materials, such as compost, could increase the amount of stored carbon and potentially help slow down greenhouse emissions. Applying organic fertilizers, such as those resulting from composting, to agricultural land could increase the amount of carbon stored in these soils and contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, ...
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Cultivation affects pesticide–soil interactions
Pesticides are often used to enhance crop production by killing unwanted animals or plants. Unfortunately, they can also negatively impact humans and environmental health. The degree of impact, in part, depends on the fate and behavior of pesticides in the environment. The latter is governed by complex interactions of pesticides with soil components. One such important interaction is sorption ...
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Strong focus on soils at Cummins GRDC Update
Probing soil moisture and building soil carbon will be key topics explored at the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Update at Cummins on August 11. GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair David Shannon said growers on the lower Eyre Peninsula often dealt with ‘difficult’ soils and were keen for information to assist them in managing their soils. “The lower Eyre Peninsula is a very ...
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Grass-based farming systems: Soil conservation and environmental quality
Crop selection and sequence can have a profound effect on the environment and on farm profitability. According to Chapter 7, “Grass-based Farming Systems: Soil Conservation and Environmental Quality” by Jeremy W. Singer, Alan J. Franzluebbers, and Douglas L. Karlen in the book, Grassland Quietness and Strength for a New American Agriculture, the basis for a productive agricultural system should ...
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Star fruit could be the new “star” of Florida agriculture
It’s not just oranges that grow in Florida. Carambola, or star fruit as most in the United States call it, is gaining popularity. One researcher from Florida International University is researching how cover crops can help the sustainability of star fruit farms.“Tropical fruit production has become a prominent practice in Miami-Dade County,” says Ariel Freidenreich. “For ...
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A model to measure soil health in the era of bioenergy
One of the biggest threats to today’s farmlands is the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil organic matter (SOM) from poor land-management practices. The presence of these materials is essential as they do everything from providing plants with proper nutrients to filtering harmful chemical compounds to the prevention of soil erosion. Sustainable management practices for crop residues are ...
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