The public is invited to a Soils Summit hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) on healthy soil and …
World Soil Day: Celebrating the Magic Beneath
by CDFA and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in California Today is World Soil Day, as recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to celebrate the …
Soil Health Key Topic of Climate-Smart Ag Meeting
An innovative workshop on climate-smart agriculture this week emphasized soil health as a key element in carbon sequestration efforts. Several powerhouse organizations and companies hosted the one-of-a-kind event in St. …
Demo Shows Orchard Recycling Options
California producers saw another option for orchard recycling. Organizers said this demonstration aimed to show growers different ways to perform this practice and keep producers thinking about the benefits recycling …
Antibiotic Resistance Can Occur Naturally in Soil Bacteria
By Sandra Avant, USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in prairie soils that had little or no exposure to human or animal activity. Antibiotics have …
CA Nitrogen Assessment Brings Improvement Opportunities
Plants need nitrogen to grow, but excess nitrogen – from livestock facilities, septic systems, car exhaust and other sources – that escapes into groundwater and the air can impact the …
Lessons from Six California Soil Care Farmers
Despite the growing interest in soil health in many parts of the country, the notion hasn’t captured the imagination of most farmers in California. The Golden State’s lackluster attention to …
Knowing Salt Levels in Water and Soil
As the drought continues, monitoring salt levels in your water and in the soil moisture is important to avoid salinity issues.
DIY Potting Mix
Cathy Isom tells us how we can think outside the garden and create our own potting mix. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Keys (2.0) of Soil Taxonomy available in Spanish
Claves (2.0) de la Taxonomía del Suelo Disponible en Español The 12th edition of the Keys of Soil Taxonomy were recently translated into Spanish, the 11th edition was the first. …
DPR Fumigant Notification Workshops
State Holds Workshops On Fumigant Pesticide Notification, Seeks Ideas on Notification Process The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) will hold two workshops to hear ideas from various stakeholder groups …
The Science of Soil Health
In the second chapter of his five-part mini-series, “Bringing the Science of Soil Health Home,” Buz Kloot, Ph.D. tells farmers and gardeners about the five key lessons he’s learned on …
Carbon Offset Could Make OM Incorporation Feasible
Incorporating organic matter (OM) back into the soil can be an expensive endeavor, and research is looking into calculating the carbon offset and that may pay off in the future.
Agri View: Soil Care
Everett Griner talks about soil care being vital to good farming in today’s Agri View.