conservation

Maximizing Benefits of Cover Crops for Soil Health

Clint Thompson Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Soil

Investing in soil health is an adaptive strategy to improve the sustainability and productivity of soils. Cover cropping is a management practice in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) toolbox used to contribute to soil health on working lands. The NRCS Plant Materials Program, through its network of Plant Materials Centers (PMCs), recently completed a …

How to Grow Your Own Popcorn Plant

Clint Thompson Environment, Pollinators, Soil

Today, Cathy Isom provides information of how you can grow your own popcorn plant. Homegrown popcorn is delicious with unique flavors that will lead to this being a permanent addition to your garden. You might not realize that there are many different types of corn. You can grow sweet corn, pod corn, flour corn, and popcorn. And there are many …

thanks

Thanks to Farmers for Voluntary Conservation

Dan Environment, Soil, USDA-NRCS

In this season of giving thanks, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is grateful to their most important partners in implementing conservation, our farmers. And they are promoting this through #OurFarmers. NRCS is about supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers, both helping them better manage their operations while conserving natural resources. Throughout the year, NRCS highlights stories of …

usda

RCPP Partner Portal is Now Open and Accepting Applications

Dan Drought, Environment, Soil, USDA-NRCS, Water

We told you last week that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) had announced the launch of the updated Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Potential partners are encouraged to submit proposals that will improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. This week, NRCS put out a reminder that the RCPP Partner Portal is open …

ars

ARS and U.S. Army Join Forces to Revitalize Soil with Paper

Dan Industry News Release, Soil

(USDA/ARS-Oct. 2, 2019) — The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is helping to arm the U.S. military with a solution to two major environmental problems: the disposal of paper waste and revegetating damaged training grounds. Under federal regulations, U.S. Army classified papers must be pulverized to a fine consistency, which leaves the material unsuitable for recycling. Continued disposal of this waste …

recycling

Biosolids Produce Less Nitrogen and Phosphorus Runoff than Inorganic Fertilizer

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release, Irrigation, Research, Soil, Water

GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS-September 17, 2019) — New research from University of Florida scientists found that some nutrients from inorganic fertilizers enter surface water more easily than those from biosolids. Maria Silveira, a professor in the UF/IFAS department of soil and water sciences, led the study that collected runoff from a common pasture grass to determine its nitrogen and phosphorus content. …

soilweb

SoilWeb 2.0 App Update Available

Dan Soil, USDA-NRCS

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind producers about their recent release of the iOS and Android SoilWeb app, version 2.0. The app now has a cleaner and more modern interface with GPS-location-based links to access detailed digital soil survey data (SSURGO) published by the NRCS for most of the U.S. The SoilWeb app provides users with information relating …

nrcs

NRCS Continues Promoting Soil Health

Dan Environment, Soil, USDA-NRCS

Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. And USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to promote the benefits and importance of soil health. Plus, this year the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is celebrating its fifth anniversary and the foundational collaborations that developed …

Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day

Soil Moisture Monitoring Discussed at Sunbelt Field Day

Dan Field Crops, Peanuts, Soil, Water

During last week’s Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day in Moultrie, Georgia, one of the tram stops gave attendees updated information concerning monitoring of soil moisture in fields. Tyron Spearman did an interview which explains how sensors are helping producers with their irrigation needs. 2018 Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day – Casey Cox Video by: Georgia Peanut Commission Casey Cox, Mitchell …

soil

Beneath the Earth, the ‘Black Box’ of Soil Holds a Key to Crop Growth

Dan Citrus, Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release, Research, Soil, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

IMMOKALEE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — Like much of what lies just beneath the earth’s surface, soil microbes present a mystery. University of Florida scientist Sarah Strauss seeks to help untangle the web of intrigue surrounding soil microbes to improve agricultural production in Florida and globally. “There are microbial activities going on that we don’t exactly understand. It’s known as the ‘black …