Treating “sick soils” isn’t as simple as applying a Band-Aid or injecting an antibiotic. A permanent path to recovery requires a thorough diagnosis and an incremental plan. Harold van Es, a professor of soil science at Cornell University and chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, has been digging into the dynamics of developing healthy soils and strong biological activity.
His team developed the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) framework, which includes the measurement of 16 soil health indicators that represent important processes in the soil. CASH can be used to identify specific problems related to physical, biological and chemical concerns in the soil, and CASH reports allow for targeted management approaches.
Van Es will discuss how different management practices impact biological, physical and chemical indicators and what strip-tillers can learn from those variables to improve soil biology.
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The 2018 National Strip-Tillage Conference Video Replay is brought to you by Ingersoll Tillage Group.
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Independent on-farm researcher Marion Calmer checks in from Alpha, Ill., with a preview of his 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference presentation, “Did Strip-Till Solve My Nutrient Stratification Problems?” Over the last 5 years, Calmer has been examining fertility levels vertically in his soil profile. This inch-by-inch examination uncovered a serious nutrient stratification problem on his farm that was costing him up to $135,000 annually. The No-Till Legend switched back to strip-till in 2023 for the first time since 1995 in an effort to solve his nutrient stratification problems.
Montag products have proven results with patented precision metering application for significant savings of nutrients and cover crop seed, and for achieving best conservation practices.
