I just returned from the Acres Conference and Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky. I hadn’t been for a couple of years and I won’t make that mistake again as the information presented was new, interesting, refreshing, and practical. It’s was an excellent way to gain...
News
How to Measure Soil Diversity?
We’re learning that not only do we need intensive microbial communities in our soils, but we also need a broad diversity of microbes. Soil microbes are critical for vigorous plant growth including: nutrient cycling; decomposition of organic substances leading to soil...
Validating Improved Soil Health Practices
An article by Elizabeth Creech was posted on the USDA website. It grabbed my attention when it stated that the U.S. lost 2 million acres of land last year used in active crop production. Doing nothing to improve our soils isn’t an acceptable option anymore knowing...
Voice From the Past Points the Way to the Future
A friend sent me a fascinating article from Acres U.S.A. magazine. It focuses on the early work of soil scientist Henrik Lundegårdh (pronounced Lun-de-gourd) who, in the 1920s, established an essential framework for understanding the biology of crop productivity. The...
The New Science of Disease Protection
As scientific research becomes more pervasive in agriculture, we’re learning more about the complexity of plant-soil communities and the potential for controlling plant diseases and pests through ecological management instead of the application of toxic chemicals....
What Scientific Breakthroughs Have Promise for Agriculture Production?
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies the most promising scientific breakthroughs that are possible in the next decade that would increase the U.S. food and agriculture system’s sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience. Most...
Why Can’t Plants Do a Better Job of Staying Healthy?
I remember reading about a brainstorming session where the group was trying to reduce egg breakage in a packing facility and after a lot of discussion that went nowhere, one group member threw up her hands and said, “Why can’t the chickens just do a better job?” And...
Hot Season Disrupts Grapevines’ Veraison – What Can You Do?
Veraison is the critical shift in the grapevine's physiology from vegetative to reproductive growth, as the vine begins to dedicate its resources to maturing the fruit. This critical point is when all the "quality" goes into the fruit - sugars accumulate, acids change...
The Biostimulant Boost: Augmenting the Power of Fertilizers and Other Products
Biostimulants are part of the new agriculture taking shape as we’re discovering the power of combining materials to achieve superior results. Biostimulants aren’t fertilizers but they play a considerable role in assisting plants in many positive ways, from nutrient...
Getting the Most Out of Your Soils Including More Nitrogen!
Many aspects of organic production remain poorly understood. Researchers from the University of California Cooperative Extension and UC Davis looked at the transformations of N that occur in the soil and organic amendments/fertilizers that ultimately produce plant...