Soil Biology and Organic Matter - Ray Weil

Gaining a better understanding of how soil biology and soil organic matter are impacted by management decisions is important for improving soil health. Highlights of this session include: • Creating a field environment that helps soil organisms thrive • Understanding the interactions among soil organisms, of which there may be trillions in a single acre • Building soil organic matter and feeding the food web—how cover crops pay by improving the soil ecosystem in a way that supports cash crops • Digging into the various forms of soil organic matter, some of which exist short term and some of which benefit the soil and soil biology over the long term This presentation is part of the 2017 National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health. Slide presentations and additional conference information is available at http://www.sare.org/covercropconferen.... Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provides grants and outreach to advance innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life. SARE is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.