Plenary: Carbonomics - Keith Berns

A unique approach to looking at the big picture of soil health by comparing the economy of a country to the underground economy of the soil. The complex relationship between plants, soil, and biology and how they are interconnected and interdependent will be discussed. Economic fundamentals of supply, demand, currency, capital, energy, resources, infrastructure, and defense will be applied to the bustling subterranean economy of a healthy soil system. The role of carbon as the currency that facilitates interactions between plants, soil, and biology in this system will be discussed. 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.