The Relevance of Soil Biology in Assessing Fertility and Soil Health

Presented by: Will Brinton, Ph.D., Director, Woods End Laboratories and Faculty Associate, University of Maine, Mount Vernon, ME View the webinar at http://conservationwebinars.net to earn CEUs. Participants will learn how soil biology directly and indirectly influence crop growth and nutrient cycling, along with methods for measuring biological activity in soil and interpreting soil respiration to understand nutrient availability. Soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystems to sustain plants, animals and humans. Nutrient cycling, a key soil function that is driven by soil microbial activity, is often higher in healthy soils, but is difficult to account for when developing crop nutrient budgets. This webinar will provide information on how soil health can be measured in a lab, along with plant available nutrients and the importance of accounting for both the organic and inorganic forms of N, P, and K. In addition, participants will gain an understanding of how: Soil biology can influence crop/plant growth Analyzing soil health fits in with testing for soil nutrients Soil health is related to fertility and soil management Soil respiration in soil testing can improve nutrient recommendations and reduce environmental impacts This webinar is presented by USDA NRCS Science and Technology. Captions will be posted when they are available.