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Beware of Dry Conditions When Soil Sampling and Interpreting Test Results

October 5, 2022
ICM News
Soil testing in dry soils

October began dry across most of Iowa except for some areas in southern and southeast Iowa. These conditions are allowing for rapid harvest progress. The outlook for the rest of the month calls for lower than normal rainfall. Below normal rainfall since August until the soil sampling time may result in lower than expected soil test results for phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and pH. Therefore, farmers and crop consultants should interpret those soil test results with caution.

Category: 
Soils
Soil Fertility
Soil Management
Crops: 
Corn
Minor crops
Soybean
Tags: 
soil sampling
soil
dry soil

How does our soil moisture balance sheet look?

June 14, 2021 12:56 PM
Blog Post

The following is a view of the moisture status for six locations in northwest Iowa where the soil was analyzed for spring subsoil moisture.  This discussion may or may not reflect the current soil moisture conditions in your area.  This article does attempt to account for stored soil moisture, 80% of spring rainfall and expected average rainfall for the rest of the growing season.

Category: 
Crop Production
Tags: 
soil
soil moisture
subsoil moisture
drought
Corn
Soybean

Scouting Field Basics Workshop

Video

Contact the Field Extension and Education Laboratory Coordinator at extfarm@iastate.edu for questions about field lab programs. BOONE, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a Field Scouting Basics Workshop on May 16 at the Field Extension Education Lab, near Boone, Iowa.

Crops for Kids: Soil Sampling

Video

Angie Rieck-Hinz, Extension Field Agronomist, discusses the importance of soil sampling and demonstrates how to take a proper soil sample.

Soil Health Benefits for Sustaining Crop Production

April 13, 2016
ICM News
No-till corn system

The benefits of healthy soil in sustaining crop production are most evident when growing conditions are less than ideal. Healthy soils increase the capacity of crops to withstand weather variability, including short term extreme precipitation events and intra-seasonal drought. The extreme drought in 2012 resulted in variable yield reduction to corn and soybean production in Iowa with the worst impact on fields with conventional tillage systems (i.e., chisel plow, deep ripping, etc.).

Category: 
Soils
Soil Management
Tags: 
soil
soil health
Soil Management
conservation
tillage
water infiltration
soil organic matter
soil erosion
no-till
strip till
nutrient loss
organic matter

Defining soil health

March 28, 2016 4:45 PM
Blog Post

As I did some reading in preparation of writing this blog, I found there are various definitions of soil health. And I am sure for as many definitions as there are, we each have our own ideas as to what defines soil health. The USDA-NRCS Soil Health web page defines soil health as "the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans." If I had to define soil health I would say it is a combination of soil physical, biological and chemical functions. Perhaps an agronomic analogy is the disease triangle.

Category: 
Soil Management
Tags: 
soil health
soil
ecosystem

Soil Health Conference poster presentation winners

February 15, 2016 6:27 PM
Blog Post

On Feb. 2-3, the Inaugural Soil Health Conference brought 235 people together to discuss and bring awareness to soil health issues.

In addition to influential presentations by invited speakers, the conference had 20 poster submissions from researchers, scientists, and students that shared their research across all disciplines related to soil health. Posters were displayed for attendees to view throughout the conference.  

Category: 
Soil Management
Tags: 
soil
soil health conference
soil health
conference

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