December 14, 2007

Farmers interested in reducing the cost of inputs and growing nitrogen to produce organic matter and build soil health can attend a "Grow Your Own Nitrogen" workshop from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 12 in Lincoln.

The workshop, sponsored by the Organic Crop Improvement Association Nebraska Chapter No. 1 and UNL's Organic Farming Systems, will be held in the Hardin Hall Auditorium on UNL's East Campus. To register, call Pat Bathke at (402) 584-3837 by Jan. 7. Certified Crop Adviser Credits have been applied for.

"This is a really great workshop for farmers interested in reducing inputs and saving dollars," said Liz Sarno, UNL Extension educator and organic project coordinator. "Farmers can gain a lot of knowledge about cover crops and reduce their dependency on anhydrous ammonia for nitrogen fertilizer, which doesn't last as long or add organic matter to the soil."

The main speaker is Jeremy W. Singer, a research agronomist and lead scientist at the National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. His speaking points include the various uses of cover crops, the use of cover crops in the Corn Belt and the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on cover crops.

Santiago Ulloa, a UNL graduate student, will present his findings on crop and weed tolerance to flaming. He will explain his evaluation on dose response for propane on several major weeds and field crops in Nebraska. John Quinn, a UNL graduate student, will discuss how the Healthy Farm Index can help evaluate a farm's economic and ecological health.

"To protect our groundwater and save our soil from wind erosion, we need to provide more of these sustainable practices," Sarno said.

She said this workshop will provide farmers with the tools to do so.

IANR News Release