Soil Management

Find more information in the Soil Management to Optimize Crop Production in Nebraska section of CropWatch.

Sunflower cover crop

Warm-season Species for Soil Health and Forage Purposes

July 27, 2023
Taking advantage of summer heat and abundant sunlight, warm-season cover crops can accumulate impressive amounts of biomass, cover bare ground quickly, suppress weeds, reduce erosion and improve soil health.

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Soil testing
Nebraska Extension and Cargill RegenConnect® are sponsoring the Aug. 22 field day at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, Nebraska.

Register for the Last Summer Soil Health and Cover Crop Field Day Near Mead

July 27, 2023
Nebraska Extension educators and specialists will share the latest research on soil health methods, including cover crops, interseeding and biochar, and answer questions from attendees on their production concerns related to soil management.

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Soil Health School participants watch outdoor demo
UNL Extension Engineer Paul Jasa points out key outcomes of the Nebraska NRCS rainfall simulator to onlookers at the conclusion of the Nebraska Soil Health School on June 28.

Don’t Miss UNL’s Haskell Ag Lab Soil Health School

July 13, 2023
The final 2023 Nebraska Soil Health School will be Aug. 1-2, featuring numerous speakers and hands-on activities, and free attendance for all participants.

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Nebraska Soil Health School attendees listen to lecture
A participant at the Nebraska Soil Health School learns how to use the Munsell Soil Color Chart, an in-field tool useful for gauging the color characteristics of soil.

Nebraska Soil Health School Connects Farmers, Researchers, Conservationists and Ag Professionals

July 13, 2023
Attendees of the second Nebraska Soil Health School in North Platte heard the latest on fundamental soil health principles and research, and viewed numerous demos by UNL and NRCS experts. 

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Cordova, Hird and Freidenreich in a lab
(From left) Carolina Córdova, Aaron Hird and Ariel Freidenreich are part of the Statewide Soil Health Team, a collaboration aimed at identifying ways in which the university, USDA-ARS and USDA-NRCS can actively support and contribute to a wide range of soil health activities, events and projects throughout Nebraska. (Department of Agronomy and Horticulture photo)

Soil Health Statewide Leadership Team Meets to Strengthen Collaborative Efforts

July 6, 2023
Soil health specialists and scientists from UNL, USDA NRCS and USDA ARS are seeking opportunities to share their expertise and support with Nebraska growers on soil health education and projects. 

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Riley Hackbart using soil probe

Collaborative Soil Health Gap Research Effort in Nebraska

May 30, 2023
A photo gallery highlighting recent field research by USDA NRCS and UNL scientists and researchers for the Soil Health Gap (SHG) project.

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Hands in soil
Advanced demonstrations, innovative research and a panel discussion will be just a few of the educational opportunities offered at the second Nebraska Soil Health School on June 27-28 in North Platte.

Second Nebraska Soil Health School Registration Open

April 19, 2023
Registration is due June 20 for the second Nebraska Soil Health School to be hosted June 27-28 at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte.

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Cover crop mix
Interseeded cover crops was just one of many topics discussed at the Eastern Nebraska Soil Health Conference in February. (Photo by Jenny Rees)

Video Recordings from Eastern Nebraska Soil Health Conference Now Available

March 30, 2023
Topics of this year's soil health conference included diversified crop rotations, interseeding cover crops, livestock integration, and emerging soil health methods like new cover crop species, biochar and Kernza. 

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