by Nicole Heldt, UNL PREEC Soils Research Coordinator
Lincoln, Neb. —The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will host a second, two-day Nebraska Soil Health School sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The event will begin on Tuesday, June 27, at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center, 402 West State Farm Rd., North Platte, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program will continue Wednesday, June 28, from 8 a.m., concluding at 12:30 p.m.
The Nebraska Soil Health Schools are designed to build upon soil-related knowledge and practices for producers, ag professionals, UNL faculty and students, USDA NRCS employees and others. Attendees will hear talks on fundamental soil principles, carbon markets, and the latest soil health practices paired with hands-on opportunities and demonstrations. New to the second school, UNL students will be competing in a research poster contest giving away $600 to winners and a panel discussion with extension educators and producers.
Aaron Hird, State Soil Health Specialist, USDA NRCS, will be presenting two hands-on soil health sessions including rapid assessments and a live rainfall simulator. “We will have live soil health demonstrations to showcase the differences improved soil health properties make when your soil is responding to disturbance and weather,” Hird said. “Then, we will let it rain and watch a live rainfall simulation act on soil from different management systems.”
Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, Associate Professor, UNL Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC), is an organizer of the schools. He is motivated by the positive feedback from attendees at the first event, held in Bridgeport earlier this year, to move the school across the state. “The UNL institution has a great wealth of knowledge when it comes to soil conservation and soil health and our stakeholders in the state can take advantage of it through events like this,” Maharjan said. “I am very grateful to all the UNL faculty and invited speakers who make this event happen.
Maharjan acknowledged the support from the USDA NRCS for funding the schools that will be offered at a third and final location in August.
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Certified crop advisor Continuing Education Units will be offered to attendees.
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There is no fee to attend.
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Lunch will be provided on both days, featuring smoked brisket on Tuesday, June 27.
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Pre-register by June 20.
The full agenda is below:
Tuesday, June 27
9:30 Registration and Refreshments
10:00 Welcome from Bijesh Maharjan, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UNL-PREEC
10:10 – 11:10 Keynote Address – Systems Approach to No-till: Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer, UNL
11:10 – 12:00 Biological Underpinnings of Soil Health: Rhae Drijber, Professor, UNL
12:00 -12:50 Lunch (smoked brisket sandwiches) and student Poster Contest
12:50 – 1:40 Plants for Healthy Soils: Katja Koehler-Cole, Extension Educator, UNL-ENREEC
1:40 – 2:40 Understanding Soil Health and Rapid Assessments: Aaron Hird, State Soil Health Specialist, USDA-NRCS
2:50 – 3:20 Biological Nitrogen Fixation – One Building Block of Healthy Soils: Carolina Córdova, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
3:20 – 3:50 Harvesting Light, Feeding the Ground: Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Assistant Professor UNL-WCREEC
4:00 – 4:30 The Role of Manure in Soil Health: Leslie Johnson, Extension Educator, UNL-Haskell Ag Lab
4:30 – 5:00 Livestock Grazing and Soil Health: Jerry Volesky, Extension Specialist, UNL-Center for Grassland Studies
Wednesday, June 28
8 – 8:10 Welcome back
8:10 – 8:40 Addressing Soil Health Challenges with Innovative Research: Saurav Das, Assistant Professor, UNL-PREEC
8:40 – 9:25 Carbon Markets: Shannon Sand, Extension Educator, UNL-WCREEC
9:35 – 10:30 Panel Discussion with extension educators and producers
10:30 – 11:30 No-till and Soil Health: Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer, UNL
11:30 – 12:30 Soil Health Demonstrations and Live Rainfall Simulator: Aaron Hird, State Soil Health Specialist
12:30 Lunch (grab & go bag)
For more information or questions, email nheldt@unl.edu or call (308) 632-1233.