The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will host the first Nebraska Soil Health School sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The event will be on Thursday, March 2 at the Prairie Winds Community Center, 428 N Main St., Bridgeport from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Increasing knowledge of soil health and putting it to practice nurtures the ground and ensures long-term profitability. Soil health practices are a pathway to resilient soils to achieve optimum productivity and environmental quality, said Jerry Hatfield, retired USDA-ARS Plant Physiologist/Laboratory Director. Dr. Hatfield is scheduled to give a keynote speech at this school.
The Nebraska Soil Health School is intended to enhance the technical soil-related knowledge of growers, crop consultants, ag professionals, UNL faculty and students, USDA-NRCS employees and others. Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, as an organizer of the school, is very excited about this educational opportunity for all interested in the state and acknowledged the support from the USDA NRCS for funding the school that will be offered at two more venues (West Central and Eastern Nebraska) in summer.
Hands-on opportunities and demonstrations from Aaron Hird, State soil health specialist, USDA NRCS, will offer a deeper understanding of the foundational functions of soil.
“Understanding the physical aspects of soil help us understand how management impacts these functions of soil and beyond that can allow for the rapid measurement of the indicators of soil health,” Hird said. “Connecting the dots via hands-on activities and with a live rainfall demonstration, we will dig in and learn a lot.”