Learn How to Test Your Soil at Aug. 31 Field Day

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Healthy soil is one of those invaluable things that is often taken for granted. But the healthier the soil, the more nutrients a plant can soak up. Franklin Roosevelt recognized soil’s importance when he said, “The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”

Growers can learn best practices for their soil at the Soil Health Testing Demonstration Field Day on Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10492 E. Poe Road in Bowling Green. The event will focus on obtaining and maintaining healthy soil and will discuss the importance of chemical, physical and biological field tests and how they work.

Co-sponsors of the event are The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, the Wood Soil and Water Conservation District, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Speaking will be Rafiq Islam, soil and bioenergy program leader at Ohio State’s South Centers in Piketon, Jim Hoorman, soil health specialist with USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service and conservationist Abby Wensink of the Wood County Soil and Water Conservation District.

“This field day is important to farmers, gardeners and landowners to better understand the latest soil health measurements and management recommendations. This will, in turn, improve soil productivity from test results,” said Alan Sundermeier, agriculture and natural resources educator in Ohio State University Extension’s Wood County office. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the college.

Topics of discussion during the field day will include:

• Soil health field measurements
• Chemical, physical and biological tests
• Active carbon
• Infiltration
• Compaction
• Solvita soil testing
• 360 Soilscan nitrogen testing
• Cover crop plantings

The field day is free of charge, and lunch will be provided. Preregistration is required by Aug. 28 and can be done by contacting Alan Sundermeier at 419-354-9050 or sundermeier.5@osu.edu.

For more information, go to go.osu.edu/B2XB.