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What's Killing My Kale Season 3 Episode 8: Measuring soil health: biological activity

In Season 3, episode 8 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked to Local Extension Educators Claire LaCanne (Rice & Steele Counties) and Shane Bugeja (Le Sueur and Blue Earth Counties) about their recent trials to measure soil biological activity. 
Photo: Claire LaCanne

With increasing interest in soil health over the years, at-home trials such as the soiled undies test and the tea bag test have become increasingly common. But do they work? Claire and Shane conducted trials to compare these common at-home tests to more sophisticated lab tests of soil biological activity. 

In this episode we discussed:
  • How to conduct these tests, and whether they work
  • How soil biological activity relates to other aspects of soil health such
  • Situations in which these types of test might be appropriate





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