Authors: Gabi Bolwerk and Bailey Tangen, Extension educators Spring is a great time of year to test your soils. Many folks get a standard suite of tests that report soil organic matter, soil texture, and nutrient levels. But, for those interested in soil health, there are lots of lab test options to consider. Should you use lab soil health tests? With all of the available options, it can be hard to distinguish which lab tests, if any, should be used to measure soil health. See the pros and cons below to help determine if you should get lab soil health tests done. Pros of lab soil health tests: They provide quantifiable information you can refer back to in future years. They can help determine if a management change has impacted your soil health and function. Cons of lab soil health tests: There is no one test that can determine the health of your soil, due to soil’s dynamic nature. Soils are constantly in flux, with aspects that can change based on the time of year, weather, and manage...
Authors: Bailey Tangen and Gabi Bolwerk, Extension educators Spring is a great time to start thinking about how to adjust your management practices to reduce erosion and improve soil health. A good first step is to understand the current state of your soil. To do this, you can perform a quick in-field soil health assessment. In this visual guide, we’ll walk you through how to conduct your own in-field soil health assessment. In an in-field soil health assessment, we look at the biological and physical properties of soil as they relate to soil function. This assessment can be done in 15-20 minutes and should be done in a few spots in your fields to get a full picture of how your soil functions. To learn more and to get help doing an assessment, call your local NRCS or SWCD office. These folks are willing to come out to your field, do an assessment, and provide management recommendations to protect the vitality of your operation and the productivity of your soil. A few notes before “digg...