Dickinson Research Extension Center Soil Health Workshop set for Sept. 20

In addition to soil health presentations, multiple field stations will be available for viewing.

Roots, microbes, nutrient cycling, intercropping and fertilizer reduction will be among the soil health topics discussed at a soil health workshop on Sept. 20, hosted by North Dakota State University’s Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC).

The workshop begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m., MDT., and will be emceed by Kurt Froelich, NDSU Extension agent in Stark/Billings County.

The morning session, held from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., will be located at the Biesiot Activities Center (DSU Football Stadium), 398 State Avenue, Dickinson, North Dakota.

The morning session topics and presenters are:

• Welcome - Douglas Landblom, DREC beef cattle and integrated systems specialist
• An introduction to soil health - Lindsay Malone, NDSU School of Natural Resource Sciences assistant professor
• Intercropping: What are the implications for soil microbial activity and nutrient cycling? - Justin Jacobs, NDSU Williston Research Extension Center irrigation research specialist
• Cropping sequences for North Dakota that maximize soil health and reduce fertilizer requirement - Clair Keene, NDSU Extension agronomist (Zoom presentation)
• Key soil tests for measuring soil health - Larry Cihacek, NDSU School of Natural Resource Sciences professor

Lunch will be provided by Bravera Bank and Trust Grill Team, and then participants will caravan to the afternoon session at DREC Section 19, Integrated Systems Research Area, Manning, North Dakota. To drive to the site from Highway 22, turn west onto 15^th St. SW and travel 5.2 miles to the field site.

The afternoon session will begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m. Topics and presenters are:

• Importance of plant roots for building and maintaining soil organic matter in crop rotations – Malone
• Practical use of legume crops in diverse crop rotations – Landblom

Concurrent rotating field sessions will be available every 20 minutes. The stations and presenters are:

• Intercropping seed separation demonstration – Jacobs
• Functions of soil and plant relationships – John Kempenich, USDA/NRCS Soil Survey Team, Dickinson
• What is soil aggregation and why is it important to soil health? – Cihacek