Soil Health Research and Agronomic-Consulting

Nowadays, agriculture sustainability experts realize the immense challenges facing agriculture and related resource conservation. Therefore, we’re continuously thinking about the best approach to be addressed through robust research enterprise and educational programs and through well-designed research, which is an intramural and extramural science responsible for exploration, development, and support to agricultural sustainability programs allied with inspired Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategy.

The concept is to promote innovative sustainable agriculture practices integrated with soil health functions to support healthy food, secure energy, environmental safety, and healthy ecosystems combined with smart ag systems. 

Recently, researchers found that some agricultural practices are depriving soils of nutrients, reducing the beneficial soil microbes and leaving soils vulnerable to nutrient and organic matter loss. Thus, accelerating the soil degradation process and reducing carbon sequestration.  

Healthy, nutrient-rich soils are essential for growing healthy, flavorful food. They are also essential for bolstering crop yields, increasing water retention, protecting water quality, preventing erosion, sequestering carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving biodiversity. 

Yet, we need nutrient-rich soils to grow healthy, flavorful food. Thriving soils also bolster crop yields, increase water retention, protect water quality, prevent erosion, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve biodiversity.

Therefore, regenerative agriculture offers great options for promoting healthy soil, ecosystems, and communities worldwide.

At https://www.shahbaagri.com/, the author is a soil research scientist specializing in soil and water conservation and has competitive expertise in scientific applied research, including soil health and quality, with a  broad knowledge of crop and soil and microbial sciences, with an inclusive experience in soil fertility, chemistry, nutrient dynamics and transformation, and broad knowledge of the 4-R nutrient stewardship.  

The implementation of “precision farming” introduced substantial improvements in soil testing by better understanding that soils are not consistent in their chemical profiles across any given field and that constant rates of fertilizer inputs affect various farm soils differently. This knowledge introduced the era of variable-rate fertilizer application (VRT) and the increased need for more soil testing. 

Through 40 years of experience, we were able to offer an accurate soil testing analysis and appropriate recommendations for nutrient application based on VRTs computed equations coupled with Soil Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) to recommend the needed nutrients for plant growth within the soil system in support of better crop production. 

We typically recommend soil testing each year, as near planting time as possible, to see nitrogen availability and other essential nutrients. We recommend deep soil sampling to depths up to 24 inches rather than 0-6 inches. If feasible, deeper soil sampling should be done whenever possible. This allows producers to utilize the nitrogen below the upper 6 inches of soil. That's because the residual plant nutrient levels in the soil can vary significantly from year to year based on many factors, including fertilizer application rates, rainfall and irrigation, and the cropping system and plant uptake in the prior year. That is why annual sampling is essential.  

We use advanced methods that rely on inorganic chemistry and creative techniques to evaluate soil health as a direct relationship to plant growth and the slow release of nutrients in the soil and plant. Assessment of the nutrient availability in plant petioles and leaves. These methods validate how nutrients reside in the soil root zone for longer periods, increasing their retention so they are less prone to washing out from the root zone and polluting the surface water.

 We would like to highlight the importance of the soil testing recordkeeping system in understanding and evaluating the past, current, and projected status of soil fertility and health to properly activate the Decision Support Tool (DST) and related aspects for improvement. Please see chapter https://www.shahbaagri.com/education/soil-testing-and-available-exchangeable-potassium-and-application.