NC Meeting to Focus on How Soil Biology Impacts Soil Health

By Cotton Grower Staff|December 30, 2019

Cotton producers are invited to participate in a Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton winter meeting entitled “Understanding Soil Biology and its Role in Soil Health.”

The workshop will be held Thursday, January 16 from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at the Robeson County Agriculture Center,1027 US-74 ALT, Lumberton, NC 28358.

The activity has been organized by the Soil Health Institute in partnership with the Robeson County Soil and Water Conservation District to increase soil health on U.S. cotton farms, as well as help farmers prepare for the industry’s increased focus on sustainability as identified in “U.S. Cotton Ten Year Sustainability Goals: Pathways to Progress.”

The meeting presentations include:

Dr. Wendy Taheri, a specialist in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, who will connect soil biology to soil productivity
Dr. Buz Kloot, the University of South Carolina researcher behind the video series “Science of Soil Health,” who will discuss how improving soil health allows crops to utilize a more robust nutrient cycle
Dr. Jason Schmidt, a University of Georgia entomologist, who will provide the latest information on the “Green Bridge,” as well as information on how to reduce crop protection costs through ecological pest management
Nathan Lowder, Natural Resources Conservation Specialist, who will update producers on soil health management systems and practices
David Lamm, Soil Health Institute project manager, who will discuss the benefits of improving soil health both environmentally and economically, along with the Cotton Trust Protocol
A farmer panel featuring North Carolina producer Zeb Winslow and South Carolina producer Sonny Price, who will discuss their soil health management systems and practices, and answer questions from meeting participants.