HOYTVILLE - Nationally known conservation agronomist Ray Archuleta plans to talk about the importance of soil health and biology during a field day at Hoytville 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 18.
Registration deadline is Friday.
Archuleta is a Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation agronomist from East National Technology Support Center in Greensboro, N.C.
"Ray has gained a national reputation as an expert on soil quality factors and cover crop utilization," said Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator in Fulton County.
Also at the field day, at Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center's Northwest Agricultural Research Station, farmers may evaluate a variety of crop rotation and tillage studies conducted by OSU Extension and OARDC researchers.
"What we're really looking at, in terms of soil health, is ideals to build organic matter and improve soil biology through the use of cover crops and alternative tillage methods," LaBarge said. "These are things that will also help improve water quality from the standpoint of nutrient cycling and trying to hold those nutrients along with the soil itself."
In addition to plot tours, attendees are to hear from speakers highlighting economics, water quality, nutrient cycling, as well as the concept of increasing water-holding capacity in soils.
"The Hoytville field day is really interesting, because we'll visit some data and go out to the long-term tillage and rotation plots we have established there dating back to the 1960s," LaBarge said. "There, we can look at some significant differences in tillage and crop rotation systems."
Archuleta also is to speak at a field day 9:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Aug. 17 in Fairfield County at the Dave Brandt farm, 6100 Basil Western Road, Carroll.
Focused on cropping systems that improve soil health, the program is to take advantage of several field examples through a series of morning tours.
Afternoon sessions are to focus on application, and how farmers can use the tools and systems observed on the Brandt farm in their own operations.
In addition to field tours, the program is to feature OSU Extension educator Jim Hoorman discussing nutrient recycling and soil compaction, as well as NRCS agronomists and soil scientists.
Registration for both events is due by 4:30 p.m. Friday. Fees are $15 for the Hoytville day and $23 for the Carroll site.
For more information or to register, visit agcrops-cms.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/
calendar/soil-health-cover-crops-field-day-nw-ohio.
For more information or to register for the Carroll event, visit agcrops-cms.cfaes.ohio-state.
edu/calendar/soil-health-cover-crops-field-day.
