Recent content by HernanC

This should come as no surprise, but researchers recently found in a 7-year study that increased ambient temperatures (and causally, soil temperatures), decreased soil moisture, and decreasing soil biomass results in a reduction of microbial diversity in grasslands. This is one of my biggest...

When I hear the word chemicals, I always ask what kind. Synthetic, organic, or both? Although there is a spectrum of toxicity, even with OMRI certified products, I like to know what people are putting into the soil. It all just depends on the type of chemical. For example, if technical-grade...

The first time I heard of this happening was through a talk by Alejandro Carrillo from Understanding Ag. When he mentioned that our agricultural practices can modify the local climate I thought he was joking! But then I started looking into it and it turns out, there is evidence to support it...

Thanks for sharing, Linda. I watched it and I kept thinking to myself, why doesn't he run for mayor or irrigation commissioner for Tucson? He can probably solve some of their water problems since very few public officials seem to do anything about it.

Wow @Tracy Mumma! I read through the article and found this family is saving $38,973 annually from the cover crops alone. That includes the additional expense of cover crop seed and management labor, minus the fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide applications. I wonder if I can get a hold of...

Linda, I read one of his books and it amazed me when he said that even at 11” annual of rain, Tucson, AZ would have more than enough water for every one of its inhabitants. There’s no reason to bring in water, he says, if we begin to harvest it. Mind blowing!

That's right @Linda Poole. Ergothioneine, a longevity vitamin, was recently found to be more present in oats grown in no-till soils than intensive tillage, even minimal tillage. Since mushrooms are the leading dietary source of ergothioneine, the hypothesis is that ergothioneine travels through...

These are interesting articles. I want to hear your thoughts on the recent attempts to bioengineer a soil microbiome that purportedly improves plant health. Read Bayer's attempt here and Penn State's research on it here. While I think it is better to leverage natural cycles and processes, I...

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) offers financial and technical assistance to producers to plan and implement conservation practices on farms and ranches impacted by natural disasters in Nebraska. Nebraska Environmental...

Researchers at Northern Arizona University found evidence that soils use different biochemical pathways to process nutrients, respire, and grow, depending on the type of soil and perhaps other factors. Using the 13C metabolic flux analysis technique, the researchers were able to tag individual...

I was tuned into the World Resources Institute by our good friends at New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group (and co-founder @Isabelle Jenniches) and found this great case study of Tijuca national Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It shows the benefits of regeneration: 1) improved water supplies...

I really appreciated that article. I also found this article explaining how a 25 acre vineyard is using sheep to increase productivity. I am now thinking of getting some sheep and grazing them on my father in law's property. I'll have to convince him of the benefits though...

@Lee Rinehart, if on a hilltop, do you have any recommendations for watering frequency and duration? In deep South Texas, our usual practice is to water less frequently and for longer periods. Yet, at the NCAT demo farm, SIFT, the practice is quite the opposite (more frequent watering for...

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification has released their Drought Toolbox which contains a lot of useful information for producers living through a drought right now. There are three modules, Monitoring and Early Warning (great if drought effects haven’t really been felt yet), Vulnerability...

I like the idea, Omar. Here’s a start, NCAT published this pocket guide and it’s a wealth of knowledge in a compact size. It’s only $10, and even seasoned irrigation management experts can gain something from it. Let me know what you think...