SOIL HEALTH RESOURCES
This list has been compiled by UCCE San Diego staff to provide resources, tools, and information on the topic of Soil Health and Investment.
Last update: December 8, 2022.
| RESOURCE NAME | RESOURCE ADMINISTRATOR | DESCRIPTION |
| CropManage | UCANR | Based on years of in-depth research and field studies conducted by the University of California, CropManage provides real-time recommendations for the most efficient, effective, and sustainable irrigation and fertilization applications possible. |
| Find Composting Facilities (Solid Waste Information System database) | CalRecycle | This searchable database allows you to find active and planned composting facilities throughout California by operational status, county, and more. |
| Cover Crop Database / Practices Database / Other Information for California | UCANR SAREP | Searchable database tools allow you to find and select cover crop species by various characteristics (growing season and type; drought, shade and salinity tolerance; native plant characteristics); view case studies of 51 farms conducting cover-crop practices; and learn more about implementing cover crops. |
| Compost and Mulch Use in Agriculture: Organic Materials Management | CalRecycle | A summary of the benefits of organic materials use in agriculture, plus tons of resources for understanding, using, permitting, testing, and implementing compost and mulch in your California operation. |
| Composting in San Diego County | San Diego County Department of Public Works | This site provides information about a variety of small to medium-scale composting operations in your San Diego County home or ag business, including landscaping best practices. |
| Compost and Mulch Facilities in San Diego County | San Diego County Department of Public Works | A list and corresponding map of compost and mulch facilities in San Diego County. Current as of May 2012. |
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Composting at Farms and Ranches in Unincorporated San Diego County |
San Diego County | A factsheet of regulations for composting in small operations like farms, community gardens, businesses, etc., in unincorporated San Diego County. |
| Agricultural Soil Testing Labs | UCCE SD Master Gardeners | California-based companies that perform agricultural soil, water, and other tests. (Disclaimer: UC Cooperative Extension San Diego office in no way endorses the accuracy or reliability of the companies listed above. The Extension office only provides laboratory contact information as a public courtesy.) |
| Healthy Soils for a Healthy California | UCANR Healthy Soils | A wealth of ANR-compiled resources on healthy soil and common soil problem diagnostics, how to improve your soil through sustainable practices, and much more. |
| Healthy Soils Demonstration Projects (from 2020 Climate Action & Agriculture Symposium) (video 1) (video 2) | UCCE San Diego | Two CDFA-funded Healthy Soils demonstration projects established in San Diego County are discussed and results are shared in these webinars. |
| Compost & Mulch Market Study | San Diego County Planning & Development Services | This webinar discusses a market study conducted by San Diego County and Hidden Resources Composting in order to meet goals of 75% waste diversion from landfill by 2025 and 80% by 2030, as required in California's SB1383. |
| California Farm Food Safety E-learning Series: Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin | UC Food Safety | This E-learning series will provide information about the benefits and risks of applying biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) during production. This series is tailored to Californians, with specific BSAAO regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers. |
| Mulch Resources from Ben Faber, Farm Advisor UCCE Ventura/Santa Barbara | UCCE Ventura and UCCE Santa Barbara | Read a series of blog posts and other resources on the use of mulch in orchards and landscapes, including discussion of Phytophthora, avocado orchards, mulch sourcing, and more. |
| California Fertilization Guidelines | UC Davis and CDFA's Fertilizer Research and Education Program | These guidelines have been written by scientists from the University of California, Davis with support from CDFA-FREP. The guidelines are based on research results from studies carried out in California and elsewhere. For an optimal fertilization program, site-specific information needs to be taken into account. A discussion about site-specific adjustments can be found here. |
| Proceedings of the Western Plant Health Association Conference | CDFA Fertilizer Research and Education Program | This document summarizes recent and current projects funded by FREP, including system nitrogen balance for container plant production, assessing irrigation use, biochar amendment evaluation, encouraging quick soil testing for nitrogen, and many more. |
| Web Soil Survey | USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service | Zoom in on a map of the United States and outline an area of interest to access a soil map and descriptions of soils for that location. Access additional information to determine the suitability of the soils for particular uses, or download data for further analysis in desktop tools. |
| Soil Climate Analysis Network | USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service | Monitor near real-time soil and weather conditions from a network of comprehensive automated weather stations, including soil moisture content at several depths and various weather data. |
| Calscape | California Native Plant Society | Determine which native plants to grow for hedges, bank stabilization, ground cover, and other land management needs. |
| Best Management Practices to Reduce Sudden Oak Death: English / Español | California Oak Mortality Task Force | This document offers voluntary Best Management Practices designed for growers and/or interstate shippers of host and associated host plants of Phytophthora ramorum. The target objective is to provide a uniform platform or template to assess your nursery operation and decide whether you have programs/processes in place that will detect or prevent the introduction of this plant pathogen into your operation. |