- Author: Mark Bell
“Does it really take 500 to 1,000 years to form an inch of soil? No wonder we have to protect our soil."
“I've heard about soil organic matter, and I know it is supposed to be good for my soil – but how does it really help and what can I do about it?"
People increasingly have such questions as they realize the importance of living in a healthy environment and the role that healthy soils play. An overarching question from many though – including farmers, home gardeners, ranchers and natural resource managers – is, “Where can I go to get practical tips about building healthy soil?”
We're glad you asked! UC Agriculture and Natural...
- Author: Lynn Wunderlich
Recently, I have answered more and more inquiries from those who own a parcel and are wondering about agricultural development or those who are looking to purchase. The foothills, it seems to me, are becoming impacted by a growing California population and those who may be priced out of other locations and seek a rural lifestyle.
But the "what can I grow?" question, as I call it, is more complicated to answer than some anticipate. The key is to not have any preconceived notions (this isn't the Valley nor is it the North Coast) and to be open to exploring the opportunities, and challenges, the foothill landscape offers. The foothills are kind of like Nebraska, whose new slogan is "Honestly,...
- Author: Mark Battany
Irrigation frequency and volume
One fundamental decision that a grower needs to make is how frequently to irrigate a vineyard; either applying small amounts of water frequently, or larger amounts of water less frequently. This choice determines how large the soil "flower pot" is that supports the vines, while also having implications for nutrient availability, salinity conditions and potential limitations on water infiltration. Changing from frequent small irrigations to infrequent large irrigations, either as an ongoing practice or as a one-time event, may lead to unanticipated outcomes and thus should ideally be done after ensuring that the conditions are adequate for this practice. For this reason it can be...
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
- Author: Brenna J. Aegerter
We are getting prepared for our second year of a three-year project evaluating a warm-season legume cover crop between winter small grain crops. We are conducting the trial in a commercial field on Staten Island in the Delta. We are comparing soil health characteristics, greenhouse gas emissions, and grain yields between the cover crop treatment and the standard dry fallow. While cover cropping, particularly in the warm-season, is not a typical management practice in the annual crop rotations of the Delta, it is a management practice identified in the Healthy Soils Program of the California Department of Food and Agriculture as having the potential to improve soil...
