Greetings Fodder Folks! With the heavy deluge of rain we've been experiencing, some of you may have noticed signs of soil erosion from our precious foothill slopes.  While some conservation techniques require pre-planning and assistance,  it is not too late to implement some of these soil conservation practices.  The first step is to understand your soil and it's erodibility, described here by UC Soil Scientist Toby O'Geen. Here are some tips for preventing the loss of soil, now and in the future:

1. Straw mulch.  Straw mulch is a relatively simple way to hold your precious soil in place.  Rice straw is particularly desirable because it has fewer weed seeds, but it is also high in silica which doesn't break down quickly and can actually tie up nitrogen.  To remedy this, applications of nitrogen (no more than 1500 lbs. per acre, applied AFTER the rainy season) are recommended.