Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of California
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

UC Cooperative Extension | Agricultural Experiment Station

Preparing soil for winter can protect soil health

Katharina Ullman, Organic Agriculture Institute training and technical assistance coordinator, left, and field day participant view results of soil health test.

Farmers placed clumps of soil into metal mesh baskets, submerged the baskets into jars of water, then watched to see if their soil held together. The slake test, conducted at the Soil Health Field Day in Woodland, measured soil health. Healthier soil,...

UC Delivers

Recent droughts and expanding urban populations place increasing pressure on California’s water supplies. In residential areas, outdoor water use, primarily for landscapes, comprises 50 percent or more of total water use. It is commonplace to see excess water gushing down storm drains from poorly aimed sprinklers, broken sprinkler heads, and a larger volume of water applied than the soil can absorb. The runoff water can carry pesticides, fertilizers and other waste into waterways, causing a detrimental effect on the health of the aquatic life in rivers, lakes and bays.

Read about: Urban runoff study motivates change in landscape practices | View Other Stories

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UC ANR 2020-2025 Strategic Plan

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