The School of Natural Resources soil science program was recently awarded a classroom improvement grant from the Office of the Provost. This grant was used to update soil sciences technology, increase available supplies and technology for soil science students, and generally improve soils lab conditions. With the grant, the soils program purchased a variety of updated lab equipment, more standard…
Soil Health Assessment Center ⋅ Page 1
‘Just the Tip of the Iceberg’
Soil cores from Sanborn Field offer soil health analysis opportunities
Nearly 30 years after it was established in 1888, researchers at the University of Missouri began the process of taking and studying soil cores at Sanborn Field. About every 25 years, those cores are taken again to gain an understanding of the changes in the soil over time, given the variety of treatments and rotations that occur each year. It’s…
An Outstanding Senior
Renee Adler named CAFNR Outstanding Senior for December 2016
Renee Adler has been named the CAFNR Outstanding Senior for December 2016. Adler received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural systems management, with minors in plant sciences and soil sciences Friday, Dec. 16. Adler studied abroad in Germany in spring 2016, and has worked as a farmhand at Greenley Research Center, performing farm tasks in a research setting, and…
A Larger Sample Size
Soil Health Assessment Center continues to expand its services, client base of Missouri farmers and beyond
A lot can happen in a year. Just ask Donna Brandt and Russell Dresbach, who run the Soil Health Assessment Center at the South Farm Research Center in Columbia. A year ago, Brandt and Dresbach relied on the help of four student workers (two graduate students, two undergraduate students) to help them work with the soil samples stacked in tall rows…
Digging Deep
Research lab hopes to spur statewide, regional soil health through biological testing
To some, it’s a freezer bag stuffed with soil. To those who run the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Soil Health Assessment Center, it’s the lifeblood of a national initiative to analyze the organic matter quality of soil that could reap significant dividends for Missouri farmers and landowners. Traditional soil testing practices — checking the levels of nitrogen,…