Commercial Soil Resources
-
This resource is for university researchers and Extension specialists, county Extension agents, and producers of livestock, forages, and feeds. It highlights the role of selenium in animal nutrition; selenium concentration and distribution in soils and feedstuffs (grains and forages) produced in various parts of the United States and in Georgia; disorders resulting from selenium deficiency or toxicity; various methods of selenium supplementation; and recommendations for selenium management in Georgia.
|
-
C 1077
Cover Crop Biomass Sampling
Cover crops are one of the most important practices that farmers can use to improve their soils and the sustainability of their production system. Knowing how much biomass there is in a field is a critical piece of information for cover crop management. This resource covers taking a representative sample, preparing a sample for the lab, and provides a guide to help you calculate wet and dry weights.
|
-
This resource explains a new method developed through UGA research that helps growers determine the amount of lime needed to correct their soil pH. It is useful for producers and soil-testing lab technicians.
|
-
Soil test extractants are chemical solutions used to dissolve or exchange nutrients in soil samples. They are used when performing soil analyses to determine nutrient recommendations.
|
-
Proper planting is essential for healthy, vigorous growth of ornamental plants in the landscape. It assures rapid plant establishment by providing a favorable environment for the developing root system. This publication offers step-by-step guidelines that will help you achieve planting success.
|
-
Developing and maintaining productive soils begin with soil testing. Soils tests provide information on the soil’s actual nutrient status. Test results are used to determine the amount and kind of nutrients that should be added for the best growth of lawn, garden, and other types of plants.
|
-
C 1299
Soil Organic Matter
Soil organic matter (SOM) is a complex mixture of plant and animal tissues, and plays an important role in the physical, chemical, and biological processes in the soil. This publication describes how SOM contributes to overall soil fertility, factors controlling SOM abundance, and what cultivation practices growers can use to increase SOM in their soils.
|
-
This publication provides information on selecting an optimal soil sampling grid size that can accurately depict spatial nutrient variability within the fields in the southeastern US and helps in informing precision site-specific nutrient applications.
|
-
Additional author: Mengmeng Gu, Professor, Colorado State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
Biochar has been proposed to be beneficial to the environment and plants. However, many people do not know what biochar is, what can biochar do, or how biochar can be used. In Part 1 of this publication, we provide introductory information on biochar used to partially replace peat moss as a container substrate component.
The International Biochar Initiative defines biochar as a solid material obtained from the carbonization of biomass, which may be added to soil to improve soil functions and reduce emissions from biomass that would otherwise naturally degrade to a greenhouse gas. Other researchers define biochar as a multifunctional material related to carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, soil contaminant immobilization, soil fertilization, and water filtration.
To simplify things, we’ll adopt the most popular definition: biochar is a black, carbon-enriched solid with a porous structure, mainly used in agriculture and environmental industries. Biochar is normally made from the thermal decomposition of biomass materials at high temperatures (570–2200 °F) in a low-oxygen or no-oxygen environment (this process is also known as pyrolysis). Biochar can be produced from pyrolysis of different materials such as pine bark, sugarcane bagasse, rice hull, and straw.|