Hoorman To Present Soil Quality Discussions

The 59th Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show committee has identified soil health and quality as one of the essential issues farmers and ranchers will have to deal with in the coming years. To address soil quality, the committee has invited James Hoorman, Ohio State University assistant professor and Extension educator, as one of three keynote speakers. Hoorman will present three separate talks during the Wheat Show, scheduled for Feb. 6-8 at the Airport International Inn, Williston. Hoorman’s topics include soil ecology and nutrient recycling, homegrown nitrogen, and the biology of soil compaction.

Hoorman’s first presentation, scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, will cover soil ecology and nutrient recycling. “I’ll discuss organic matter, microbes, and how they help to recycle nitrogen and phosphorus and the nutrient effect of this,” Hoorman comments.

The second presentation, scheduled for 10:40 a.m., will deal with the biology of soil compaction, how to increase water storage in the soil, and explain the importance of reducing soil compaction. “Soil compaction reduces infiltration,” Hoorman remarks. “Cover crops counteract this, and the more organic matter in the soil, the better everything works. The goal should be to have something living and growing on the soil year round. This mimics Mother Nature, and it allows the soil to store water and nutrients much more efficiently.”

Hoorman’s third and final presentation, scheduled for 1:45 p.m. will deal with homegrown nitrogen and how landowners can produce nitrogen through the growing of nitrogen producing crops. “I’ll talk about how the use of legumes, such as peas or clover, will increase soil nitrogen content,” Hoorman says. “People can grow these crops specifically to produce nitrogen.”

Hoorman believes soil health will prove to be a major issue in the coming decades.

“We’ll have nine billion people to feed by 2050,” he observes. “There is one area no one talks about, and that is soil. We discuss genetics but we rarely talk about soil health and quality, but better soil will increase production.”

He continues, “For example, a farmer rips out a fence line and puts it into production. He’ll get his best crops off that fence line for several years, but after tilling that fence line for years, the row comes down to the level of the rest of the field. We need to improve soil health and water retention ability, so the goal should be to bring the rest of the field up to the level of the fence row, not knock the fence row down to the level of the rest of the field.”

Hoorman has conducted extensive research in the areas of soil health and water quality.

Hoorman will present vital information for farmers and ranchers.