Conservation Training
Using Soil Microbes to Improve Fertilizer Efficiency and Soil Health
February 10, 2022
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Online
Fertilizer is essential to crop production, yet studies show much of the fertilizer applied never goes to the intended crop. Nutrients are lost to runoff, erosion, and volatilization, as well as to chemical reactions in the soil that limit plant availability. Soil microbes are effective at unlocking and retaining nutrients in the root zone, resulting in more fertilizer going into the crop. Given high fertilizer prices and pressure to reduce the environmental impacts of lost fertilizer, microbes can be a powerful tool to reduce inputs and pollution while building soil health and grower profitability.