top of page
Ritcher 4 (3) conv.jpeg

Education Services

Education Services include presentations at conferences and events, workshops, guest lectures or training activities. Instructions for conducting soil health testing and performing soil health demonstrations are available on the Resources page. Training for performing these test and demonstrations as well as analysis and interpretation of laboratory soil tests may be included in educational programs.

​

Activities will be tailored to audience knowledge level and desired topics. Potential topics for these educational activities are listed below.   

Soil Health

​​​

  1. Healthy Soils = Clean Air and Clean Water

  2. ​Healthy Soil = Healthy Food

  3. Soil Regeneration

  4. Soil Biology, Chemistry, Geology and Physics

  5. Carbon Flows and Economics

  6. Organic Matter – Form and Function​

  7. Agriculture’s Roles in Environmental Stewardship

Soil Chemistry

  1. pH, CEC and AEC

  2. Roles of organic matter in soil functions

  3. ​Carbon, Water, and Nutrient Cycles

  4. Mineral Nutrient Concentrations and Bioavailability

  5. Biomolecules - Glomalin, Polysaccharides, and Hydrophobins

Soil Biology

  1. Soil Biology: Composition and Function

  2. Soil Biology and Microbiome Management

  3. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

  4. Fertility and Nutrient Cycling

  5. Pest and Disease Management

  6. Soil Aggregation – Formation and Function

  7. Composting and Biological Amendments

  8. ​Rhizophagy and Nitrogen Cycling​

  9. Plant Roots – Architecture and Depth

Food Quality

  1. Nutrient Density and Food Quality

  2. Food Abundance

  3. Soil Microbiome and Gut/Rumen Microbiome Connections

  4. Animal Health through Soil Health

  5. ​ Trade-Off Analyses: Productivity and Nutrient Density

Soil Physics

  1. Soil Structure​

  2. Soil Texture

  3. Soil Horizons

  4. Compaction

  5. Water and Air Movement

  6. Porosity

  7. Soil Disturbance

  8. Soil Armor and Surface Protection

Agronomy

  1. Crop Diversity and Regional Production Systems

  2. Cropping Systems - Companion Crops, Cover Crops, Relay Cropping, Double Cropping, Polycropping, Perennial/Annual Mixes

  3. Soil Testing

  4. Analyses and interpretation

  5. ​Farm Planning, Monitoring and Decision Making

  6. Specialty Crops - Fruits, Vegetables and Tree Crops

  7. Gardening and Lawn Care

  8. ​Plant/Animal Health and Disease Management

  9. Pest Management

  10. Return on Investment (ROI)

  11. Market Value Improvements

  12. Yield Stability and Profitability

bottom of page