
Experts discuss the importance of proper soil management during Arbuckle Field Day hosted by USDA.
By Brian Milne, Vice President, Director of Marketing & Communications, The Holloway Group
ARBUCKLE, Calif. – Soil health was naturally the topic of conversation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Smart Field Day at Chamisal Creek Ranch on Dec. 4, taking place in the middle of Healthy Soils Week — Dec. 2-6.
The goal of the field day was to share information about the USDA’s Climate-Smart Commodities grant program and its impact on healthy, carbon-sequestering soils and sustainable agricultural practices.
According to Eric Hansen, National Program Officer with USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, the USDA has invested more than $3 billion in approximately 140 pilot projects across the U.S., helping farms implement climate-smart production practices to build soil health, sequester carbon and enhance productivity and commodity marketability.
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross opened the field day with an update on the “State of Regenerative Ag/Climate Smart Practices in California,” noting farmers and ranchers are in “the most unique position with the ability to draw out carbon and store it in our soil.
“At the end of the day, when we talk about regenerative agriculture, it really is embodied in soil health,” Ross added. “Now in organic agriculture, people have been focused on soil health for a very long time. I think regenerative is taking it to another level and showing that historic practices, modern technology, and the application of modern science can do a better job of achieving measurable soil health benefits that are sequestering carbon first and foremost.”
Along with an opening session dedicated to “Soil Health and Nutrient Management,” Holloway Director of Agronomy Steve Lenander participated in a late morning panel on “Water Management Strategies,” discussing how soil health and moisture management work hand-in-hand to create optimal growing conditions.
“I take the approach that I want to see the entire plant/soil/water relationship,” said Lenander, who regularly provides growers with water, soil, tissue sampling, and recommendations as part of Holloway’s agronomy program.
“You might have the greatest water [quality and availability], but poor soil conditions, and you’re going to have a big problem,” Lenander added. “You have to adjust the soil, and you have to adjust the water to get the best results. And if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
Holloway’s head of agronomy was joined on the water management panel by moderator and UC Davis Research Scientist Dr. Ken Shakel, along with Dr. Tapan Pathak, Climate-Smart Ag Specialist, UC ANR, and Kelli Evans, grower and owner of Evans Ag Consulting.
The panelists agreed that setting up a new orchard, vineyard, or field with necessary soil amendments such as gypsum or compost goes a long way in terms of improving soil structure and allowing for better water infiltration and retention for the life of the crop.
“I definitely agree on the compost,” Evans said. “It’s something we never really did in the past during planting. Now, with every orchard we’re doing it, and we’re working to incorporate compost into the windrows, so the soil has the best nutrients possible.”
The “Soil Health & Nutrient Management Strategies” session was opened and moderated by Dr. Jessica Chiartas, Chief Scientist for UC Davis/RegenScore, followed by a panel with Deac Jones, owner of Andaman Ag, Dr. Emelie Guadin, Professor, Endowed Chair in Agroecology, UC Davis Dept. Plant Sciences, and Jonnalee Dunn, Growth and Development Manager for Henderson Farms.
One of the takeaways from the soil health panel discussion was the importance of applying micronutrients along with soil amendments and knowing the source of those products and that they come from a trusted supplier.
“The name of the game now is micronutrients,” Dunn said. “It’s not just the big NPK. Part of introducing seaweed or other products is to help your tree utilize and metabolize the different nutrients that are in your soil. The relationship between Calcium-Magnesium is why you need to look at your samples constantly and see how one practice is affecting another practice. Go to your agronomist and say, ‘OK, now I have this issue, what do we do?’ and let’s come up with a plan.”
You can learn more about the USDA program at: https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities
Learn more about Holloway’s soils-first agronomy services and best practices at: https://hollowayag.com/agronomy