Soil Fertility

All Soil Fertility Content

Farmer standing in a no-till field at sunset.

Does the GREET Carbon Model Address Soil Health Principles?

Learn how the recent Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) production model lines up with the Five Soil Health Principles.

Two researchers analyzing soil in a no-till field with cover crops growing throughout.

Does the COMET Carbon Model Address Soil Health Principles?

The COMET-Farm model, developed by USDA/NRCS and Colorado State University, is a whole farm and ranch carbon and greenhouse gas accounting system. Learn how it addresses the Five Soil Health Principles.

Two rows of corn at V5 leaf growth stage looking down from above. Between the corn rows there are 3 separate cotton strips placed on the soil surface just before burial in a 2-inch-deep trench. The cotton strips are numbered for their identification after recovery at three different dates.

Cotton Strip Soil Test: Rapid Assessment of Soil Microbial Activity in the Field

Soil has always been considered as a living system due to its biological components: fungi, bacteria and plant roots. Under several ongoing research projects, we started researching how we can use ‘cotton strip assay’ to compare different cover crop mixes to optimize field soil activity and build up better soil health.

Hands holding a clump of healthy soil from a no-till field.

Biological Agronomy

Biological agronomy is an adaptive soil management system used to build soil microbiology through intensive regenerative practices that increase carbon and nutrient availability for profitable crop production.

Beef cattle in a snow covered feedlot

SDSU Extension to provide educational sessions during 2025 Dakota Farm Show

December 19, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension will provide a day of educational sessions for crop and cattle producers during the 2025 Dakota Farm Show in Vermillion.

Tanks of anhydrous ammonia being pulled to a field for fertilizer application.

Starter Fertilizer Calculator and Final Report

Decision aid to assist crop planners in selecting the maximum safe fertilizer rate that can be applied with the seed for various crops.

A man smiles for the camera standing outside in a field of row crops

SDSU Extension welcomes new agronomy field specialist

June 10, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Clarence Winter as a new Agronomy Field Specialist.

Rain falls on a sample of conventional tilled in a rainfall simulator.

How Soil Holds Water

Water retention is an important soil property and is related to soil texture, organic matter content, and density.

Various chemical symbols for common nutrients found in garden soil over a selection of young plants emerging from garden soil.

Interpreting Soil Tests for Gardening

There are many different chemicals that make up plants. These chemicals include hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, boron, zinc, molybdenum, cobalt, and chlorine.

A screenshot of the website shows a map of the United States with green squares indicating where soil fertility trials have been conducted

New digital Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool launches nationwide

April 11, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension and project partners are proud to announce the nationwide release of the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool (FRST), a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization.