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Soil

Soil

Blog Posts

garden gloves holding chemical jar
Read article: Household ammonia cleaner as a homemade fertilizer
Household ammonia cleaner as a homemade fertilizer
It is time for another installment of What’s under my sink and can I use it in the garden? Today comes a home remedy that originates back to...
Cover crop growing in corn stubble
Read article: Make managing cover crops easier using the Cover Crop Decision Support Tool
Make managing cover crops easier using the Cover Crop Decision Support Tool
Interested in adopting cover crops but unsure what it will mean for your field? In the December 2021 NLRS Podcast episode, we go into depth on an...
Corn plant in dark soil
Read article: The down and dirty on soil carbon and carbon markets
The down and dirty on soil carbon and carbon markets
Interested in joining a carbon (C) market, but not sure what it will mean for your field? With a large, diverse number of companies attempting to...
Read article: Tree removal is easier when trees are dormant
Tree removal is easier when trees are dormant
Sometimes a tree becomes a hazard This is the time of year I prefer to take down any trees that have died or become a hazard in the garden. I say...

News Releases

Crowd watching a drone seeding a field.
Digital agriculture, cutting-edge technology: Transforming farming practices
GALVA, Ill. — On a crisp fall day, a gathering of 47 dedicated producers and conservation professionals convened at Brian Corkill's farm just outside of Galva for an enlightening session on the future of agriculture. Dennis Bowman, a digital agriculture specialist from the University of Illinois...
map of soil lead concentration in Chicago area
Is there lead in your soil? New Chicago-area map tells you
In backyards and community gardens across Chicago, growers tend fruit and vegetable crops as diverse as the city they live in. Most have one thing in common – lead lurking in the soil. Legacy lead, leftover from paint, gasoline, and other sources, lingers in the environment. Lead...

Videos

Soil, Climate, and Carbon

 

Carbon storage is a hot topic. Some soils contain huge amounts of carbon, mostly in the form of organic matter. Soils also have the ability to store additional amounts of carbon quickly, but can just as easily lose it. Extension Educator Duane Friend discusses why Midwest soils contain...