Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Registration for the 5th Annual Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference is now open!
The conference will be held virtually from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on two days – Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11, 2022. The agenda includes graduate student lightning talks and several concurrent sessions led by researchers, Extension and industry personnel and agricultural producers from throughout the country. Find the full agenda here! [Read more…]
Disinformation, misinformation, bad science, bad reporting… the public is becoming more aware that one of the toughest challenges faced these days is sorting out what is good reporting (and good science), versus what is misleading or untruthful. It seems ironic that after my post yesterday, the following article showed up in my inbox this morning – Perspective: This pesticide ‘research’ is short on data, big on hype .
In this post, the author, farmer-agronomist Jack DeWitt, critiques a commentary in Scientific American magazine that promotes a ‘study’ conducted by the same authors of the commentary, who happen to be the director and research assistant at the non-profit Center for Biological Diversity, an organization with a stated agenda. Their ‘analysis’ published online in Frontiers in Environmental Science appears to be a legitimate review of previous scientific studies concerning the effects of ‘pesticides’ on soil organisms, again the current often-cited gauge of “soil health”, though in this case they focused only on soil invertebrates (worms and insects, basically) and ignored fungi and bacteria.
Standard scientific journal formats require ‘materials and methods’ sections so that one can read how a study was conducted and determine if the results are analyzed and conclusions drawn appropriately from the data and how that was collected. If properly reviewed in the pre-publication stage, poorly conducted studies and/or inappropriate conclusions would be cause for rejection of the manuscript, or at least would require a significant revision and/or further explanation of how the data supports the conclusions. Scientists reading articles with such flaws scratch their heads in wonder how they were published, and in very rare cases, if there is enough negative reaction citing improper methodology, analysis and/or conclusions, an article is recanted after publication. In this case, going back to the original scientific review, DeWitt illustrates how carefully selected data are misinterpreted and/or misrepresented to support the authors’ cause, er … conclusions.
Moral of the story… don’t take scientific reporting as gospel, even from respected media outlets, until you consider the source, the funding, and take a careful look at the original article, if it’s available.
Sometimes (many times) following social media (SM) threads can lead down some interesting rabbit holes. With a lot of news, research, and programming these days focusing on soil health and ‘regenerative agriculture’ (which focuses on soil health impacts on climate – read more here and here), the following article from Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) caught my eye when it popped up in my Twitter feed. In this post, Irrigated Cropping Systems Agronomist Andrew McGuire reviews the scientific literature for the latest (although the post is actually 3 years old now) analyses of impacts of pesticides, especially herbicides compared to tillage, and fertilizers on microbiological activity, organic matter, and soil structure, i.e. soil health. It may be surprising to find the science doesn’t support the ‘chemicals kill the soil’ narrative being portrayed these days.
Comparing effects of herbicides, fertilizers, and tillage on the soil
You may have seen this information in the November 5th “Morning Ag Clips” edition. If not, please see this information being reposted here about webinars on soil health being held on November 17th and 18th.
Healthy soil is within the reach of every farm and ranching operation. The principles that govern healthy, productive soils are simple: nourish, build and leverage the soil microbiome—work with nature instead of against it.
Exemplifying the belief that soil health is an opportunity and responsibility for every farm, Heliae® Agriculture has announced a virtual 2-day educational event: Rethinking Soil Productivity, to showcase soil health opportunities that farms in every geography, of all scope and scale, can take advantage of.
The live webinar experience will kick-off on November 17th at 11 a.m. eastern standard time with an in-depth discussion with renowned Rutgers University plant pathology professor, Dr. James White, who will be joined by Heliae Chief Revenue Officer, Norm Davy and Vice President of Agriculture Science, Dr. Karl Wyant. The trio will explore the soil’s microbiome through discussion and the examination of Dr. White’s research on the Rhizophagy Cycle. The session promises to offer insight into the newly discovered process of a plant’s ability to “farm” the beneficial microbes it needs and fundamental management strategies that can be implemented within any production model.
Day 2 on November, 18th, brings the Heliae® Agriculture science, research and sales team together in a discussion that focuses on the creation of a healthy soil biome. Here, the team will take a deeper look at the multitude of benefits that come from working with nature rather than against it, sharing the timeline of the PhycoTerra team’s research and discovery, and the efficacy and return on investment a regenerative approach brings to any farming operation. Both sessions will feature a dedicated live Q&A segment to allow viewers to submit questions to the panels of professionals for real-time answers, and will offer participants the opportunity to earn four Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) continuing education units (CEUs) in the following areas:
Approved CEUs (4 Total)
Nutrient Management: 1
Soil and Water Management: 1
Crop Management: 1
Professional Development: 1
Each day will also feature breakout sessions that focus on showcasing regional PhycoTerra® trial results. Breakout sessions will be hosted and presented by the Heliae® Agriculture team with live Q&A provided for every session.
Sessions will include:
NOVEMBER 17TH:
Florida & Georgia – Berries, Leafy Greens & Potatoes
•Time: 2:00 PM EST
Canada – Wheat & Canola
•Time: 3:00 PM EST
Midwest – Corn & Beans
•Time: 4:00 PM EST
NOVEMBER 18TH:
Spanish Speaking
•Time: 2:00 PM EST
Pacific Northwest – Potatoes & Wheat
•Time: 3:00 PM EST
Arizona & California – Strawberries, Almonds & Leafy Greens
•Time: 4:00 PM EST
For more information on the 2-Day Webinar experience: Rethinking Soil Productivity or to register visit: https://bit.ly/3euoMnW
