Soil Health Academy

Live via Zoom | Recording available on demand

Join us from 9 a.m.-Noon Eastern for the free Soil Health Academy. The event will be held online via Zoom and a recording will be available following the event for on-demand viewing.

Hosted by experts from The Ohio State University, Tennessee State University, and the University of Vermont.

Background

As global populations rise and climate change intensifies, agricultural production must significantly increase — potentially even double — to ensure food security.

This growing demand places mounting pressure on the use of chemicals, water, and energy in farming. While conventional intensification practices can boost short-term yields, they often degrade soil health over time. Unfortunately, many producers and agricultural educators remain unaware of soil health’s vital role in long-term productivity and sustainability.

Adding to the challenge, soil health assessments often vary across laboratories, resulting in inconsistent and confusing results for farmers. Without clear guidance, it's difficult to make informed decisions about fertilization, tillage, irrigation, amendments, crop rotation, and the use of cover crops.

To address this, we urgently need a standardized, comprehensive, and rapid soil health academy—one that empowers farmers to interpret results with confidence and make sound management decisions. Such a tool would support sustainable agriculture by promoting practices that restore and protect soil health, ensuring resilient food systems for generations to come.

Schedule

9 a.m. – Healthy Soil and Healthy Food. Rafiq Islam, The Ohio State University
9:25 a.m. – Soil Biology Implications for Soil Health. Jason P. de Koff, Tennessee State University
9:50 a.m. - Making Soil Health Practical Across Regions. Shawn Lucas, University of Vermont
10:15 a.m. - Management Practices and Soil Health. Sougata Bardhan, Tennessee State University
10:40 a.m. – Soil Health Analysis. Alan Sundermeier, Conservation Agriculture Project.
11:05 a.m. - AI for Soil Health Interpretation & Management Strategies. Arif Rahman, The Ohio State University.
11:30 a.m. - Actionable Soil Health Assessment: From Research to the Real World. Jordon Wade, Syngenta Crop Production
Noon - Adjourn