SOIL BALANCING PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Project Timeline

June 2017

Organic Food and Farming Education and Research Field Day in Wooster, Ohio

March 2017

  

February 2017

     
Soil samples were collected from experimental plots at the OARDC on February 23, 2017.

September 8 2016: Field Day at the OARDC – on station research farms in Wooster, Ohio

June 24 2016: Organically managed soil balancing experimental plots at East and West Badger farms – OARDC, The Ohio State University, Wooster

March 2016: Spring soil sampling at West Badger Farm – on station in Wooster, Ohio

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Members of Steve Culman’s and Doug Doohan’s labs collected more than 1100 soil samples on March 8. Samples will
be used for estimating the weed seed bank and for soil health test.

October 2015: Final harvest at the OARDC – on station in Wooster, Ohio

September 2015: Field Day at the OARDC – on station research farm in Northwest Ohio

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Steve Culman and Doug Doohan talk with growers and others about the soil balancing project work being done in Northwest Ohio and other sites around the state.

July 2015: Crops growing at several Ohio sites

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Excellent weed control is achievable even in a very wet year. Getting the rotation right, to minimize weed-seed return in previous years, made a big difference in this soybean field on this farm in NE Ohio.

June 2015: Evaluation of experimental sites at the OARDC begins

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Cathy Herms and her team measure weed growth among corn and soybean at East Badger Farm at the OARDC.

 

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Corn, oats, wheat and soybeans grow at West Badger Farm at the OARDC.

May-June 2015: Site preparation at the OARDC in Wooster, Ohio

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Gypsum, potash and rock phosphate amendments have been applied. Planting of popcorn, edamame soybeans and butternut squash will occur next.

 

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Experimental areas have been marked out, plowed, and disced. Gypsum and other amendments will soon be applied in some areas.

May 2015: On-farm soil sampling for analysis of major physical, chemical, and biological characteristics

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Much can be learned through soil sampling and analysis. Here, Cathy Herms uses soil probes to collect samples from a recently plowed field. She also notes the location where samples were collected.

Current Study Site Locations (17 Sites Total)


Green markers represent OSU – OARDC on-station research farms, 1, 2 and 3

April 2015: Creating a work plan for study sites

January 2015: Project webinar

If you have trouble viewing or hearing this webinar in your browser, click here.

December 2014: 2 day stakeholder advisory committee meeting