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Minnesota Farmers Invited for Soil Health Study

Minnesota Farmers Invited for Soil Health Study


By Scout Nelson

The nationwide project “Probing Our Country’s Soil Health” is calling for 65 Minnesota farmers to participate in an important initiative aimed at improving soil health management. The project focuses on enhancing a tool called the Soil Health Assessment Protocol and Evaluation (SHAPE).

Fabian Fernandez, University of Minnesota Extension nutrient management specialist and co-leader of the project, emphasized the significance of soil health: “One of our nation's greatest resources is our soils. The more we know about our soils, the better we can manage them.”

SHAPE is an online tool designed to interpret soil health measurements, monitor changes over time, and suggest management practices to improve soil health. This tool is part of a broader effort to collect 13,000 soil samples from across the U.S., representing different soil types, climates, and management conditions.

The goal is to develop a better understanding of how soil health can be improved, with the SHAPE tool available as a free web-based app for easy access to soil health scoring.

The project leaders hope to attract a broad representation of Minnesota agricultural lands, including crops, forages, and pastures, as the tool works best with a large number of samples. “That will help us calibrate our expectations for soil changes with management on Minnesota farms,” said Anna Cates, U of M Extension soil health specialist and co-leader of the project.

Farmers who participate will receive a personalized soil health report and a hard-copy photo book illustrating soil health across the country. They will also be asked to share information about their fields and allow access for soil sampling, which will take place within three to six months of the survey.

Photo Credits:gettyimages-sasiistock

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