Dryland Soil Health Network meeting set for Feb. 18 in Hays

K-State eyes new approach to soil health in dryland cropping systems

There’s no teacher like experience, and like any profession, farmers learn from their own experiences plus those of fellow growers and researchers.

With that in mind, K-State Research and Extension is launching the Dryland Soil Health Network to help facilitate information sharing and more. A kickoff meeting is set for Feb. 18 in Hays.

The meeting runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at K-State’s Agricultural Research Center, located at 1232 240th Avenue. The meeting is free to attend and a complimentary lunch will be served.

K-State soil scientist Augustine Obour said the goal of the network is to advance soil management strategies and prioritize conservation, cover crops, and no-tillage systems to improve soil health and productivity of dryland cropping systems through participatory research and learning.

The network’s objectives include providing farmers and researchers with a platform to share information; conducting on-farm research trials to investigate new and proven soil management strategies to improve soil health; and to facilitate farmer-researcher feedback to identify soil health challenges, plus refine recommendations and guidelines for dryland systems.

Those interested in attending can reserve a spot at the meeting by contacting Obour at [email protected] or Joe Kimzey at [email protected], or calling 785-625-3425.