535 Roots, Microbes, and Farmer Innovations

Plants Dig Soil™

#RealisticRegenAg | In this month’s roundup of regenerative agriculture news, I'll begin with a story about new research that delves deep into root architecture. The researchers conducted studies on intact samples of both single species and diverse mixtures of cover crops to understand how root systems behave in their natural environment.

Next, I'll discuss an article that explores the challenges of bringing microbial inoculants to the field. While these inoculants may work well in the lab, they often fail to deliver results in real-world agricultural settings. However, one team is making progress in understanding why this happens.

Following that, I'll highlight some innovative approaches by farmers who are using plants as strip tillers and employing sheep as solar panel vegetation managers. To wrap it up, I'll share a story about reimagining kochia, normally considered a weed, as animal feed that can thrive on your harshest land.

Welcome to Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I offer.

Resources mentioned:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/012-simplicity-in-cover-crop-mixes
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-agriculture-crops-mixtures-unexpected-results
https://www.producer.com/news/study-examines-how-competing-microbes-access-plants
https://www.agcanada.com/2023/09/getting-plants-to-do-your-tillage
https://www.realagriculture.com/2023/09/profitable-practices-solar-grazing-with-shady-creek-lamb-co
https://www.beefconsultant.com/post/including-kochia-in-cattle-rations-1

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/root-microbes-farmer-innovations

My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter
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