Forage Fertility: Unearthing a Profitable Portion of Nitrogen Stored in Soil

The Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association (CCA) and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) have partnered to deliver training and educational resources to Ontario agrologists. With a focus on cover crops, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing, these sessions will support the objectives of the On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

Dr. Alan Franzluebbers is a Research Ecologist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh NC. He has more than 30 years of research experience starting with a master’s program in Nebraska, PhD in Texas, post-doctoral position in Alberta Canada, and as a soil scientist in Georgia and North Carolina. Research has been conducted in soil ecology and management. Specifically, he has evaluated soil-test biological activity in conservation cropping and managed grazing systems to estimate soil N availability. He is the Past-President of the American Forage and Grassland Council.

Soil carbon and nitrogen storage processes have been investigated on long-term research sites, as well as in collaboration with farmers in a distributed network. He is exploring the value of root-zone enrichment of soil organic carbon and nitrogen to distinguish management-induced influences from historical pedogenic processes. The presentation highlights practical management strategies--such as integrating legumes and optimizing grazing--that stimulate soil microbial activity to mineralize organic nitrogen into plant-available forms.

Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF). This event is free to attend. To register you must answer two questions for the purpose of tracking attendance and outreach.

CEUs: 1.5 Nutrient Management

Forage Fertility: Unearthing a Profitable Portion of Nitrogen Stored in Soil is an OSCIA-recognized Knowledge Sharing Event (KSE) for applicants with On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) projects in the Nitrogen Management category. The KSE is only available for the live webinar.