The focus of an upcoming Texas Soil Health Short course will be the “Increasing Biological Wealth with Livestock.” The event will be held February 26-27, 2019 in Palestine at the Civic Center. The short course will offer the opportunity to gain a better understanding of soil properties including water infiltration, water holding capacity, organic matter content, nutrient and energy efficiency.
It is being facilitated by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), Association of Texas Soil & Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Texas Wildlife Association and hosted by the Anderson-Houston Soil and Water Conservation District.
The short course will feature leading researchers and producers in soil health. Speakers include Dr. Christine Jones, an internationally renowned and highly respected groundcover and soils ecologist from Australia; Dr. Richard Teague, Texas A&M AgriLife research ecologist from Vernon; David Daigle, rancher from Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; Jimmy Downe and Joe Beall, ranchers from Anderson County, Texas; and several soil health and range management specialists from the NRCS.
The Texas Soil Health Short Course is designed to provide participants with research and experiential learning opportunities in dynamic soil properties as well as technical information about practical approaches to implementing a system to improve soil health. Conservation demonstrations and field tours will showcase the functions of a healthy soil system and highlight its improved water infiltration, soil porosity, increase biological activity, and greater nutrient efficiency.
According to Jason Hohlt, a range management specialist with USDA-NRCS, several NRCS staff have been working closely with ranchers to implement projects to help identify effective soil health practices in East Texas. This event will showcase preliminary results from a three-year demonstration project aimed at application of commonly discussed management practices geared to improve soil health.
The cost of early bird registration is $50 to secure that rate you must be registered by February 15, 2019. Anyone registering after February 15th, the cost will be $75. For more registration information, or opportunities for your nonprofit or association to sponsor the short course, please visit https://www.texas-wildlife.org/resources/events/texas-soil-health-short-course or call Iliana Pena at 210-826-2904.
