Title: Examine best management practices for improving soil health.
Course: Agricultural Production Technology (18301-I) > Section: Using Soil Science in Agricultural Production

Examination should include

- the current state of the soil (e.g., organic matter, macronutrient and micronutrient availability)
- the planned use of the soil
- sources of nutrient loss
- soil management practices (e.g., no-till farming, conservation tillage, crop rotation, cover cropping, mulching, grassed waterways, buffer strips [e.g., riparian buffers, contour buffers, filter strips]).

Process/Skill Questions:

- What types of nitrogen are leaching and non-leaching? Why is this concept important to waterways?
- What is organic matter?
- What is a riparian buffer, and why are they important?
- What effect does organic matter have on the physical and chemical properties of soil?
- What soil conservation practices can producers utilize to prevent soil degradation and build organic matter?
- What are the environmental costs to not using best management practices for a given area?
- Why is no-till farming recommended by soil scientists as a best practice?
- Why is rotational grazing recommended for increasing soil health?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of organic vs. inorganic sources of fertilizer (e.g., conventional fertilizer vs. natural manure)?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using biosolids?

Teacher Resources:

- Agriculture: Programs, Best Management Practices and Topics of Interest, EPA
- Cover Crop Performance and Adaptation Trials at PMCs, NRCS, USDA