Released: January 22, 2003

Soil Specialist to Speak at Sustainable Ag Roundup

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Studies indicate soil in the average acre of crop land in the United States is eroding at a rate of seven tons per year.

Informing farmers and ranchers about how to protect that precious topsoil is an important part of Preston Sullivan’s work.

Sullivan, an agronomist for Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will offer ideas on managing soil at the ninth annual Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Roundup, scheduled Feb. 7-8, in Manhattan. The event is sponsored by the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, the Kansas Rural Center and the Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment; and is open to Extension employees, farmers, ranchers, food advocates and consumers.

"The goal is to maintain a soil that functions effectively today and will continue to produce crops long into the future with a minimum of external inputs," said Sullivan, who has authored several publications on sustainable soil management and answers producer questions regarding soil management, weed management and agronomic crops. He will discuss sustainable soil management in both cropping and pasture systems at the conference.

Sullivan bases sustainable soil management on nature’s principles. Methods such as keeping soil covered, minimizing tillage and use of nitrogen fertilizer, adding organic matter and increasing biodiversity, both in and on the soil can pay off in the long run.

"Soil quality and health are critical to agricultural and horticultural production," said KCSAAC coordinator, Jana Beckman. "We have to take care of the topsoil."

The average acre of living topsoil can contain up to 900 pounds of earthworms; 2,400 pounds of fungi; 1,500 pounds of bacteria; 133 pounds of protozoa and 890 pounds of arthropods, algae and even small mammals. Sullivan said each plays an important role and will work for the farmer’s benefit if managed properly.

For more information about sustainable soil management or the Roundup, contact KCSAAC at 785-532-1440 or email kcsaac@oznet.ksu.edu. The center can also be reached by mail at KCSAAC, Kansas State University, 3602 Throckmorton, c/o HFRR, Manhattan, KS 66506.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Lisa Solomon, Communications Assistant
lms4577@ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News