Dr. Marty Arford-Save our Soil

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Basic explanation of project:Our research team will compare the potential for agriculturalnutrients to enter waterways fromfields where (1) soil conservation methods are being used, and (2) fields in which they are not. This project will consider two or more of the following conservation practices: use of cover crops, use of buffer/filterstrips, no-till, and/or use of inline tile management structures (control of water flow in tiles). We intend to quantify the effectiveness of soil conservation efforts in use in Saginaw Valley soil types, and enter all data into a geospatial databank. We will test soil physical properties in our research sites (texture, structure, color, density, porosity, and infiltration rates), chemical properties (pH, macro-and some micronutrients, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable bases...), and percent organic matter. Over the course of the summer, we will conduct repeat analysis of soil nutrients, as well. The second part of the study will be testing water-soluble nutrients from drainage tiles and ditches from fields, and compare results between the soil conservation sites and those not using soil conservation best management practices.

Working hypothesis:The use of soil conservation best management practices in agricultural fields will reduce the amount of water soluble nutrients which flow into waterways in the greater Saginaw Valley.

Participants will assist with final design of the project, at our first meeting. In addition, everyone will assist with field work, which will include the collection of soil and water samples throughout the summer, laboratory analyses of the soil and water samples, and documentation all findings. We will prepare a written report and a poster for presentation at each high school and at SVSU

Here is the link to Save our Soil project.

Save our Soil