Soil Health
Soil health is a multi-faceted area of study in the Department of Agronomy. There are chemical, physical, and biological/carbon-based components of soil quality and active research programs in all three areas.
Chemical
- Chemical factors that affect plant growth
- Interaction between soil chemistry and microbial communities
- Remediation of contaminated soils
Physical
- Soil aggregate formation and stability
- Soil water infiltration capability
Biological & Organic
- Effect of tillage, nutrients, and cropping systems on soil microbial populations
- Soil carbon sequestration