Indiana CCA Conference 2022 Presentation
 
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Presentations

W8

Soil & Water
Wed, Dec 14, 2022
8:00am to 8:50am

W1

Soil & Water
Wed, Dec 14, 2022
1:00pm to 1:50pm

The Untamed Multitude: Insights into Soil Biology and Soil Health

An untamed multitude of soil organisms make soils a dynamic place for plants to take root. Managing fertility and soil health requires familiarity with the biological processes that shape the soil environment. This seminar will provide an overview of the types of biological information used to assess soil health. We will consider the ways in which soil microbes can serve as bioindicators of soil function based on their sensitivity to environmental change. Lastly, we will survey new technologies that will form the basis of future characterizations of the biological activity and diversity of our living soils.

Speaker

Roland Wilhelm

Assistant Professor
Purdue University
Biography

Dr. Wilhelm is a soil microbiologist who leads the Managed Ecosystem Microbial Ecology lab at Purdue University. His work examines the role of soil microbes that support plant productivity and the healthy functioning of soils. He has worked with the Cornell Soil Health Lab to better understand the biological dimensions of soil health and is knowledgeable about the various measurements and uses of soil health data. He recently co-authored a book chapter entitled: “Laboratory Methods for Assessing Soil Health.” He is currently pursuing research into the effectiveness of biostimulants and their impacts on the environment. Dr. Wilhelm is an instructor of soil biology for the Soil Health and Sustainability Training Course presented by the Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative and the SARE program, and has given many workshop presentations on soil health, including at the 2022 Tri-Societies meeting, the Urban Agricultural Soil Health (NRCS and Indiana State Department of Agriculture) and webinar series on Soil Health & Contamination series (NRCS).