Browse Soil Stories

In this episode of Cultivating Curiosity, we dive into the science behind composting with two University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts — what composting is, why it matters and how you can start doing it right at home. Whether you’re new to composting or looking to improve your bin game, this episode breaks down the basics, offers beginner-friendly tips and shares the real-life benefits of turning your food scraps into nutrient-rich soil. Plus, learn how composting can save you money and help the planet, one banana peel at a time.

Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive and beautiful garden, providing essential nutrients, proper drainage and the right balance of air and moisture for plant roots to flourish. Whether you're preparing a brand-new garden bed or revitalizing existing soil, understanding its composition and how to improve it will set your plants up for success. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist Bob Westerfield provides guidance on ensuring your garden soil is ready to provide fruitful vegetables this summer.

Researchers in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are studying how pastured and free-range chickens impact ecosystems on integrated crop-livestock farms. Supported by a $749,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, entomology doctoral student Sofia Varriano and her thesis advisor, agroecologist and systems biology Professor Bill Snyder, are testing the promise of integrated crop-livestock agriculture to increase the sustainability of smaller farms.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service have broken ground on a new state-of-the-art research facility housing the Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory and the Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit. the UGA Tifton campus, the research facility will include a new, 31,000-square-foot building housing university and ARS employees working on climate-smart agricultural research.

The Dirt Dawgs, the University of Georgia’s soil judging team, placed third in the recent 2022 regional soil judging contest against 11 other universities. They will move on to compete in the national soil judging competition held in Oklahoma in March.

The winter months are a great time for gardeners to start catching up on projects they have postponed or to begin planning crop rotations and ordering seeds for the upcoming year. One of the most critical steps to ensuring a productive growing season is to test and prepare the soil, as it will be the foundation that your plants — and success — depend upon.

For most row crop producers in Georgia, corn, cotton and peanut are planted in the spring and harvested in late fall. After harvest, the ground is left relatively bare, with the residue of the harvested crop the only organic material left on the ground. This is where cover crops come in.

Alfalfa, once a dominant forage in Georgia, is the third-highest crop for economic returns in the United States. Combined with cheap nitrogen prices, difficulty growing the desirable forage crop in Georgia’s challenging climate led to a decline in alfalfa production in the state after its peak in the 1960s.

More than 25 Georgia 4-H youth participated in the 2021 State Land Judging contest at the University of Georgia’s C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park in Camila, Georgia. Four counties from across the state brought teams to compete.

In developing countries, the sustainable production of nutrient-dense crops is a critical need. A team of University of Georgia researchers have identified an affordable and local organic practice that can increase nutrient density in soybeans, or edamame, and improve soil health.