New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will host a Biochar and Soil Health field day from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the Leyendecker Plant Science Center, 7200 Plant Science Circle, La Mesa, New Mexico.
Participants will learn about the impacts of different management practices on soil health, crop growth and yield, and view a demonstration of how to prepare biochar. Biochar is a charcoal-like substance produced by burning organic materials in an oxygen-limited environment and is used to rejuvenate soil health.
To register for this free event, visit https://rsvp.nmsu.edu/rsvp/soilhealth3.
“The event will demonstrate how to produce biochar from local wood wastes and discuss the impact of biochar on soil health,” said John Idowu, Extension Plant Sciences Extension specialist and Extension agronomist. “Participants will be able to observe the research plots in the long-term soil health site at Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center. The results of how different management practices such as tillage, cover crops, compost and biochar amendment affect soil health and plant growth will be discussed. There will be an opportunity for participants to observe cover crops growing in the field and ask questions on cover crop management.”
Attendees will learn how to prepare biochar from wood wastes using the Ring of Fire biochar kiln and about the potential of biochar to improve soil health and sequester soil carbon. Additionally, participants also will have the opportunity to tour the plots of the soil health research site.
For more information or questions, contact Idowu at jidowu@nmsu.edu.