A n a g r i c u l t u r a l n e w s l e t t e r f o r k i d s f r o mM i s s i s s i p p i F a r m B u r e a u F e d e r a t i o n

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MA>:N?>=

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This issue of Ag Mag is

compliments of:

Issues of Ag Mag can be purchased at cost: 20 for $5.Contact the Womens Department at pjones@msfb.org

or 601.977.4854.

When you get down to the nitty gritty, all life depends on soil. It is one of our mostimportant natural resources. To have life, you must have soil and to have soil,you must have life. The entire world, and all of the ecosystems in it, aredependent on soil. Soil is part of what makes Earth different from all of theother planets.

Soil is made up of mineral particles (sand, silt, and clay), humus or organicmatter (rotting plants), gases, liquids, and tons of tiny

organisms, both living and dead. Soil is more than justdirt. Dirt is the name for the mineral part of soil. Soilis home to earthworms, moles, grubs, centipedes,millipedes, snails, slugs, beetles, ants, fungi, insectlarvae, bacteria, mushrooms, and many otherorganisms.There are more living things in aspoonful of soil than there are people in the world. Most of what isalive in soil is microbes like bacteria that can only be seen with amicroscope. Each one of us relies on soil every day, whether we realize it or not.

Of course, the most obvious way is through agriculture. Soil is essential to growing the materials usedto make our food, clothing, fuel, and shelter. However, soil also acts as a filter for clean water, provides afoundation for your home, and helps the atmosphere by emitting and absorbing gasses and dust.

Soil types differ from place to place. Mississippi is unique because it has so many different types of soils.Of the 12 types of soil found in the world, Mississippi has eight.

AgMagSOIL

Soil under the microscope at x400 magnification wecan see fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and protozoa.

S B Y K M C B H F W D G B I YW N L X X E M C R F O M A S LR O I M U D Y O V D W Z E L FE I R A R P D N A L K C A L BZ P P M L F L A T W O O D S PI N T O S P L X Y L S N E Y OL T O T R O L T F U I C L A TI S K I E E I A R T B S T L AT O K S S S S O T U C L A C SR P S C N O H P C S I Z C A SE M J E D P R K A O A C F S IF O D T S J S E S C E O S G UQ C H O R H U M U S E T C F MJ L H R O N E G O R T I N V PT P C T D N A S B V J P V Z W

Larry OldhamExtension Soils Specialist

Mississippi State Extension Service

What is a soil scientist, and what does a soil scientist do?A soil scientist studies and manages the mixture of minerals,organic matter, water, and air which forms on the surface ofthe land. Most life on earth depends on this soil for food, feed,fuel, forages, fiber, and pharmaceuticals. It is vital in sustaininghumans, farm production, and environmental stewardship.

What is your job at Mississippi State? Why did you decideto do this?I am the statewide Extension soils specialist working in soilfertility (helping crops grow), soil management (protecting thesoil), and environmental stewardship (protecting the entirelandscape).

After studying soils in graduate school, I went into Extensionbecause I get to apply my science knowledge to improvepeoples lives.

What types of skills do you need to be a soil scientist?Soil science is the intersection where the basic sciences ofchemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics are applied.Communication and critical thinking skills are required to dothis.

What does a soil scientist study in school?Lots of science!

Do you enjoy your job?Yes! It is different every day.

A good resource for teaching schoolchildren about soil ishttp://www.soils4teachers.org/home. More information about soilcan be found at Soil Education/NRCS. NRCS stands for NaturalResources Conservation Service.

Faces of Mississippis

Kevin KennedyArea Conservationist

Natural Resources Conservation Service

What is a conservationist, and what do they do?A soil conservationist is a trained planner who isknowledgeable in various ways to treat the land to conserveour natural resources. As a Natural Resources ConservationService Soil Conservationist, youll spend most of your timein the field working with farmers, ranchers, foresters, and otherland users. Youll offer conservation planning and technicalhelp to everyone from family farmers to local governmentofficials. Youll suggest to them ways to conserve the soil,improve water quality and quantity, manage nutrients, restorewetlands, and protect and improve wildlife habitat. A soilconservationist assists the local Soil and Water ConservationDistrict in addressing local conservation priorities and helpingcarry them out.

What types of skills do you need to be a conservationist?We at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS) need people who arecommitted to action. People who want to apply their educationand experience to making sure that all of us enjoy thebenefits of productive soil, clean water, clean air, and theabundant wildlife that comes from a healthy environment.People who are motivated and committed to action makegreat conservationists. People who have these skills are easilytrained on the job to be a good conservationist.

What does a conservationist study in school?A bachelors degree or higher that includes a major field ofstudy (including 300-level courses) in soil conservation or arelated agriculture or natural science discipline such asagronomy, soil science, forestry, agriculture education, oragriculture engineering. The study must include 30 semesterhours in a natural resource or agriculture field, includingat least 12 semester hours in a combination of soil andplant science.

Do you enjoy your job? I enjoy my job very well. I have worked with the agency for 32years in various parts of the state. I enjoy working with peopleand agencies in conserving our natural resources. Mississippiis blessed to have such an abundance of natural resources,and nowhere in this great country is there a better place towork in the conservation field than Mississippi.

The Mississippi State University Extension ServiceSoil Testing Laboratory provides service for farmers,landowners, gardeners, and anyone else with an interestin the fertility level of a soil.

The lab analyzes soil samples submitted by the publicthrough their local Extension offices. Recommendationsfor plant nutrition are then provided based on the resultsthat may or may not include fertilizer or lime additions. More information on gathering soil samples, sending themin, and understanding the results are available through theExtension offices or http://MSUcares.com/.

SOIL TESTING LAB

Farmers are also conservationists. One way farmersconserve soil is to use no-till, or zero-till, farming. Thisis a way of planting crops without disturbing the soil.This technique increases the amount of water thatinfiltrates into the soil and helps the soil keeporganic matter. It also helps maintain vital nutrients

in the soil. In many areas, it can also reduce oreliminate soil erosion, or wearing away of the soil over time.

BLACKLANDBUCKSHOTCLAYCOASTAL PLAINSCOMPOSTDELTADENSITYEROSIONFERTILIZERFLATWOODSHUMUSLOESSNITROGENPHOSPHORUSPORE SPACEPOTASSIUMSANDSILTSOILWORMS

You will need:1-quart jar1-cup soil sample Note: Potting soil will not work.ruler

This region makes up the Southern Mississippi Valley Alluvium, betterknown as the Delta. These soils come from sediment left behind byflooding of the many rivers in the region, mainly the Mississippi Riverand tributaries. It is unique, because it is not just a fan formed at themouth of the river, but an entire region. Delta soil is mainly used forrow crop farming. Soils are very diverse in the Delta region.

This region is formed by windblown silt. This area has some verydeep deposits, forming some large bluffs. Natchez silt loam, a soilthat makes up about 170,000 acres in this area, is considered theMississippi state soil.

This region is part of an arc that spans the coast from New Jerseyto Texas. These diverse soils are best used for pasture land andforestry. The northern portion of the Coastal Plain is commonly calledthe Mississippi Sand Clay Hills. The southern Coastal Plain is thePiney Woods region of the state.

There are two Blackland Prairies, one in northeastern Mississippiin the Tupelo, Aberdeen, and Columbus area, and another, smallerone, in and near Scott County in south-central Mississippi. Many ofthe soils are very dark, like midwestern prairies.

This is an area of shallow shale-based soils within the upperCoastal Plain. The nearby Blackland Prairie soils form from chalkrocks rather than shale.

This is a mainly forested area between the marshes and the Coastal Plain.

These are zones of marsh along the Gulf of Mexico which differ fromthe rest of the state. This area is almost treeless, hasmarsh vegetation, and is uninhabited. It is part of thetransition of rivers and streams into the Gulf ofMexico that supports Gulf marine life. For more information about Mississippi soils, visitwww.msucares.com/crops/soils/index.html.

Soil particles small bowlsspoons water alum (optional)

Have you ever heard someone call sticky mudBuckshot mud? Soils with a large amount of clayparticles (the smallest basic soil solid) have someunique features. When these soils dry, small roundballs form at the surface that look like shotgun buckshot, hence the popular name for Delta claysoils, buckshot. Soils with large clay contents

have very slow water infiltration rates; this makes the area a good location for aquacultureand rice production.

Just like humans must sometimes supplement our diet with vitamins, soil needs a boost from fertilizer. Over time, soilcan become depleted after crops and gardens are planted year after year. Adding fertilizer can help give soil the nutrientsit needs to continue to grow healthy plants. There are three main elements in fertilizer:

Nitrogen is present in air and soil and makes up 78 percent of the atmosphere. It can be depleted by certain crops,such as corn. This is why a farmer will rotate crops from year to year. For example, corn may deplete nitrogen from thesoil one year, so a farmer may grow soybeans in that field the following year. Soybeans add nitrogen back into the soil.

Phosphorus is an element in the nitrogen family. It is necessary to help plants with photosynthesis. Photosynthesis ishow plants store and use light from the sun to make food. Along with light, plants also need carbon dioxide and waterfor the process. Phosphorus is especially important early on as a plant begins to grow.

Potassium is an essential nutrient for plant growth found in soil. A small amount is available to plants, so sometimesfarmers will need to add it through fertilizer. Potassium is associated with movement of water, nutrients, and carbohydratesin plant tissue. If soil lacks potassium, growth is stunted and yields can be reduced.

Peggy McKey of Edwards composts food waste from her kitchen using red wiggler worms.The worms turn the waste into vermicompost, a dark nutrient-dense soil amendment she

uses in her garden.Peggys compost bins include a bathtub and a watering trough, which she covers

with boards. The bins sit in a barn behind her house. The bedding material inthe bins consists of shredded black and white newspaper (no colored inkallowed), hay, and leaves, which must be kept moist but not wet. The binsare opaque (worms do not like light), well ventilated, and well drained.Red wigglers can eat about half their weight in food each day.Red wigglers eat almost anything but meat and fat, Peggy said.They are primarily vegetarians. They dont even eat peanut butterbecause it has too much fat.Peggy feeds her red wigglers fruit and vegetable cores, hulls andpeels; tea bags; coffee filters with grounds; cereal; bread products;and paper plates and napkins. Sand and crushed egg shells areadded to assist the worms with their digestive process. The wormseat the food waste and bedding material then excrete wormcastings. Over time, the castings and well-decomposed beddingmaterial become the dark soil-like vermicompost.By spring, both of the compost bins will be full of vermicompost.I use shovelfuls of this in my garden, she said. It makes a great

fertilizer.For more information on composting with red wiggler worms, contact

Peggy at 601.624.8888 or peggycmckey@gmail.com. Also, see the article inthe May/June 2015 issue of the Mississippi Farm Country magazine.

Red Wigglers

All soil is made up of three types of mineral particles, SAND, SILT, & CLAY, mixed in with organic matter andmicro-organisms. When these particles are together in soil, their particle size allows air, water, organic matter, andorganisms to pass between the particles. This is called pore space. Sand particles are the only part that can beseen by the naked eye. Sand is the largest of the three and has a coarse, gritty texture. Sandy soil is not best forplants, because water moves through it too quickly. Silt and clay particles cannot be seen individually. Silt is thesecond-largest and has the consistency of flour. Silt feels smooth and soft. Clay is the smallest and it holds watervery well. When wet, clay feels sticky to the touch. This activity will explore different particles that make up soil.

ACTIVITYCollect a one-cup or more soil sample.CAUTION: This activity will NOT work with most potting soils, as they are mostly organic matter.

Place one inch of soil into a one-quart jar. Add water until the jar is 2/3 to 3/4 full. Add one teaspoon of alum.

(Alum is a water softener found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. It helps the soil settle faster, but is notnecessary). Be sure the lid is on very tight. You may also use 3 or 4 inches of soil if you would like to see largerlayers. Just be sure to record the depth you start with so you can accurately determine the soil particle by layer.Shake the jar vigorously until all the particles are sufficiently wet and separated by the water. About two minutes.

Set the jar down and allow the soil to settle.

After one minute, take the ruler and measure the amount of sand on the bottom of the jar and record this information.Allow the soil to settle for three to four hours, then measure again and record the level of the silt.

The next day, the rest of the soil should have settled, depending on the amount of clay in the sample. Observe andremeasure the layers and record their results.

NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS POTASSIUM

FARMS NEED FERTILIZER

Composting with

FIND THE

WORMThere is a

small worm

buried

somewhere

in

this Ag Mag.

Can you find it?

GULF COAST MA

RSH

This activity was adapted from the Educators Guide that accompanies the book Seed, Soil, Sun by Cris Peterson. The guide was created by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

A n a g r i c u l t u r a l n e w s l e t t e r f o r k i d s f r o mM i s s i s s i p p i F a r m B u r e a u F e d e r a t i o n

:@BG

MA>:N?>=

>K:MBHG

This issue of Ag Mag is

compliments of:

Issues of Ag Mag can be purchased at cost: 20 for $5.Contact the Womens Department at pjones@msfb.org

or 601.977.4854.

When you get down to the nitty gritty, all life depends on soil. It is one of our mostimportant natural resources. To have life, you must have soil and to have soil,you must have life. The entire world, and all of the ecosystems in it, aredependent on soil. Soil is part of what makes Earth different from all of theother planets.

Soil is made up of mineral particles (sand, silt, and clay), humus or organicmatter (rotting plants), gases, liquids, and tons of tiny

organisms, both living and dead. Soil is more than justdirt. Dirt is the name for the mineral part of soil. Soilis home to earthworms, moles, grubs, centipedes,millipedes, snails, slugs, beetles, ants, fungi, insectlarvae, bacteria, mushrooms, and many otherorganisms.There are more living things in aspoonful of soil than there are people in the world. Most of what isalive in soil is microbes like bacteria that can only be seen with amicroscope. Each one of us relies on soil every day, whether we realize it or not.

Of course, the most obvious way is through agriculture. Soil is essential to growing the materials usedto make our food, clothing, fuel, and shelter. However, soil also acts as a filter for clean water, provides afoundation for your home, and helps the atmosphere by emitting and absorbing gasses and dust.

Soil types differ from place to place. Mississippi is unique because it has so many different types of soils.Of the 12 types of soil found in the world, Mississippi has eight.

AgMagSOIL

Soil under the microscope at x400 magnification wecan see fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and protozoa.

S B Y K M C B H F W D G B I YW N L X X E M C R F O M A S LR O I M U D Y O V D W Z E L FE I R A R P D N A L K C A L BZ P P M L F L A T W O O D S PI N T O S P L X Y L S N E Y OL T O T R O L T F U I C L A TI S K I E E I A R T B S T L AT O K S S S S O T U C L A C SR P S C N O H P C S I Z C A SE M J E D P R K A O A C F S IF O D T S J S E S C E O S G UQ C H O R H U M U S E T C F MJ L H R O N E G O R T I N V PT P C T D N A S B V J P V Z W

Larry OldhamExtension Soils Specialist

Mississippi State Extension Service

What is a soil scientist, and what does a soil scientist do?A soil scientist studies and manages the mixture of minerals,organic matter, water, and air which forms on the surface ofthe land. Most life on earth depends on this soil for food, feed,fuel, forages, fiber, and pharmaceuticals. It is vital in sustaininghumans, farm production, and environmental stewardship.

What is your job at Mississippi State? Why did you decideto do this?I am the statewide Extension soils specialist working in soilfertility (helping crops grow), soil management (protecting thesoil), and environmental stewardship (protecting the entirelandscape).

After studying soils in graduate school, I went into Extensionbecause I get to apply my science knowledge to improvepeoples lives.

What types of skills do you need to be a soil scientist?Soil science is the intersection where the basic sciences ofchemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics are applied.Communication and critical thinking skills are required to dothis.

What does a soil scientist study in school?Lots of science!

Do you enjoy your job?Yes! It is different every day.

A good resource for teaching schoolchildren about soil ishttp://www.soils4teachers.org/home. More information about soilcan be found at Soil Education/NRCS. NRCS stands for NaturalResources Conservation Service.

Faces of Mississippis

Kevin KennedyArea Conservationist

Natural Resources Conservation Service

What is a conservationist, and what do they do?A soil conservationist is a trained planner who isknowledgeable in various ways to treat the land to conserveour natural resources. As a Natural Resources ConservationService Soil Conservationist, youll spend most of your timein the field working with farmers, ranchers, foresters, and otherland users. Youll offer conservation planning and technicalhelp to everyone from family farmers to local governmentofficials. Youll suggest to them ways to conserve the soil,improve water quality and quantity, manage nutrients, restorewetlands, and protect and improve wildlife habitat. A soilconservationist assists the local Soil and Water ConservationDistrict in addressing local conservation priorities and helpingcarry them out.

What types of skills do you need to be a conservationist?We at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS) need people who arecommitted to action. People who want to apply their educationand experience to making sure that all of us enjoy thebenefits of productive soil, clean water, clean air, and theabundant wildlife that comes from a healthy environment.People who are motivated and committed to action makegreat conservationists. People who have these skills are easilytrained on the job to be a good conservationist.

What does a conservationist study in school?A bachelors degree or higher that includes a major field ofstudy (including 300-level courses) in soil conservation or arelated agriculture or natural science discipline such asagronomy, soil science, forestry, agriculture education, oragriculture engineering. The study must include 30 semesterhours in a natural resource or agriculture field, includingat least 12 semester hours in a combination of soil andplant science.

Do you enjoy your job? I enjoy my job very well. I have worked with the agency for 32years in various parts of the state. I enjoy working with peopleand agencies in conserving our natural resources. Mississippiis blessed to have such an abundance of natural resources,and nowhere in this great country is there a better place towork in the conservation field than Mississippi.

The Mississippi State University Extension ServiceSoil Testing Laboratory provides service for farmers,landowners, gardeners, and anyone else with an interestin the fertility level of a soil.

The lab analyzes soil samples submitted by the publicthrough their local Extension offices. Recommendationsfor plant nutrition are then provided based on the resultsthat may or may not include fertilizer or lime additions. More information on gathering soil samples, sending themin, and understanding the results are available through theExtension offices or http://MSUcares.com/.

SOIL TESTING LAB

Farmers are also conservationists. One way farmersconserve soil is to use no-till, or zero-till, farming. Thisis a way of planting crops without disturbing the soil.This technique increases the amount of water thatinfiltrates into the soil and helps the soil keeporganic matter. It also helps maintain vital nutrients

in the soil. In many areas, it can also reduce oreliminate soil erosion, or wearing away of the soil over time.

BLACKLANDBUCKSHOTCLAYCOASTAL PLAINSCOMPOSTDELTADENSITYEROSIONFERTILIZERFLATWOODSHUMUSLOESSNITROGENPHOSPHORUSPORE SPACEPOTASSIUMSANDSILTSOILWORMS