The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Soil Acidity and Soil Health Workshop in Fort Benton

The Chouteau County Conservation District and MSU Extension are teaming up for a soil acidity and soil health workshop at the Community Recreation Center in Fort Benton on March 22, 2017. The Community Center is located at 911 16th Street. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Most agricultural soils in Montana have near-neutral to basic conditions with surface soil pH 6.5 to 8. However, some areas of Montana have developed acidic soil layers near the surface as a result of fertilizer N use and no-till. The phenomena of soil acidification in Montana is largely confined to the upper 6” of soil. This past year Dr. Engel found surface soil layers with pH <5 (and as low as pH 3.9) at several farm sites, and with accompanying symptoms of crop aluminum toxicity. At soil depths below 6”, soil pH rises rapidly and may actually become alkaline (pH > 7) at depths of 12-15”. To date, some of the lowest pH values recorded on Montana cropland have occurred in Chouteau County.

Dr. Clain Jones (MSU Soil Fertility Specialist) and Dr. Rick Engel (MSU Associate Professor) will discuss where we are and where we are going with management of soil acidification which is resulting in crop failure in various regions in Chouteau County. In addition, they will present local and regional research results on the effects of management practices on soil acidity and crop yield.

The next speaker will be Dale Krause (Ag Consultant and Certified Crop Advisor). Dale will cover the results of a biological study he is conducting in low pH areas.

Lunch will be provided by the Chouteau County Conservation District. Door prizes will also be awarded to those in attendance.

Following lunch, a producer panel made up of Chouteau County Producers will answer questions and share management techniques. In addition Dr. Engel is requesting input from farmers on research activities he has planned for next season, including lime applications to small plot areas, and soil surveys of acid/aluminum toxicity impacted fields. Dr. Engel also needs eyes on the ground and an awareness of aluminum toxicity symptoms, so we can better understand the extent of this developing problem.

The workshop will conclude with a presentation from Marni Thompson, (NRCS Resource Conservationist). Marni’s presentation will cover long term soil solutions to acidity.

For any questions regarding the event or to RSVP, please contact Tyler Lane (MSU Extension – Chouteau County, 622-3751, tyler.lane@montana.edu) or Bob Nansel (Chouteau County NRCS) at 622-5627-3. Please RSVP by Friday, March 15th to make sure you get on the lunch list.

Montana State University U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.