Exploring the mysteries of soil in search of answers that you can use in your garden or on your farm. Each week features scientists and experts sharing insights into topics like soil science, composting, cover cropping, biochar, no-till, and fungi, among other things! In Search of Soil is hosted and produced by Diego Footer.
In Search of Soil
Claim This Podcastby Diego Footer
4.9(106 reviews)
24 episodes
Updated Inactive
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Podcast Overview
Exploring the mysteries of soil in search of answers that you can use in your garden or on your farm. Each week features scientists and experts sharing insights into topics like soil science, composting, cover cropping, biochar, no-till, and fungi, among other things! In Search of Soil is hosted and produced by Diego Footer.
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Publishing Since
2/18/2023
1 verified contact email on file for In Search of Soil
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Recent Episodes
July 29, 2023
Soil Macrofauna with Dr. Adriano Sofo - ISOS S2 #10
<p>In this episode of <em>In Search of Soil</em>, we’re talking to Italian soil Scientist Dr. Adriano Sofo to shed some light on the importance of soil macrofauna, earthworms, beetles, ants, and the like, and their roles in building healthier soil for more sustainable agriculture.</p> <p>Dr. Adriano Sofo is an associate professor in the University of Basilicata in Matera, Italy. Cited more than four thousand times, his research interests include plant-soil interactions, biogeochemistry, and environmental botany. With a passion for educating, he believes that information dissemination is the key to creating a more sustainable and regenerative agricultural landscape.</p> <p><a href= "https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=BYC9328AAAAJ&hl=en">List of Dr. Adriano Sofo’s Works</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>WATCH FULL EPISODES</strong> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a title= "YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS" href= "https://bit.ly/watchISOS">YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS</a></span></p> <p><strong>SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING</strong><br /> <br /> → Shop: <a href= "https://growepic.co/shop">https://growepic.co/shop</a><br /> → Seeds: <a href= "https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests">https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests</a><br /> <br /> <strong>LEARN MORE</strong><br /> <br /> → All Our Channels: <a href= "https://growepic.co/youtube">https://growepic.co/youtube</a><br /> → Blog: <a href= "https://growepic.co/blog">https://growepic.co/blog</a><br /> → Podcast: <a href= "https://growepic.co/podcasts">https://growepic.co/podcasts</a><br /> → Discord: <a href= "https://growepic.co/discord">https://growepic.co/discord</a><br /> → Instagram: <a href= "https://growepic.co/insta">https://growepic.co/insta</a><br /> → TikTok: <a href= "https://growepic.co/tiktok">https://growepic.co/tiktok</a><br /> → Pinterest: <a href= "https://growepic.co/pinterest">https://growepic.co/pinterest</a><br /> → Twitter: <a href= "https://growepic.co/twitter">https://growepic.co/twitter</a><br /> → Facebook: <a href= "https://growepic.co/facebook">https://growepic.co/facebook</a><br /> → FB Group: <a href= "https://growepic.co/fbgroup">https://growepic.co/fbgroup</a></p> <h2><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In this episode of In Search of Soil</strong></span></h2> <ul> <li>Traditional agricultural practices that deplete soil organic matter and biodiversity (01:45)</li> <li>How Dr. Sofo defines minimum till (05:23)</li> <li>The band of soil that plays the greatest role in agronomy and the band of soil you don’t want to disturb (07:04)</li> <li>Incorporating organic matter into the soil vs. leaving organic matter on the soil surface (10:07)</li> <li>Completely wet soil vs. wet soil surface: is there a difference in plant health? (14:05) <ul> <li>It all depends on the root morphology and root architecture (18:15)</li> </ul> </li> <li>How different irrigation systems can affect plant growth (19:33)</li> <li>Will tillage dry out soil faster? (24:50)</li> <li>Why isn’t sustainable agriculture viewed as a better option? Why do farmers still subscribe to conventional farming practices? (27:33) <ul> <li>The soil has as much carbon as the biosphere and the atmosphere (32:38)</li> </ul> </li> <li>The importance of soil microfauna, mesofauna, macrofauna, and megafauna (33:28)</li> <li>The roles that earthworms play in soil health (39:00)</li> <li>What roles do ants play in soil health? (42:15)</li> <li>Who aerates the soil more, earthworms or ants? (44:31)</li> <li>How to increase the earthworm population in your soils (47:42)</li> <li>Why does the soil collapse with tillage but maintains its structure with the macrofauna? (49:52)</li> <li>Speeding up the reversal of compaction (57:01) <ul> <li>Aerating the soil with a broadfork (59:59)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Is it possible to get to a point where you can let nature take care of the soil? (01:01:17)</li> <li>Choosing the gentle approach over the harsh approach (01:05:10)</li> <li>Organic matter in soil: layering vs. mixing (01:06:18)</li> <li>Defining sustainable agriculture today (01:09:57)</li> <li>What Dr. Adriano Sofo wants farmers to know (01:11:18)</li> </ul>
July 22, 2023
The Science of EM (Essential Microorganisms) with Dr. Matthew Wood - ISOS S2 #9
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In this episode of <em>In Search of Soil</em>, we’re talking to one of the pioneers in developing probiotic technology, Dr. Matthew Wood, to shed some light on what efficient microbes (EM) are, what they do to the soil, and how our soils can benefit from adding them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Matthew Wood earned his Bachelor’s degree in Soil and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his Master’s degree working under Dr. Teruo Higa from the University of Ryukus in Okinawa, Japan. His work in probiotics resulted in global engagements in many fields including microbiology, agriculture, and human health. In 2004, he founded SCD Probiotics where they develop and commercialize consortia fermentation technologies for multiple industries.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">More on microbes at SCD Probiotics: <a href= "https://www.scdprobiotics.com/">https://www.scdprobiotics.com/</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>WATCH FULL EPISODES</strong> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a title= "YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS" href= "https://bit.ly/watchISOS">YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS</a></span></p> <p><strong>SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING</strong><br /> <br /> → Shop: <a href= "https://growepic.co/shop">https://growepic.co/shop</a><br /> → Seeds: <a href= "https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests">https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests</a><br /> <br /> <strong>LEARN MORE</strong><br /> <br /> → All Our Channels: <a href= "https://growepic.co/youtube">https://growepic.co/youtube</a><br /> → Blog: <a href= "https://growepic.co/blog">https://growepic.co/blog</a><br /> → Podcast: <a href= "https://growepic.co/podcasts">https://growepic.co/podcasts</a><br /> → Discord: <a href= "https://growepic.co/discord">https://growepic.co/discord</a><br /> → Instagram: <a href= "https://growepic.co/insta">https://growepic.co/insta</a><br /> → TikTok: <a href= "https://growepic.co/tiktok">https://growepic.co/tiktok</a><br /> → Pinterest: <a href= "https://growepic.co/pinterest">https://growepic.co/pinterest</a><br /> → Twitter: <a href= "https://growepic.co/twitter">https://growepic.co/twitter</a><br /> → Facebook: <a href= "https://growepic.co/facebook">https://growepic.co/facebook</a><br /> → FB Group: <a href= "https://growepic.co/fbgroup">https://growepic.co/fbgroup</a></p> <h2><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In this episode of In Search of Soil</strong></span></h2> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Matthew Wood’s interest in the soil sciences (01:40)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Studying in Japan and working with Dr. Teruo Higa (03:24)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Notable findings working with Dr. Teruo Higa (04:43)</span> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">An increase in the diversity index (05:05)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Plant-microbe communication (06:53)</span></li> </ul> </li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What is EM? (08:35)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The concept of consortia in the context of microbes (11:25)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The whole is greater than the sum of individual parts (12:28)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The question of the purity of cultures (15:11)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What happens in the transition microbes go through (16:22)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cultured microbes adapting to the soil pH (19:25)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Stimulating the biology in the soil (22:17)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Observing a single microorganism would yield different findings versus observed together with other microorganisms (25:45)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What EM will do to the microfauna in your local soil (28:35)</span> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A potential reason why EM hasn’t been adopted widely (30:30)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">An article about classifying soils based on which microbes were dominant in the system (31:22)</span></li> </ul> </li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How long before seeing the long-term changes made by EM (32:57)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SCD Probiotics approach: biochemical products that act like chemicals</span> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Breaking the business: industrial, agricultural, consumer (35:57)</span></li> </ul> </li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Culturing out mother cultures and lowering the cost per application (38:29)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Matthew Woods’ SCD product recommendations to start with (39:51)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Using beneficial microorganisms as foliar feed (43:00)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ways that beneficial microbes push out pathogenic microbes (44:11)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The worry of whether the beneficial microbes will live or die after applying them to a system (46:42)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What EM’s major groups of microbes do for the soil (48:44)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Adding a mother culture to a compost pile (51:29)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Beneficial microbes neutralizing foul odors (54:48)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sharing the built-up localized bacteria base (55:33)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Teruo Higa: It’s not the presence of the pathogen that causes the problem, it’s the high population of the pathogen that does. (57:17)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Can you go overboard with adding mother culture to your soil? (59:06)</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Using a mother culture to re-energize depleted soils (01:00:35)</span></li> </ul>
July 15, 2023
The Science of Biochar with Dr. Kurt Spokas - ISOS S2 #8
<p>In this episode of In Search of Soil, we’re talking to soil scientist Dr. Kurt Spokas of the United States Department of Agriculture to walk us through what biochar is, what it can potentially do, and what its limitations are when it comes to applying it to agricultural production.</p> <p>Dr. Kurt Spokas is a soil scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture who has dedicated years of research on the impact of farming practices on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and other greenhouse gases, including transport and surface exchange of greenhouse gases. His areas of interest include biogeochemistry, contaminant hydrology and water quality, and soil physics.</p> <p>Dr. Spokas' Publications: <a href= "https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/swmr/people/kurt-spokas/publications/"> https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/swmr/people/kurt-spokas/publications/</a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>WATCH FULL EPISODES</strong> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a title= "YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS" href= "https://bit.ly/watchISOS">YouTube https://bit.ly/watchISOS</a></span></p> <p><strong>SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING</strong><br /> <br /> → Shop: <a href= "https://growepic.co/shop">https://growepic.co/shop</a><br /> → Seeds: <a href= "https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests">https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests</a><br /> <br /> <strong>LEARN MORE</strong><br /> <br /> → All Our Channels: <a href= "https://growepic.co/youtube">https://growepic.co/youtube</a><br /> → Blog: <a href= "https://growepic.co/blog">https://growepic.co/blog</a><br /> → Podcast: <a href= "https://growepic.co/podcasts">https://growepic.co/podcasts</a><br /> → Discord: <a href= "https://growepic.co/discord">https://growepic.co/discord</a><br /> → Instagram: <a href= "https://growepic.co/insta">https://growepic.co/insta</a><br /> → TikTok: <a href= "https://growepic.co/tiktok">https://growepic.co/tiktok</a><br /> → Pinterest: <a href= "https://growepic.co/pinterest">https://growepic.co/pinterest</a><br /> → Twitter: <a href= "https://growepic.co/twitter">https://growepic.co/twitter</a><br /> → Facebook: <a href= "https://growepic.co/facebook">https://growepic.co/facebook</a><br /> → FB Group: <a href= "https://growepic.co/fbgroup">https://growepic.co/fbgroup</a></p> <h2><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In this episode of In Search of Soil</strong></span></h2> <ul> <li>Any changes in what we know about biochar in the last 10 years? (01:42)</li> <li>Questions that still remain around biochar (02:20)</li> <li>Why we can’t yet answer how biochar works (02:51)</li> <li>Biochar: a positive, a negative, or neither? (04:48)</li> <li>Potential negatives of biochar that can possibly hinder plant growth (05:56)</li> <li>Dr. Kurt Spokas’ research on biochar on the nitrogen cycle (08:05)</li> <li>Biochar to potentially mitigate nitrous oxide emissions (09:24)</li> <li>The variability between biochars (10:27) <ul> <li>The differences and nuances of variability between biochars (12:36)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Variably defined biochars in different studies (13:18)</li> <li>Aged biochars (14:50)</li> <li>What changes are happening in a biochar undergoing oxidation? (16:26)</li> <li>Biochar for agriculture before completely understanding what it is and what it does (18:08)</li> <li>No two biochars are the same (19:57)</li> <li>Is there a sweet spot for feedstock materials to use as biochar? (20:55)</li> <li>Silica deficiency in soils (22:53) <ul> <li>Silica entering the soil (23:32)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Scientific knowns when it comes to biochar (24:06) <ul> <li>Biochar’s potential as construction material (26:30)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Can you use biochar as a substitute in a potting mix? (27:20)</li> <li>Can a small amount of biochar make a difference? (28:16)</li> <li>Is more biochar better than less biochar? (30:07)</li> <li>Adding the bio to the char to become biochar (30:44)</li> <li>Why nutrients attach to biochars (32:32)</li> <li>Surface area of organic matter vs. surface area of biochar (34:15)</li> <li>How long can the carbon in biochar sit in the soil? (35:40) <ul> <li>What makes the carbon in biochar unique (37:05)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Gradual breaking down of carbon over time (39:06)</li> <li>Adding carbon now via biochar is adding carbon later (40:33)</li> <li>Biochar and beneficial agricultural microbial groups (41:42)</li> <li>Amazonian soils, Terra Preta, and biochar (42:48) <ul> <li>Was adding charcoal to the soil actually intentional? (46:40)</li> <li>Can we say the char actually made the soils better? (48:03)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Higher microbial populations, slower carbon turnover (49:49)</li> <li>The microbe population that appears high in Terra Preta soils (52:47)</li> <li>To add or not to add biochar to your farmland? (53:33)</li> <li>Potential negative to adding biochar (54:52)</li> <li>A key piece of information to quantifying biochar and its effects (56:22)</li> <li>Reproducibility of activated carbon products (57:46)</li> <li>Pushing the science of biochar forward (01:00:07)</li> <li>Homemade biochars (01:01:36)</li> <li>Biochars and potential toxins such a heavy metals and toxic organic compounds (01:04:01)</li> <li>For farmers: some takeaways about biochar (01:07:06)</li> <li>Where to find more information on biochar, its application, etc. (01:08:32)</li> <li>Where to find Dr. Kurt Spokas and his work (01:10:18)</li> </ul>
24 total episodes available
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