Revitalizing Degraded Soils

Regenerative agricultural practices and composite application of soil amendments and inoculants could help revitalize soil health, reduce fertilizer use, and enhance the sustainability and profitability of row crop production in Georgia. Ultisols, the most common soil type in Georgia, are highly weathered soils with low organic matter and poor native fertility. UGA crop and soil scientists established long-term soil health projects at different locations to assess the performance of various regenerative agricultural practices and how they can be seamlessly integrated into existing cropping systems. They have observed improved soil health conditions with the continual application of poultry litter as a soil amendment. The amendment could potentially have a $77.3 million economic impact in Georgia every year for corn and cotton crops. A USDA-FSA grant proposal has been approved for funding, which will be used to help foster grower adoption of conservation agricultural practices for improved soil health and resilience of cropping systems.