Mar 3, 2026, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Cost:
FREE, in-person and via Zoom
Location:
Kottman Hall 103, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210
Website:
Attachments:
SENR Speaker Series welcomes Dr. Anna Cates
The SENR Speaker Series welcomes Dr. Anna Cates, State Soil Health Specialist for the University of Minnesota Extension and Associate Professor in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota, who will discuss, "Reassessing soil health in Minnesota" starting at 4:00 p.m. in room 103 Kottman Hall or via Zoom.
Title: Reassessing soil health in Minnesota
About the talk: In Minnesota, we have relatively low adoption of soil health practices like cover crops and reduced tillage on relatively highly fertile cropland. Soil health research in the state has shown mixed and unconvincing effects of soil health practices on common indicators like soil organic matter pools. Soil structure, however, is more responsive to reducing tillage and adding cover crops. Since structure connects biological and physical soil properties, it may well be a better connection to farmers who are deeply concerned with managing both dry and wet conditions in the face of fluctuating water conditions from year to year. There’s evidence that better soil health leads to stronger soils in the face of heavy rains. But there are still gaps in our ability to connect in-field measurements to water quality outcomes. Survey data suggests that to reach more audiences, agronomic research must be paired with strong social networks using soil health practices, and clarify risk and profit outcomes of adoption.
Dr. Cates is the State Soil Health Specialist for the University of Minnesota Extension and Associate Professor in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate. She studied soil science, agroecology, and agronomy at UW-Madison, receiving an MSc and PhD. Dr. Cates' research focuses on soil organic matter storage and cycling and developing soil health systems for upper Midwest cropping systems. Dr. Cates leads the MN Office for Soil Health, a collaboration between the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources and the MN Water Resources Center. She enjoys developing applied research to help farmers understand and adopt new practices.