Title: Examine best management practices for improving soil health.
Course: Agricultural Production Technology (18301-I) > Section: Using Soil Science in Agricultural Production

Examination should include

- the current state of the soil (e.g., organic matter, macronutrient and micronutrient availability)
- the planned use of the soil
- soil management practices (e.g., no-till farming, conservation tillage, crop rotation, cover cropping, mulching, grassed waterways, buffer strips).

Process/Skill Questions:

- What is organic matter?
- What effect does organic matter have the physical and chemical properties of soil?
- What soil conservation practices can producers utilize to prevent soil degradation and build organic matter?
- What are the environmental costs to not using best management practices for a given area?
- Why is no-till farming recommended by soil scientists as a best practice?
- Why is rotational grazing recommended for increasing soil health?

Teacher Resource: Agriculture: Programs, Best Management Practices and Topics of Interest, EPA (https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/z-agriculture-index)