Business : Measure what’s underground at Aug. 9 soil workshop

Measure what’s underground, Fri., Aug. 9, when North Iowa Agronomy Partners and Trace Genomics host Soil At Work. The free, two-hour morning workshop in Dysart covers the importance of soil microbiology to successful crop management and introduces ground-breaking technology that provides actionable, in-depth soil biology data. Attendees earn 0.5 Continuing Education Units in Soil and Water Management.

“As agronomists, whether we’re looking at diseases, insect issues or overall plant health, understanding the soil’s impact is a real challenge” said Jeremy Sills, agronomy consultant with North Iowa Agronomy Partners. “You can make decisions after problems arise, or use a tool that gives you detailed soil data and analysis up front to mitigate any problems from the start. That’s a game-changer.”    

Soil is a living network of billions of organisms that provide an environment for the crop. Its biology explains why certain areas are more productive than others and reveals soil borne diseases that may be lurking.

“Soil is a grower’s most valuable asset,” said Pat Dumstorff, Row Crop Business Lead with Trace Genomics, a company that can now profile soil’s DNA. “Thanks to new technology, agronomists and farmers are in a position to know as much about the soil under their feet as they do about what’s happening above ground. It eliminates the guesswork.”         

Simply collect and send samples with a soil collection kit. Trace Genomics then uses a proprietary DNA extraction and sequencing process to identify and quantify millions of microbes in the soil. The data is decoded, using high-speed, cost-efficient data analysis to compare against a large and growing set of soil data. Trace Genomics then helps growers make the best decisions for their fields based on data-driven, evidence-based information that’s easily accessible on their customer portal.

Soil At Work will be held at the Dysart City Community Building, 418 Main St., from 8 to 10 a.m. and includes breakfast. Register online at www.tracegenomics.com or call Trace Genomics at (650) 332-6661.