The high cost of fertilizer has had a major impact on farmers’ management decisions since Washington State University’s last soil health conference a year ago, an event organizer says.

To revisit the topic, a speaker at this year’s SoilCon online conference will discuss how growers choose soil amendments.

The speaker will address the issue by “thinking more critically about what you’re putting on,” said Molly McIlquham, WSU Extension coordinator for the Washington Soil Health Initiative.

SoilCon will be Feb. 14-15. The online event begins at 8 a.m. both days.

Soil health has become a popular topic in mainstream media, McIlquham said. Conference organizers want to get at the science beyond “broad claims” and help farmers determine whether certain concepts will work on their land.

Other topics include a scientific roundtable discussion about cover crops and managing residue in organic production systems and dryland production. A producer panel will also discuss the various production systems.

The conference will explain the metrics used to assess soil health, how those metrics change according to production system and region, and the best management practices to support a resilient soil system.

The topics are relevant to agriculture and natural resource professionals, producers, consultants, university faculty and students and members of the public, she said.

Last year, 1,000 people registered for the virtual conference. McIlquham hopes to top that number this year.

She estimates at least 25% of the audience are farmers.

“We’re excited to be able to reach people all across the country and even the world,” she said. “We’re hoping (farmers) come away with a new lens to think about their soil, thinking of it as a cycle, a living system, but also one that can change and adapt over time.”

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