Contact
Dr. Amanda McWhirt
Fruit and Vegetable Crops, Horticulture Specialist
Phone: 501-671-2229
Email: amcwhirt@uada.edu
Dr. Aaron Cato
IPM for Horticulture Crops, Horticulture Specialist
Phone: 479-249-7352
Email: acato@uada.edu
Soil Health Training Toolkit

In 2023, the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Specialty Crop Soil Health Program was launched to support specialty crop growers in Benton, Washington, Carroll, and Madison counties by improving soil health through targeted education and training. Supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the program aimed to boost productivity and profitability by helping growers understand and enhance the health of their soils. Participants received free comprehensive soil health testing and attended a series of four in-person trainings that featured practical demonstrations on cover crops, soil fertility, pollinator habitats, and irrigation management.
This training series laid the groundwork for the development of the Soil Health Training Toolkit, a resource created to assist Extension agents and agricultural educators in delivering similar workshops in their own regions. The toolkit includes factsheets, demonstration videos, and curated supplemental materials compiled during the 2023 program to support ongoing soil health outreach and education.
What's Included:
This toolkit is divided into four sections, each with resources, presentations, and hands-on demonstration ideas:

Topics Covered:
- What is soil health and why it matters
- Key soil properties
- Principles of soil health: minimize disturbance, maximize cover/density
- Consequences of soil degradation
Field Demonstrations:
- Impacts of Tillage Using a Rainfall Simulator
- How to Collect a Soil Sample
Resources:

Topics:
- Compost basics and application strategies
- Benefits of organic inputs for soil microbes and fertility
- Fertilizer types and considerations
- Managing tillage and integrating cover crops
- Compost in high tunnel systems
Field Demonstrations:
- Compost source comparison
- Cover crop species/mix comparison
- Cover crop termination methods
Resources:
- Presentations
- Publications
- Videos
- What is composting? (UADA)
- Compost 101 Webinar (UADA)
- A Closer Look at Compost (UADA)
- The Why of Cover Crops (UADA)

Topics:
- Weed suppression using cover crops, mulches, and crop rotation
- Soil moisture monitoring
- Reduced tillage and erosion prevention
- NRCS support programs and funding
Field Demonstrations:
- Mulch comparison demo (Organix AG, Bio360, straw, compost, plastic)
- Installling and reading soil moisture sensors
Resources:
- Publications
- Videos
- NRCS Resources

Topics:
- Pollinator-friendly cover cropping and reduced tillage
- Soil biology and beneficial insect habitat
- Dual-benefit practices (cover crops, mulches, compost)
Field Demonstrations:
- Pollinator habitat comparison
Resources:
- Publications
The following toolkit was produced from the NWA Specialty Crop Soil Health Program with support by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.