Back to the basics soil fertility training March 11 in Marianna
Additionally, the workshop will include a tour of the Division of Agriculture’s Soil Testing and Research Lab, located at the cotton station.
By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Feb. 17, 2025
Fast facts
- Training to be held at Lon Mann Cotton Research Station
- Workshop includes tour of soil testing and research lab
- Register online
(286 words)
(With file photos of soil test lab, graphic)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Whether you’re new to soil science or been at it for years, there’s never a bad time to review the basics, and that’s what the March 11 soil fertility training workshop at Marianna is all about.
The workshop will be facilitated by Trent Roberts, professor of soil fertility, soil testing, and Bronc Finch, assistant professor and extension soil fertility specialist, and Chandler Arel, extension crop, soils and environmental sciences, all of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The event will be held at the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station, 3121 Highway 1 South, Marianna, and opens with on-site check-in at 8 a.m.
Lunch will be provided to participants who register by March 4. Participants may register online.
“This is the first soil fertility workshop that we have hosted in several years,” Roberts said. “We are going to get back to basics and cover some introductory topics so that we can build on them going forward.”
Finch called the workshop “an opportunity to refresh or gain new knowledge about some of the basics principles of soil fertility.”
“We hope that this workshop will lay the groundwork for future educational activities,” Roberts said.
The event will include sessions on:
- Plant essential nutrients.
- Soil basics.
- Soil and water conservation.
- Soil testing philosophy/interpretation.
Additionally, the workshop will include a tour of the Division of Agriculture’s Soil Testing and Research Lab, located at the cotton station. Since it opened in 1976, the lab has tested an estimated 5.7 million soil samples. In 2023 alone, the lab tested a record 220,032 soil samples.
The workshop is being presented by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the Arkansas Plant Food Association and the Arkansas Soil Testing Board.
For more information on personal finance, visit uaex.uada.edu/money. To learn more about extension programs, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact bfinch@uada.edu or tlrobert@uark.edu as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu