Episode 22 - 9: From Playing in Dirt to a Soil Ecology Career with Dr. Alan J. Franzluebbers of North Carolina State University and USDA-ARS

Jeff Ishee and Eric Bendfeldt spoke with Dr. Alan Franzluebbers at the 2022 Winter Forage Conference. Dr. Franzluebbers is a professor and researcher of soil ecology and management with North Carolina State University and USDA's Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) based in Raleigh. Alan played in the dirt at a young age and this early interest grew into a lifelong career in studying and researching soil microbial life. He speaks of how important soil organic matter and biology are to nutrient cycling and how earthworms are an indicator of resources for decomposition being present. Additionally, he encourages a whole-system view of agriculture to enhance diversity to improve soil structure and overall ecosystem activity.

Dr. Franzluebbers recommended 'Managing Cover Crops Profitably' published by USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) to anyone interested in learning about cover cropping systems and soil health, which is a free online publication available at https://www.sare.org/resources/managing-cover-crops-profitably-3rd-edition/

For a list of Dr. Franzluebbers' recent research articles, please visit https://cals.ncsu.edu/crop-and-soil-sciences/people/ajfranzl

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.