Increasing the duration, number, and type of plant roots in soil through the presence of continuous living plants is an important ingredient for building healthier soil. Learn more here: wp.me/pclOv9-e0.

Southwestern Quebec’s high #organic matter soils cover an area of 12,000 hectares or 4% of the southern territory. These organic #soils are of great importance for high-value crops, like leafy greens. Read more here: wp.me/pclOv9-dK.

Soil pH matters because nutrients can be held or released by soil particles depending on soil pH. You can test and amend your soil so your garden has maximum potential, just like farmers do. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-y3

#Composts are partially decomposed organic #soil amendments. They add #carbon and other nutrients to the soil. They can also influence soil texture in a positive way. Learn more in this new #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-dz

Cohesion and adhesion are forces that help soil retain and release water. Read about how soil is important in the water cycle in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xV

Land reclamation is a requirement of companies seeking to alter the landscape for natural resource operations and/or land use changes. This photo shows a restored mining operation. Learn more about soil reclamation in this #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-cP

Soil can capture & retain water for a substantial amount of time, depending on the type of soil particles present. By storing water, soil supports plant & soil microbe health and growth. Learn more about how soil holds water in this #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-xV

Controlled traffic farming is an approach to address soil compaction. Controlled traffic farming limits where all field equipment is driven. This method reduces soil compaction and improves soil health. Read our #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-cn

The goal of soil health management is to minimize threats to #soil health that result in soil degradation. This #GroundedInSoils blog covers reducing soil compaction - including using root vegetables! More: wp.me/pclOv9-cc

Soil is a complex three-phase system, comprised of solids, liquids, and gases. This area of soil science study is called soil physics. Learn about this important area of study in this new #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xc

Learn about the soils of Ontario! The Wisconsinan #glaciation covered Ontario with ice thicknesses exceeding one kilometre. This glacial event deposited almost all the parent materials from which Ontario #soils have developed. #GroundedInSoils tells more: wp.me/pclOv9-c4

Keith Reid is a soil scientist working toward the sustainable management of soil resources. Learn about why he became a soil scientist and what he likes about soil in this new #GroundedInSoil blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xL

No single measurement quantifies #soil health. Soil scientists infer the health of a soil from a multitude of soil attributes, processes, and contexts. Tend to the soils with care to ensure that soils’ role in providing #ecosystem services will continue. wp.me/pclOv9-bT

You may have heard that #soil can have salts in it. Does this mean table salt? Not really. There are many types of salts that build up in the soil – which can be a bad thing. Learn more about soil salinization in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-x5

Individuals can improve the organic matter of the soil in their own yard (or workplace!) by adapting the best practices of farmers. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wZ

Though we typically refer to Alberta, Saskatchewan, & Manitoba as the Prairie Provinces, the true #prairies generally occupy only their southern portions. Shown: Chernozemic & Luvisolic great groups found in the Prairie Provinces. Read about their interesting #soils here: wp.me/pclOv9-bJ

Most soils are composed of inorganic mineral materials comprising the overwhelming bulk of a soil. Well-structured soils are composed of about 50% solids; most of the solids are mineral materials. Learn more about soil mineralogy in this #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-bA

Scientists are working with farmers and others to find ways to increase the soil organic matter on their farms. Leaving plant litter, reducing tillage, and using cover crops are a few methods being used. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wZ

Soil organic matter is a complex mixture of plant, animal, or microbial-derived residues at various stages of decomposition. Plants and microbial communities are usually the biggest contributors to #soil organic matter. Learn more in this blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wQ

What is soil organic matter? #Soil organic matter consists of both living and non-living organisms and their components. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wQ

📢The Global Soil Biodiversity Conference 2026 abstract submission deadline is coming up quickly 🐛🐜🕷️🦠🪱 Abstracts are due July 15th 23:59 PDT ‼️ Submit an abstract 👇 globalsoilbiodiversity2026.org/abstract/ @gsb2026.bsky.social

Charitha Hansima studied the environmental fate of veterinary antibiotics for her Masters degree. This work led her to the soil science community, and she started to see “the environment” through the lens of soil. Learn more: wp.me/pclOv9-xo

How have humans influenced #soil development? Activities like agriculture and logging disrupted the natural processes of soil development that were in place before the settlers arrived in Canada. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wI

A research team at the Natural Resources CA, CAForest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, AB, recently published results of a study using native #wetland species to reclaim treated fluid fine tailings. Read more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-eQ

Early bird registration prices end this Saturday, May 31st! Make sure to register to get your discount! "Soils for our Future - A Gathering of Global to Local Perspectives" will be held in Winnipeg, Canada, from July 20-25, 2025. Sign up for amazing tours and workshops! soilsforourfuture.ca

Soil surveys help understand the history and classification of soils in a specific area. #Soil scientists then create soil maps with this information to help in land use planning. Learn more in today’s blog: wp.me/pclOv9-aJ

Charitha Hansima is earning her PhD in soil science at the University of Manitoba. Her research is especially relevant for Prairie agroecosystems, where sustainable management of soils is key. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xo

In this #GroundedInSoils blog, we begin exploring biomes of Canada with #forest soils. Depending on the parent material, climate and more, #soils can be rich in organic matter and nutrients, or acidic with fewer #nutrients. Read more: wp.me/pclOv9-ax

We're fans of #fungi! Mycorrhizal mycelial networks in #soils can be pervasive and connect roots from multiple plants. They can facilitate energy and nutrient flow between them. A soil internet of sorts! Read more: wp.me/pclOv9-a8

Soils are now recognized as the most biodiverse habitat on Earth. Some biota in the soil can be seen, like ants and earthworms. Others can only be seen using a microscope. Learn more in this GroundedInSoils blog: bit.ly/3gzuiuH

Transformations of mineral and organic materials within the soil are very important for both soil creation and for plant nutrition. This is an important step in soil health. Learn more about soil formation in this blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wdR

Happy Earth Day! The 4R nutrient stewardship approach is a decision-making framework that guides farms in selecting the four ‘right’ actions related to fertilizer use. 4R optimizes nutrient acquisition by the crop. Read more: wp.me/pclOv9-9V

Soil formation begins when exposed sediments or rocks are acted upon by various physical, chemical, and biological processes. They fall into 4 major groups: additions, losses, transfers, & transformations. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wd

Congratulations to Charitha Hansima, U of Manitoba, who earned the Steve Pawluk Scholarship Award! Charitha is a PhD candidate with Dr Inoka Amarakoon investigating soil-based carbon sequestration mechanisms in Canadian Prairie agroecosystems.

Only a few areas of Canada were not glaciated, and the soils of these unglaciated regions reflect soil formation over much longer time periods than most Canadian soils, which affected Canadian soil formation. Read more here: wp.me/pclOv9-w6

Some plants can get #nitrogen from the air. Others rely on biological processes in the #soil to free up nitrogen from #organic matter and manure. In managed systems like farms, plants may need #fertilizer to meet their nitrogen needs. wp.me/pclOv9-9L

Plants acquire most of their essential nutrients ions from the soil pore water, a dynamic environment. In agriculture, much effort is made to understand the soil nutrient supply. Our #GroundedInSoil blog explains: wp.me/pclOv9-9n

One thing you don’t see when looking at soil is all the energy exchanges happening in the #soil! This is called the “soil food web.” Shown: fungi that live in the soil. Read our #GroundedInSoils blog to learn more! bit.ly/3v644Us

What are Canadian soils’ glacial legacies? The great ice sheets are responsible for the majority of sediments that Canadian soils have formed in and for the shape of the land surface itself. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-w6

A unique study involving commercial producer fields in the Brown Chernozemic Soil Zone of Saskatchewan, Canada provided further evidence that conservation agriculture practices can increase soil organic carbon and soil total nitrogen. Learn more here: wp.me/pclOv9-vT

Most Canadian soils developed in a stable biome, for example, the Boreal forest or grassland biome. And soil properties reflect the distinctive set of soil processes associated with a particular biome. Learn more here: wp.me/pclOv9-vN

Join us virtually on March 4, 5 and 6th 2025 for the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture 2025 Virtual Conference umanitoba.ca/agricultural...

A recently published Canadian Journal of Soil Science paper compares the results of conservation ag on commercial production fields to long-term small-plot systems, giving more concrete information on best practices for farmers. Learn more in this new #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-vT

Blake Weiseth's work is to evaluate different agricultural beneficial management practices for their ability to mitigate phosphorus losses in runoff water. Learn more here: wp.me/pclOv9-uc

A recent study showed that #covercrops can improve the ability of the #soil to buffer against rapid #heat change. Read more here: wp.me/pclOv9-vC.

Soil horizons differ from each other in colour, structure, texture, and many other properties. Studying the horizons in the #soil profile helps soil scientists create a picture of the #organic matter and minerals that make up soil in that location. wp.me/pclOv9-um

Canada’s soils are influenced by the geological history of each region. The type of rock from which soils form matters. There are three major classes of rocks in Canada: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Learn more about in this blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-vt

A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Soil Science investigated the effects that cover crops may have on #soil thermal properties. Read more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-vC

A major impact on developing #soils was the emergence of terrestrial invertebrates about 420 to 400 million years ago. Read more in part two of “How did the first soils evolve?” In this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-uI

Soils are now recognized as the most biodiverse habitat on Earth. Some biota in the #soil can be seen, like ants and earthworms. Others can only be seen using a microscope. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog: bit.ly/3gzuiuH