Soil Health

Under the leadership of Amelia Magistrali, the UConn Extension Soil Health Program is dedicated to promoting the importance of healthy soils in sustaining agricultural productivity and protecting our environment. Healthy soils are the foundation of successful farming and gardening, contributing to enhanced crop yields, improved water quality, and increased biodiversity.

Our program focuses on providing education, research, and resources that empower farmers, gardeners, and landowners to implement soil health practices tailored to their unique environments. With a commitment to sustainable agriculture, we offer guidance on soil testing, amendments, crop rotation, cover cropping, and other practices that enhance soil vitality and resilience.

Amelia’s expertise in soil science and her passion for community engagement drive our initiatives to raise awareness about the critical role of soil health in agricultural systems. Through workshops, field days, and collaborative research projects, we strive to foster a culture of soil stewardship among our participants.

Join us as we cultivate a deeper understanding of soil health and its vital role in achieving sustainable agriculture. Explore our resources, participate in our events, and connect with fellow advocates for healthy soils as we work together to improve our ecosystems and food systems.

Together, we can nurture our soil and ensure a productive and sustainable future for generations to come!

 

Upcoming Events & Training

The UConn Soil Health program will be supporting or facilitating the following events and trainings. Please use the associated links for more information and to register.

A flyer advertising a cover crop termination event taking place on September 23 from 3:30-5:30pm at the UConn Research Farm. The event will focus on cover crop termination strategies and is sponsored by UConn Extension and CT RC&D. A flyer advertising the Agricultural Composting Program with a person holding a handful of compost and another image of a three bin aerated static pile composting system.

There is now a waitlist for the Cover Crop Event, please join the waitlist here: Cover Crop Termination Event

Learn more about the CT Agricultural Composting Program and apply here: CT Ag Composting Program

Amelia Magistrali taking a soil sample

Contact

Phone: 860-409-9067
amelia.magistrali@uconn.edu
Address: Hartford County Extension Center
270 Farmington Ave, Unit 4, Suite 262
Farmington, CT, 06032

Consultations

If you are a farmer or landowner looking for soil health guidance or support with soil testing, please reach out to Amelia Magistrali directly by email or phone.

If you are a new and beginning farmer, you can request an on-farm consultation through the UConn Solid Ground program

If you are looking for support to complete soil health testing as part of an NRCS contract, please use this form to submit a request to the UConn Soil Health program to serve as a Qualified Individual.

 

Free Soil Testing through the CT Forest Collaborative

The Connecticut Forest Collaborative is a state-wide project led by Dr. Mayra Rodríguez González (UConn Extension Forestry) aiming to unlock the potential of private forests across the state by:

  • Strengthening wildlife habitat
  • Improving water quality
  • Supporting community-driven stewardship
  • Documenting emerging, non-traditional private land management models for conservation

As a part of this project, free soil tests and soil health guidance are available to landowners in Connecticut in municipalities with fewer than 50,000 residents. This does not have to include only forested land, but any property where soil health management and overall land stewardship are priorities.

Please visit s.uconn.edu/forestsoil to complete an Expression of Interest form to sign-up for soil test information through this program.

Diagram of pillars of CT Forest Health Collaborative. In the center is a dark brown shape labelled 'Our Pillars' and there are four larger shapes connected to these pillars going clockwise from the top right: In green, Restoration & Climate-Smart Adaptation: Translating science into on-the-ground action. In orange: Education & Capacity Building: Training communities, educators, and professionals. In green: Engagement & Communication: Connecting people with forests and with other people through dialogue and events. In orange: Monitoring & Data Science: Understanding the changing forest and tracking invasive species. A photo of a slice of soil from a pasture field with the photographers shoes visible in the image looking down from above.

UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory

The University of Connecticut Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory (SNAL) has been serving the farmers, greenhouse growers and residents of Connecticut for over 80 years. Dr Avishesh Neupane is the lab director; Patrick McIntosh is our full-time laboratory technician.

The Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory has three major objectives. First is to provide an inexpensive means for agricultural producers, homeowners and gardeners to test their soil fertility and receive environmentally sound limestone and fertilizer recommendations. The second major focus of the Laboratory is education. Through our analyses as well as outreach efforts, clients and the public are being informed about wise soil management and fertility practices. The Laboratory also analyses research samples for University faculty and graduate students and serves as a teaching laboratory for several Department of Plant Science classes.

In addition to routine soil fertility testing, the SNAL also offers commercial agronomic and commercial vegetable growers the Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT). From June 1st through August 15th, soil samples are analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen on a 24 hour turnover. As a companion to the PSNT, our laboratory performs the End-of-Season Cornstalk Nitrate Test after harvest.

George Leigh Minor Plant and Soil Health Center
27A Manter Rd.
Storrs, CT 06269
phone: 860-486-4274
fax: 860-486-4562
email: soiltest@uconn.edu

website: soiltesting.cahnr.uconn.edu