Speakers for third annual Midwest Soil Impovement Symposium announced

The third annual Midwest Soil Improvement Symposium: Research and Practical Insights into Using Gypsum is planned for March 7, 2013, in conjunction with Ohio State University's Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference in Ada, Ohio. The conference is scheduled for March 5-6. Both events will be held at the McIntosh Center on the campus of Ohio Northern University.
Co-sponsors for the Midwest Soil Improvement Symposium are the GYPSOIL division of Beneficial Reuse Management, Chicago, Ilinois; the Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, Indiana; and Ohio State University.
Confirmed speakers for the March 7 event include:

• Keynote by Dr. David R. Montgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations and a professor of geomorphology in the Department of Earth & Space Sciences at the University of Washington. Dr. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and a two-time winner of the Washington State Book Award.
• Dr. Warren Dick, professor, Environmental and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio
• Dr. Darrell Norton, soil scientist recently retired from the National Soil Erosion Research Lab, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, West Lafayette, Indiana
• Dr. Jerry Bigham, professor (retired), Environmental and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio
• Dr. Allen Torbert, research leader, National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Auburn, Alabama
• Dr. Ray Bryant, research soil scientist, Pasture Management and Watershed Management Research Unit, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, University Park, Pennsylvania
• John Andersen, president, Greenleaf Advisors, Chicago, Illinois
• Ron Chamberlain, agronomist and director of gypsum programs for Beneficial Reuse Management, marketer of GYPSOIL brand gypsum
• Mr. Greg Kneubuhler, owner and consultant for G & K Concepts, Harlan, Indiana
• Clint Nester, consultant, Nester Ag, Bryan, Ohio
The event will be moderated by Randall Reeder, agricultural engineer (retired), Ohio State University.
Background on gypsum use, research highlights, and gypsum impacts to soil and water quality and crop productivity, plus tips for gypsum application, will be discussed. In addition, there will be panel discussions with growers experienced at using agricultural gypsum.
The Midwest Soil Improvement Symposium is designed for certified crop consultants, university and extension personnel, farm managers, farm producers and others interested in soil science. Last year's symposium was held at Rulon Enterprises in Arcadia, Indiana, and drew nearly 200 people. Continuing Education Unit credits for Certified Crop Advisers will be available.

Researchers: Fertile topsoil could disappear within a century

The world may have only enough fertile topsoil to last 60 years, according to research presented at the Carbon Farming conference in Australia. The globe loses 75 billion tonnes of soil annually, according to research from the University of Sydney.
Soil mismanagement has led China to lose fertile topsoil at 57 times the rate that nature can replenish it, Europe to lose it at 17 times the rate, America at 10 times the rate and Australia at five times the rate, The (UK) Daily Telegraph reported.
If soil is not conserved, a rise in food prices and rampant shortages could result, researchers said.