During the course of a day, contributors to Soil-Science.info stumble across soil related news from a vast number of sources. As we find the news, we post it here, in The Daily Dirt, to share with the world. Currently, those contributing to our news clipping service are watching the Internet for articles related to: Carbon Sequestration; Chemistry; Composting, Conservation; Cooperative Extension; Forensics; Geospatial Technologies; Global Warming; K-12 Science Education; Manure Management; Environmental Microbiology; Nutrient Management; Organic Farming; Water Quality and Wetlands. We invite you sit back and browse our ever expanding blog of soil, environmental and natural resource related current events. Want to be notified when new articles are posted? We have made it easy for you to subscribe to The Daily Dirt.
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An Introduction to Rainwater Harvesting |
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Tuesday, 02 September 2008 13:47 |
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Rainwater harvesting is a technology used for collecting and storing rainwater from rooftops, the land surface or rock catchments using simple techniques such as jars and pots as well as more complex techniques such as underground check dams. The techniques usually found in Asia and Africa arise from practices employed by ancient civilizations within these regions and still serve as a source of water supply in rural areas. Commonly used systems are constructed of three principal components; namely, the catchment area, the collection device, and the conveyance system... continued at Daily Mirror Online |
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A look at why lakes are green |
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Tuesday, 02 September 2008 13:45 |
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The Shell Rock River Watershed District board has come out with a list of prioritized plans to improve water quality and algae levels in the lakes and waters of Freeborn County, a process leading to the dredging of Albert Lea Lake and Fountain Lake. Clayton Petersen, a board member of the Shell Rock Watershed District board and an agronomist, said he sought to be on the watershed board because he comes from a background based in science and feels he can use this knowledge to help the watershed board. A major step by the watershed board has been to make a list of their projects through 2015 available to the public. The board compiled all issues, prioritized them and put a dollar amount to each issue to show how it will be taken out of the sales tax each year. This gives the public a plan as to when each project will be dealt with and where the money is going... continued at Albert Lea Tribune |
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Wireless system can detect water level in soil |
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Monday, 01 September 2008 13:51 |
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On a rolling hillside planted with row upon row of Cabernet grapes, viticulturist Jason Cole waxes eloquent about the elusive notion of terroir, a term French farmers use to describe the je ne sais quoi of crops harvested in any given locale. "Grapes, chocolates, coffee, these are all incredibly good at soaking up their environments and spitting them out in their fruits," said Cole, who oversees the preening and pampering of more than 500 acres of vines planted at the Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa County. That vineyard is a test bed for a new wireless sensing technology that measures soil wetness, wind speed, temperature and humidity to take the statistical pulse of the vineyard's microclimates to help determine how often and how much to irrigate... continued at SFGate.com |
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On-Site Sewage Treatment Plants Studied at Workshop |
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Friday, 08 August 2008 13:40 |
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County officials plunged into the subject of on-site sewage treatment plants at a workshop Wednesday and learned details of a new and developing technology. They also learned not to use the term "package" plant and that it's probably not a good idea to turn ownership and management over to homeowners' associations. Environmental issues and the legal complications of the inter-basin transfer permitting system were also reviewed. "I tell my students this isn't rocket science, or brain surgery," said Dr. Mike Hoover, a soil science professor and Extension specialist at N.C. State University. "It's sewer science... continued at ThePilot.com |
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Put your trash to work |
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Thursday, 31 July 2008 12:27 |
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Going green involves some brown. Advertisement Composting is championed as one way every person can helps conserve resources. "Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream," according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site www.epa.gov/compost. "That's a lot of waste to send to landfills when it could become useful and environmentally beneficial compost instead." The end result improves soil quality. "Compost binds with the soil particles in fine-textured clay soil, making these soils easier to work," University of Tennessee plant and soil science professor David W. Sams states in the agricultural extension handout "Making and Using Compost." "This also improves aeration, root penetration, water infiltration and availability... continued at: jacksonsun.com |
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