Plants Dig Soil™

#RealisticRegenAg | White patches in a field are often referred to as alkali patches. The underlying problem may be high pH – alkalinity – but the salt in and of itself is not at a high pH and therefore is not alkaline. When you see salt on the surface it is more properly called salinity. The reason for this is that alkalinity may or may not be there. If present it may be near the surface or it may be deeper down.

Compounding on this, alkalinity may not be present. Excess sodium cations – not excess sodium salts – could be the cause. Finally, just because you don’t see salt on the surface doesn’t mean salinity is not the problem. Regular soil testing helps to see these problems developing before they visibly manifest themselves.

Huge amounts of money are spent trying to fix these patches with products or practices that either don’t work or make it worse. Even if someone is not trying to fix it, they may be putting down fertilizer and seed every year with the hope of getting something, only to be disappointed at harvest time. Digging deeper – literally – and doing the proper tests will help you diagnose and decide. In this episode I’ll give an overview of how I approach this and why it is critical you get solid advice from a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) or Professional Agrologist (P.Ag) that truly understands this issue.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie. I’m an author and independent agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in Climate-Smart Agriculture. I focus on scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, to learn about my book “Practical Regeneration” and for services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Resources mentioned:
https://open.alberta.ca/publications/5333889
https://openpress.usask.ca/soilscience/chapter/soil-chemistry/
https://www.topcropmanager.com/solonetzic-soils-more-compact-more-complex-21506/
https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy/Base-Saturation-Cation-Exchange-Capacity.html

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/tight-soils

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
OFCAF program details https://rdar.ca/funding-opportunities/ofcaf

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | I’ve been thinking more and more about the circular economy recently. Truly regenerative agriculture will return the nutrients back to the land. It may not be possible to bring it back to the exact piece of land, but starting to get more of these nutrients back to any piece of land is the starting of getting to the goal of regenerative. Most of the articles this month fit into this idea, though mostly with carbon, since that is the hot topic these days.

In case you’re new here, let me introduce myself. I’m an author and independent agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I focus on scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, to learn about my book “Practical Regeneration” and for services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Transcript:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/circular-carbon-economy

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
OFCAF program details https://rdar.ca/funding-opportunities/ofcaf

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | Have you ever thought that a weed could become a crop? They seem to grow no matter what you do, so why not find a use for it? The plants we use today for crops have been around for centuries and even for millennia. I heard about a new crop being developed from weed and it got me thinking: How do you go about this? This episode is mostly a thought experiment, but it’s a great way to stretch our thinking on what is a crop, what is a weed, and how weeds could be used as, or mimicked, in cover crops.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an author and independent agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I focus on scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, to learn about my book “Practical Regeneration” and for services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Articles mentioned: https://www.forbes.com/sites/juergeneckhardt/2024/04/22/biofuels-will-be-a-key-part-of-the-net-zero-solution/?sh=727765985de9
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-019-0592-0

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/weed-into-crop

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp): https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | The heat has come to southern Alberta! After never making it above 30C we are now in week well over 30C. This is going to be tough on nearly every crop as it’s right at flowering time or early seed fill. In the case of potatoes, the first set has been made and they are deciding how much to keep of their second set. Hopefully they keep them and get bulking!

How is it in your area? Reply back to this email if you like. It only comes to me.

Below is a small highlight of my business and then some articles that I’ve come across over the past month.

In case you’re new here, let me introduce myself. I’m an author and independent agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I focus on scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, to learn about my book “Practical Regeneration” and for services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Transcript:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/adapt-then-mitigate

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter  https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp): https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
OFCAF program details https://rdar.ca/funding-opportunities/ofcaf

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | Cover crops aren’t required in every situation. This is a key theme throughout my book “Practical Regeneration”. In this episode I’m going to talk about the development of no-till and how it might give us some clues on how to think through where cover crops work best.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an author and independent agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, to learn about my book, Practical Regeneration, and for the services that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Articles mentioned:
https://www.covercropstrategies.com/articles/3025-podcast-can-we-count-the-nitrogen-credits-of-cover-crops-for-the-following-cash-crop
https://fieldcropnews.com/2023/06/when-do-cover-crops-with-and-without-manure-applied-release-nitrogen-that-can-be-used-for-my-corn-crop/
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/crso.20334
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/the-27-inch-precipitation-threshold

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/the-fit-for-cover-crops

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp): https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter  https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the Western Canadian Prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

I’ve been watching Mrs. Davis at the recommendation of a new friend*. It’s set in an alternative 2023 where an algorithm rules the world. People do tasks for her to earn wings. For people that want the glory without the work, they pay to level up, but their fate is in the hands of Mrs. Davis. What about those that choose not to participate? They can make that choice, but Mrs. Davis uses her followers to cut off opportunities, sabotage their efforts, or pressure them to do things for her or face loss of points towards wings.

I’ve been pulling back from social media for a long time. I deleted Facebook 5 years ago. The more I posted the more it wanted. I’m still going to be on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn, but much less so. I’ll focus on the newsletter and an in depth agronomy podcast episode once a month. And I think that will be it. I haven’t quite decided if I want to stop posting to my WhatsApp channel on a regular basis or pair it down to just when I publish my newsletter and agronomy episode.

With all that being said: Thank-you for allowing me to send this to your inbox once a month. If you’re a podcast subscriber you’ll hear from me twice a month. Thanks.

Below is a small highlight of my business and then some articles that I’ve come across over the past month.

Scott.
* Nicole & I talked books on the GardenFork podcast. Check it out here.

Transcript:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/natural-areas-benefit-agriculture

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
OFCAF program details https://rdar.ca/funding-opportunities/ofcaf

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | Following up on the episode earlier this season borrowing a movie title (Dude, Where’s my nitrogen?), I’m going to focus on the elusive nutrient, phosphorus. This is an offshoot of a talk I gave this winter on using cover crops for break years between forages. It was delivered in person and to participants online. It was recorded so I’ll put a link to the talk in the description. The high-level summary – you need to replace what you export. No biostimulant or cover crop is going to make new phosphorus for you. Stay tuned as I dive into this topic.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture for farmers and agribusiness. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for information about my consulting services and my book “Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture”.

Resources mentioned:
Cover Crops for Break Years – my talk at the Alberta Forage Industry Network AGM
https://youtu.be/_3pHwncZI74?si=HI1Y80KIR62koFtK

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/o-phosphorus-where-art-though

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP overview: https://youtu.be/0icitHJR2lk
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Email:

[email protected] 

https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

#RealisticRegenAg | I love reading and staying up to date with agriculture news. I use Feedly, an RSS feed reader, that keeps track of news stories from over 75 agriculture news sites. I also employ an AI bot to help me find relevant information in climate and regenerative news from other sources that I might have missed.

With that being said, I’ve been thinking about how to refresh my newsletter. I’ve been sending it out for over five years now. It has changed over the years but lately it has primarily focused on my content and my business. However, I've decided to shift the focus more towards the regenerative agriculture news space, while reducing the emphasis on my business.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

I’ve updated my website to more clearly list everything on the home page. In each monthly email I’ll highlight just one aspect of my business at the top, with the rest dedicated to sharing interesting content I come across. If you'd like near-daily updates on what I'm seeing, you can check out my WhatsApp channel. Almost everything I share there will also be included in this newsletter, although I aim to keep the email length manageable.

Transcript:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/putting-the-news-back-in-newsletter

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork
SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx
OFCAF program details https://rdar.ca/funding-opportunities/ofcaf

My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

Email: [email protected] 

X (aka Twitter) (Scott): https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/plants-dig-soil

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie
Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | Surviving another drought means making our plants the most water efficient we can. While some of the things can be done immediately, most of the things require a long-term plan. I’ve heard it said the best time to plan for a drought is when the last one breaks. We might be on the cusp of this one breaking with the recent snowfalls, but it’s too early to tell. In this episode I’ll go over all the ideas I have to make our plants more water efficient in hopes you can apply some of the easy practices now and start planning for the future this season.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/water-efficient-plants

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:

My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

Email: [email protected] 

https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/

YouTube: (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@scottcgillespie

Podcast Subscription Apps: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scottcgillespie

#RealisticRegenAg | My book is published! This has been a year long process of editing, book design, proofreading, and finally getting it set for distribution. I used a hybrid model of self publishing with the support of a team at FriesenPress. They are Canadian publishers and have all the distribution channels in place to get it availablen anywhere in the world.

The title is Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture. Here’s the elevator pitch:

Farmers are feeling the pressure to implement climate smart strategies from outside forces. Governments are making international commitments and agribusinesses are responding to consumer demands and shareholder resolutions. The hype of regenerative agriculture keeps growing. But what actually works? I have spent two decades working with farmers on the Western Canadian Prairies. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I’ve spent the time critically reviewing the science behind the claims. Whether you are a farmer, an agronomist, or anyone that touches agriculture, this book will help you find the practices that help the planet and, just as importantly, farmers’ economic sustainability.

Welcome to the sixth season of Plants Dig Soil, a podcast about #RealisticRegenAg. I’m your host, Scott Gillespie, and I’m an agronomist from the western Canadian prairies specializing in climate-smart agriculture. I discuss scientifically proven practices that benefit the planet and, just as importantly, farmers' economic sustainability. Be sure to visit my website, www.plantsdigsoil.com, for resources and information about the services I that I offer for farmers and agribusiness.

Transcript is available:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/podcast/practical-regeneration

Realistic Regen Ag Channel (WhatsApp):
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBofw37NoZxtgHSRl3S

Practical Regeneration: Realistic Strategies for Climate Smart Agriculture
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/books

My consulting packages:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#consulting

Speaking, Teaching, & Workshop Design:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/speaking

My funding service offerings:
https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/pricing/#paperwork

SCAP program details https://www.alberta.ca/sustainable-cap.aspx

My course: Profitable From the Start: Cover Crops for the Prairies:
https://plantsdigsoil.thinkific.com/courses/cover-crops-prairies

Newsletter signup:
https://mailchi.mp/plantsdigsoil/newsletter 
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6944029544697802752

Email: [email protected] 

https://twitter.com/scottcgillespie
X (aka Twitter) (Company): https://twitter.com/PlantsDigSoil

LinkedIn (Scott): https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcgillespie/