The ChaMP for Water team is thrilled to host Joel Williams for a Soils and Nutrients workshop on November 15th 2018. We have asked Joel to share with us novel ideas and techniques to improve soils health and optimise nutrient uptake.

Joel is a soils enthusiast and Educator and his knowledge and experience can significantly help us on our constant search for innovative practices to improve nutrient management and improve our understanding of the relationship between nutrients and soil.

If you are not familiar with Joel's work, please review the media section of his website.

https://www.integratedsoils.com/media.html#

BASIS POINTS AVAILABLE

Proposed Timetable

09:30 – 10:00 Tea / Coffee and Registration

10:00 – 10:05 Welcome and introductions – Susie Howells ChaMP Project Manager (SDNPA)

10:05 – 10:15 ChaMP project and rural incentives – Shai Gilad ChaMP CSFO (Natural England)

10:15 – 10:25 Southern Water grant schemes – Robin Kelly ChaMP Partner (Southern Water)

10:25 – 11:25 Part 1 – Fundamentals of Soil Health - Joel Williams (Guest speaker)

• The contribution and interactions of soil chemistry, physics and biology toward soil health.
• Soil organic carbon as the centrepiece of soil health - how to build and protect.
• The role of soil biology in accessing soil mineral reserves.
• Plant diversity as a key driver of ecosystem function - mixed grasslands, cover crops, intercropping.
• New findings on the critical role of plant root exudates in building soil carbon, supporting soil life and stabilising nutrients in the landscape.

11:35 – 12:15 Part 2 - Practical soil demonstration* - Joel Williams (Guest speaker)

• Plant roots and soil health - assessing and understanding rhizosheaths.
• Assessing soil structure and aggregates.
• Soil profile assessments

12:25 – 13:15 Part 3 - Integrated Nitrogen Management - Joel Williams (Guest speaker)

• Soil and plant nutrition - understanding synergies and antagonisms amongst essential plant nutrients. Total vs available nutrients.
• Improving nutrient use efficiencies with foliar applied nutrition - building protein with foliar applied urea and understanding critical differences between foliar and soil applied urea.
• Mineral constraints to atmospheric N fixation - unlocking the keys that access free N.
• Integrated nitrogen management - stabilising applied nutrients with carbon based inputs.
• Manure management - stabilising nutrients and improving biological quality of manures via on-farm composting.

13:15 – 13:30 Discussion and feedback – Susie Howells ChaMP Project Manager (SDNPA)

13:30 – 14:00 Buffet Lunch (Provided)

*Please bring appropriate clothing as there will be an outdoor element (weather permitting)

For further information please contact: Shai.Gilad@naturalengland.org.uk