Unlock the Science of Soil Health

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) teamed up with filmmaker Robin “Buz” Kloot, PhD to create a series of short videos (3-5 minutes each) focused on the science of soil health. Buz is a Research Associate Professor at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. In 2013, he made a cross-country trek to interview some of the nation’s leading researchers and experts, and this highly-informative series was the result.

The Science of Soil Health: Season 1
Episode 1: Series Trailer(opens in new window)     
Episode 2: Getting a handle on mineralizable N in soils (opens in new window)    
Episode 3: Changing the way we think about microbes(opens in new window)     
Episode 4: What happens when you till?(opens in new window)     
Episode 5: Cover crops and moisture(opens in new window)     
Episode 6: Simulating rainfall on pastures(opens in new window)     
Episode 7: Understanding the value of legumes and nitrogen-fixing microbes(opens in new window)     
Episode 8: Using cover crops to soak up nutrients for the next crop(opens in new window)     
Episode 9: Night crawlers and soil water flow(opens in new window)     
Episode 10: Fighting plant disease with microbes (opens in new window)    
Episode 11: Without carrot or stick(opens in new window)     

The Science of Soil Health: Season 2
Episode 1: Soil feeds plants and vice versa(opens in new window)     
Episode 2: Compaction(opens in new window)     
Episode 3: Precision cover cropping(opens in new window)     
Episode 4: The Weil Brassica Research Team(opens in new window)     
Episode 5: Dynamic Cropping Systems(opens in new window)     
Episode 6: The Science of Soil Health: Systems in Agroecology(opens in new window)     
Episode 7: Natural Systems and Weeds(opens in new window)     
Episode 8: The Science of Soil Health: Using Insects to Manage Pests (opens in new window)    
Episode 9: The Science of Soil Health: Mimicking Nature in the Lab(opens in new window)     

The Science of Soil Health: Season 3
Episode 1: Cycle, re-cycle, repeat: Carbon’s journey through the soil powers life as we know it(opens in new window)     
Episode 2: Breathtaking symbiosis…Through respiration, soil microbes provide key benefit to plants, scientist says(opens in new window)     
Episode 3: The Science of Soil Health: Going Deeper (opens in new window)    
Episode 4: The Science of Soil Health: Going Deeper, Part 2 (opens in new window)     
Episode 5: The Science of Soil Health: Finale, Part 1(opens in new window)     
Episode 6: Bringing the science of soil health home: Chapter 1 – Introduction (opens in new window)    
Episode 7: Chapter 2: Understanding the basics: Buz’s ‘fab-five facts of healthy soil (opens in new window)    
Episode 8: Chapter 3: Minimize Disturbance, or "Do Not Disturb! (opens in new window)    
Episode 9: Chapter 4 - The Great Cover Up: How Nature Protects and Enriches the Soil       (opens in new window)     
Episode 10: Chapter 5- Mix it Up! Managing for Diversity(opens in new window)