Kevin Erb, CCAUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension

From Science To Adoption

The Role of Professional Training

in Soil Health Adoption

Conservation Professional Training Program (CPTP)

Ag/Conservation Training for agency staff, CCAs and private sector across the US

Online, Classroom, Field and Hybrid

Soil Health Training for Professionals

How Pioneer/CPTP Compliments existing training

Empowers an audience that works directly with farmers.

Most training (internal & external) available focuses on crop production/IPM

How Pioneer/CPTP Compliments existing training

Similar concepts as agency training, but…

…Focused on the practical, hands on approach.

How Pioneer/CPTP Compliments existing training

Key information multipliers targeted.

Research Agronomists

Seed Production Staff

Regional Agronomists

Farmer Dealers are a future audience.

Audience Empowerment

Private sector is on the farmer’s property more often than agency staff.

They see firsthand the impact of soil management

Private sector sees impact firsthand

Compaction (diagonal tillage passes) and soil structure impacts are clearly evident in crop growth patterns.

Photo: Jeremy Hanson

Private sector sees impact firsthand

Photo: Erb

If soil health is not optimal, the best varieties, genetic packages and other technologies will not achieve their full potential.

Impact of Soil Health onCrop Production

Photo: Erb

Three Online Courses Introduction to Soil Health Cover Crops and Soil Health Soil Health and Soil Moisture Management

Hands-on Field Training

Pioneer Training - 2014 Pilot

Photo: Erb

Pilot Results 75% talked with farmer-clients about soil health

in first few months

40% have incorporated soil health concepts into other presentations (sales/customer education)

(62% planned to)

Pioneer Training – 2014 Pilot

Photo: Erb

Pilot Results >50% discussed the selection, management and

termination of cover crops with farmers.

70% had already recommended Soil Health training to colleagues.

Pioneer Training – 2014 Pilot

Photo: Erb

Launching in August Revised online training

Five field training sessions across midwest

Pioneer Training – 2015

Photo: Erb

Wholesale changes in farming practices need a coordinated, multi-modal effort.

Similar to the No-Till/Conservation Tillage effort in the late 80’s/early 90’s

The big picture

Conservation Tillage Alliance

Advertising images – machinery ads showed high residue fields, not clean plowed ones.

Vinyl records inserted in farming magazines (think county music – “ugly farming’s the way to be…”)

The big picture

The entire ag industry supporting farmers and ranchers as we move into soil health systems.

“We must move forward together if we are to move forward at all” (anon)

The goal then and now:

“The soil health demonstration was simple but eye opening, soil from the fence row versus that from the field. When both soils were placed in water, the fence row soil held together. I couldn't believe the structural benefits of the fence row soil.

Imagine how that could benefit our yields if we could improve the tilth of our soils.”

Gary Brinkman Field Agronomist DuPont Pioneer, Michigan After attending our Soil Health Classroom session at the 2013 MABA Conference

Photo: USDA NRCS