Kickstart of Efforts to Investigate Soil Health, Water Quality, and Climate Footprints Across IL

Comprehensive evaluation of multiple agronomic and environmental impacts of soybean production practices is important to provide accurate assessments of potential trade-offs. The Midwest United States and Illinois in particular have huge potential to benefit from emerging carbon markets, but field based studies are lacking on soil sustainability metrics such as soil health, water quality, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Jasdeep Singh is a Research Scientist at the Soils Lab led by Prof. Andrew Margenot at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has keen interest to develop mechanistic understanding of soil physical, chemical, and biological processes that underpin soil health, while investigating how conservative management practices (e.g., reduced tillage systems, cover cropping) affect nutrient cycling, soil-water storage, and the desirable agronomic and environmental outcomes.

This presentation was featured at the Quincy Better Beans event on January 25, 2023.

About the Author: Stephanie Porter

As Outreach Agronomist for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), Stephanie supports research efforts and helps communicate both in-field and edge-of-field research and validation studies to Illinois 43,000 soybean farmers. She also helps lead the demonstration and adoption of conservation agriculture practices and raises awareness of best management and continuous improvement practices for conservation agriculture in Illinois. Stephanie has 23 years of experience that consists of agronomy, conservation, horticulture, plant diagnostics, and education. She has her bachelor’s in crop science and master’s in plant pathology from the University of Illinois. Stephanie is a Certified Crop Advisor and was named the 2018 Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Master Soybean Advisor. She also has experience with corn and soybean pathology research, crop scouting, soil testing, as well as crop consulting. Previously, she utilized her diagnostic training and collaborated with University of Illinois departmental Extension Specialists to diagnose plant health problems and prepare written responses describing the diagnosis and management recommendations as the University of Illinois Plant Clinic.