A May 3 report by Richard Schiffman in Yale Environment 360 ("Why It's Time to Stop Punishing Our Soils with Fertilizers") chronicles the travels of soil health expert Rick Haney, who works with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Texas. Haney's point of view reflects the ag world's growing understanding of how healthy soils enable farmers to reduce their reliance on fertilizers and pesticides on the farm.

Haney observes that growers need more unbiased, independent studies about "how soil functions and its biology."

Inocucor plans to make a major contribution of fresh scientific data to that soil health knowledge base. We continually evaluate and research our products in all kinds of field conditions and crops to better understand their effect on soil health, plant vigor (yield), and water quality. Our goal is to generate sound, solid, meaningful data about both conventional and organic systems – this data will help growers reduce chemical inputs when incorporating new biological materials and maintain or improve crop yields.

Read the complete article here.