Soil health a major focus at Maine Potato Conference, media report
WAGM (Channel 8 in Presque Isle) and the Bangor Daily News covered this week’s 32nd annual Maine Potato Conference in Caribou, put on by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Soil health was a major topic of this year’s presentations, as growers and industry officials from Maine and other states look for ways to improve yields, reduce disease problems and prevent erosion, according to the reports. Prepping soil for potatoes can lead to a reduction in organic matter, John Jemison, a soil and water quality specialist with UMaine Extension, told Fiddlehead Focus. Organic matter is an important part of the soil ecosystem because it holds moisture, nutrients and microorganisms. “Soil health is really more than just organic matter, but organic matter is the best measure of trying to improve soil,” Jemison said. Fiddlehead Focus also published the BDN report.