Paul Deckard: The pH:CEC Ratio: A New Tool for Predicting Agronomic Potential

Soil pH adjustments and plant nutrient ratios based on cation exchange capacity have been used successfully for many decades to support more sustainable approaches to crop production. Recently, the mathematical relationship of soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and stable soil organic matter content of soils has been successfully applied to predict the potential for agronomic productivity for soils. The calculated results appear to have predictive value for crop production when biocompatible inputs are used to correct mineral imbalances. CEC and pH will be explored in the context of regenerative soil systems where the interaction of microbes, plant roots, clays, organic carbon substances, carbon dioxide and biomineralization contribute to thermodynamically favorable energy transfers through soil systems.

(1 hour, 11 minutes, 32 seconds) Recorded at the 2016 Acres U.S.A. Conference, Omaha, Nebraska, Thursday, December 1, 2016.