Technology provides hands-on experiences for students to explore soil science and career opportunities
Healthy soils are critical to sustain U.S. food production needs. Currently, the agricultural industry is experiencing a shortage of professionals who are skilled and knowledgeable in soil health and resiliency, and high-tech data analysis. Many students in grade school through college lack adequate exposure to careers in agriculture, including the cutting-edge science of deep soils, which play a significant role in nutrient cycling and water storage.
The Deep Soil Ecotron (DSE) houses 24 controlled-environment units and is the world’s first facility to study belowground biodiversity and ecosystem processes at large scale. Researchers at the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station are leveraging the DSE to support a skilled agricultural workforce by building a new generation of agricultural leaders and soil scientists. The DSE allows students to adjust critical variables in three-meter soil columns, providing educational opportunities for hands-on soil science.
The K-12 pilot program has taught over 100 middle school students about the complexity of soil science and monitoring. Students took field trips to the DSE to learn about cover crops, compost and biochar. Three undergraduate classes have toured the facility, and four undergraduate students are currently engaged in DSE-based research, gaining experience in state-of-the-art agricultural technology. Student experiments and resulting data have direct implications for improving fertilizer efficiency and application timing and producer input economics. Additionally, a “Teach the Teachers” initiative provides curriculum and training to K-12 educators.
The Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station’s program gives students firsthand experience with the same high-tech, data-driven tools used by top soil scientists, resulting in more students discovering careers in agronomy, water quality management and ag-tech.
Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station | Photo courtesy of University of Idaho.
