Jerry Hatfield earned his PhD in agricultural climatology from Iowa State University and worked at UC Davis before spending his career with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. He led the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa, for about 25 years. He has written nearly 500 research papers and was inducted into the ARS Science Hall of Fame in 2014.
Since retiring in 2020, Jerry has worked as a freelance agricultural scientist, helping farmers improve production while protecting soil, water, and air. He studies how water, carbon, and gas exchange interact in the soil, using CO2 flux measurements and instruments built to measure CO2 inside crop canopies. He uses a “four R’s” framework for water management: retain, redistribute, reduce, and remove.
In this episode, John and Jerry discuss:
- Why water is the first thing to change as you build soil health, before carbon and then nutrients.
- How bare soil can lose three-quarters of a one-inch rain to evaporation, and each tillage pass can cost another half inch.
- Why raising organic matter from 2% to 4% stretches available water in a five-foot profile from 5 days to 13 days in August.
- How hidden drought stress can cost 30 to 40 bushels on a 250-bushel corn crop without the leaves ever curling.
- How one pass with a disc on wet soil created a shear pan that cost a farmer 150 bushels per acre.
- Why tractors are getting about 900 pounds heavier each year, and compaction from a combine can still be measured 15 years later.
- Why roughly half the carbon a crop captures can go into the soil as root exudates to feed soil biology.
Additional Resources
To read articles by Jerry on soil health and water management, please visit: https://greencover.com/author/dr-jerry-l-hatfield
To learn more about Jerry’s work with the Soil and Water Conservation Society, please visit: https://swcs.org/about-us/our-people/board-of-directors/jerry-hatfield
To listen to Jerry’s first conversation with John, please visit: https://advancingecoag.com/podcast/jerry-hatfield-on-why-should-we-care-about-soil-health/
To listen to The Carbon Capture Business with Jerry Hatfield, please visit: https://advancingecoag.com/podcast/the-carbon-capture-business-with-jerry-hatfield/
Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com
About John Kempf
John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow
Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture. AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA’s science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA’s regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by speakers on the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) or its employees. Appearances do not constitute an endorsement by AEA, and AEA does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of statements made by speakers. This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional agronomic, medical, legal, or financial advice. Always follow product labels and applicable laws, and consult a qualified professional before making decisions for your operation or your health.