Funded by NJAES Vision 2025, the goal of this initiative is to promote soil health research, education and outreach that will lead to the restoration of New Jersey’s soil resources and development of a sustainable system to protect them for future generations.
Detailed mapping and soil instrumentation at the P.E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension in Chatsworth, NJ will allow preparation of a land use plan and evaluation of relationships between soil conditions and plant health within blueberry and cranberry production systems. (Principal Investigator: extension specialist in plant pathology and Marucci Center director, Peter Oudemans)
Researching the adaptation of a grassy “weed” and its potential use as a cover crop for blueberries to protect and enhance soil. (Principal Investigator: extension specialist in weed science, Thierry Besançon)
Development of long-term soil observatories on selected NJAES farms will allow documentation and aid research of climate-induced effects on soil properties. (Principal Investigator: professor of soil science, SEBS Department of Environmental Sciences, Daniel Gimenez)