How can soil health be measured? Can farmers’ knowledge of the soil be scientifically validated and used for soil assessment? Are there other alternative evaluation methods? The OCASH (Olds College Assessment of Soil Health) scorecard was developed as an in-field, digital soil assessment tool designed to help producers gain a better knowledge of their soils, diagnose and detect issues early, and minimize input costs. Recent surveys suggest only 30-50% of farmers regularly test their soil due to high cost. Preliminary OCASH validation results have been promising and the tool is poised to support both organic and broadacre production systems in Alberta, the prairies and Canada at large.
Semeton Amosu is a Research Scientist with the Environmental Stewardship Applied Research program at Olds College Center for Innovation (OCCI). His research focuses on soil health, agrivoltaics, climate smart agriculture, drought mitigation strategies, digital agriculture and validation of soil amendment products. He is a Professional Agrologist with over 24 years of research experience in pomology, soil health and environmental stewardship across West Africa, South America, South Asia and North America. He brings extensive expertise in translating agricultural research into practical solutions for producers. He’s currently conducting research projects in agrivoltaics, remediation of saline-sodic soils, kochia mitigation and the validation of a digital soil health assessment tool.