Hands-On Agronomy by Neal Kinsey and Charles Walters

by Neal Kinsey

The soil is much more than just a substrate that anchors crops in place. An ecologically balanced soil system is essential for maintaining nutritious, resilient crops. In Hands-On Agronomy, Neal Kinsey shows us how working with the soil to bring it into balance produces healthier crops with a higher yield. Meticulously revised and expanded, this new edition includes additional chapters and updated information to further enhance Kinsey's sophisticated, easy-to-live-with system of fertility management that focuses on balance, not merely quantity of fertility elements. Hands-On Agronomy covers the major fertility elements, stressing that accurate soil analyses and audits are key for quality crop production. Discover why simple N-P-K fertilization is not enough to sustain and nurture your soil to optimal health. With Kinsey's help, understand the proper use, timing and application of manures, compost, tillage and micronutrients. Kinsey demonstrates how to recognize and remedy common problems and examines the importance of balancing soil nutrients for maximum yield. In addition, the "whats and whys" of nutrients, soil drainage, tilth, soil structure and organic matter are explained in detail. In this truly comprehensive manual on soil management, Kinsey has drawn on his experience with thousands of students to clarify and expand on the lessons taught therein, making Hands-On Agronomy more accessible -- and informative -- than ever.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[Andrew Welleford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the cornerstones of the Albrecht-Kinsey hypothesis of soil mineral balancing. It's also one of the few available agronomy books written for a lay audience, which makes it all the more valuable. It's written in a conversational style, which spaces out the information, but is organized logically and is full of both theory and practical advice. Every claim seems to be backed up by a personal story from Kinsey's experience successfully applying these methods. Through these stories we get a picture of Kinsey's scientific mind and his expertise in helping farmers get larger yields of higher-quality crops.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for two reasons: 1. it’s the most popular book with the word agronomy in the title and 2. the Hefty brothers with AgPHD reference Kinsey quite often and I’m a huge fan of those guys. I think their show is pretty comprehensive and digestible but still this book offered some cool new insights, especially with some of the more novel crops.

[Michael Steimel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinsey has 100% forgot more than I will ever learn about agronomy, and with an agronomy degree, I can attest that most of the basic soil science info is good. But his writing is rough. He almost rambles and word vomits the entire book, and there is almost no flow. It is most definitely outdated, and not worth the read in 2025

[Dad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok seemed to advertize his company but good information.

[Kory Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great information. Neal has extraordinary knowledge about almost every crop you can image and the information about soil base saturation is spot on, but he repeats himself quite often.