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Soil health plays a major role in the success of any crop. From how much water and nutrients your soil is able to hold to earthworm populations and soil organic matter, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind in order to keep your soil as healthy and fertile as possible.
Depending on what you keep in the ground, having a living root in the soil can do two things:
Provide a constant food source to soil microbes
Release nutrients into the soil
By releasing nutrient compounds (which can include valuable acids, proteins, sugars, etc.) into the soil, a living root can fix carbon and increase the availability of some micronutrients.
Living roots can also improve the overall structure of soil aggregates, or the groups of soil particles that bind together well, and help to create space for water retention.
No till and minimum tillage systems allow farmers to conserve soil moisture and decrease soil erosion in their fields, all while cutting the labor, equipment and fuel costs associated with tillage operations. Minimizing soil disturbance can also help to keep carbon in the soil, instead of gassing off or washing away.
By leaving the soil structure intact and maintaining a protective layer of crop residue on the surface, these practices create a favorable environment for a diverse community of soil microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.
These organisms play a vital role in decomposing organic matter, which releases essential nutrients for plant growth and improves the soil's physical properties, such as water infiltration and aeration. This enhanced biological activity and nutrient cycling are fundamental to building healthy, fertile soil that can support resilient and productive crops over the long term.
Soil armor (or soil cover) is an excellent method for improving soil health. This soil cover provides many benefits, including:
Erosion control
Reduced moisture evaporation
More moderate soil temperatures
Reduced compaction due to rainfall
Weed suppression
Animals can play an important part in the overall health of the agricultural ecosystem. When livestock are used to enhance soil health, balance is key.
A few things to keep in mind:
Through fall and winter grazing, they convert high carbon annual crop residue to low carbon organic material.
If they’re in the field and off the feedlot, we reduce transport or feed and waste by allowing them to recycle nutrients and carbon, all in the same location.
Grazing helps manage weeds pressure and possibly decrease herbicide usage. (Be sure to manage possible challenges associated with animal confinement, such as runoff.)
Before modern agriculture, much of the Corn Belt and prairies were populated with native plants that utilized and introduced resources in a variety of ways — high water users, low water users, tap root, fibrous root, high carbon crops, low carbon crops, legumes and non-legumes — which helped enhance the biodiversity of the soil.
With an annual cropping system, the soil is only inhabited by one variety at a time. By developing a diverse crop rotation, we can improve the soil nutrient cycle as well as water infiltration.
By introducing a variety of plants, each with a different root structure, you can improve soil aeration and break up compacted layers.
For example, a plant with a deep taproot can help access nutrients from deeper soil profiles and improve water infiltration, while fibrous-rooted plants can help hold the topsoil in place and prevent erosion. Different plants also host and feed different soil microbes, leading to a richer and more balanced soil food web.
A diverse soil microbial community is essential for breaking down organic matter, making nutrients available to plants, and suppressing plant diseases, all of which contribute to a healthier, more resilient agricultural system.
Find soil prebiotics, soil probiotics, carbon sources and other key products to help keep your soil healthy, along with crop nutrition and crop protection supplies, from FBN. With an easy online shopping experience, price transparency, helpful educational resources and fast, direct-to-farm shipping, FBN is here to help.
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