Soil Health - What It's All About
Image Credit: Matt Brugger
Soil Health and Traditional Ag
Traditional farming practices can drastically disrupt the soil system resulting in soil erosion, soil compaction, increased inputs (such as commercial fertilizers), and loss of valuable top-soil.
Demonstration Farm Network farmers are testing and demonstrating conservation agricultural practices, based on 5 Soil Health Principles, to protect soil health and improve water quality.
This Washcloth Test shows us the difference between what the biology in healthy soil
is doing versus what it’s doing in unhealthy soil.
Video Credit: Wisconsin Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Soil Health - What Is It?
Soil health is the continued capacity of a soil to function as a vital, living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Only living things can have “health,” so viewing soil as a living, breathing ecosystem reflects a shift in the way we view and manage our nation’s soils. Soil isn’t an inert growing medium, but rather is the home of billions of bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that together create an intricate symbiotic ecosystem. (NRCS – Soils)
Healthy soil is important because healthy soils are able to:
- Cycle nutrients effectively
- Store carbon and nutrients in soil organic matter
- Provide good aeration to promote root growth
- Improve farm and ranch resiliency and profitability
- Improve yield stability
- Reduce runoff and erosion
- Improve water storage and plant available water while protecting water quality
- Be resilient to drought, heavy rainfall events, and temperature extremes
- Reduce disease and pest problems
Soil Health and Rainfall
Healthy soil is more resistant to heavy rainfall events. In this video, Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Barry Bubolz demonstrates how different agricultural practices affect the soils’ ability to stay in place through heavy rain.
Soil Health Practices
Explore the 5 Soil Health Principles and conservation agricultural practices to accomplish each of them in the diagram to the right.
(Adapted from NRCS – 5 Soil Health Principles)
Soil Health Practices
Explore the 5 Soil Health Principles and conservation agricultural practices to accomplish each of them:
(Adapted from NRCS – 5 Soil Health Principles)
