Healthy soils are the foundation of productive, sustainable agriculture. Managing healthy soils allows producers to work with the soil - not against it - to reduce erosion, maximise water infiltration, improve nutrient cycling, save money on inputs and ultimately improve the resilience of their crop land.
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Ways To Maintain Healthy Soils
Healthy soils are the foundation of productive, sustainable agriculture. Managing healthy soils allows producers to work with the soil - not against it - to reduce erosion, maximise water infiltration, improve nutrient cycling, save money on inputs and ultimately improve the resilience of their crop land. Whether you grow corn in any part of country , raise cattle, or anything in between, we can help you improve the health of your soils and strengthen your operation.
Learn about soil health principles and best practises you can use here. Then visit your local Centre where we can help you develop a management plan that supports your goals.
Principles to Improve Soil Health
Minimize Disturbance
From hooves to ploughs, the soil is disturbed in many ways. While a certain amount of disturbance is inevitable, minimising disturbance on your farm makes for healthier soil.
To minimise disturbance to your soil, you can:
- Limit tillage
- Optimise the use of chemicals
- Rotate livestock
Maximize Soil Cover
In general, the ground should be covered whenever possible. You can grow cover crops in both pasture and cropland management. To maximise ground cover throughout the year, you can:
- Plant cover crops
- Use organic mulch
- Leave crop residues
Maximise biodiversity
Increasing diversity on your farm can break disease cycles, stimulate plant growth and provide habitat for pollinators and soil organisms.
- Plant different cover crops
- Use different crop rotations
- Integrate livestock production
Maximise the presence of live roots
Living roots reduce soil erosion and provide food for organisms such as earthworms and microbes that cycle the nutrients your plants need.
- Reduce fallow
- Plant cover crops
- Use diverse crop rotations
Soil Health Practices for Working Lands
Cover Crops
Even though they are not usually harvested profitably, cover crops provide valuable services to your farm. The roots of cover crops form channels in the soil that improve the soil's ability to absorb water. They also build organic matter in the soil, hold the soil in place and feed soil organisms that provide valuable nutrients for crops during the traditional growing season.
Crop Rotation
Diversity can be enhanced by both crops and cover crops. Diverse crop rotations can reduce pests and diseases specific to certain crop species, promote the health of soil microbes that provide nutrients to your crops, and ultimately lead to better yields.
Rotational Grazing
Grazing animals recycle nutrients in the landscape. By managing your livestock to graze where and when you want, you can return valuable nutrients and organic matter to your land and ultimately your soil.
No Till or Reduced Till
We have learned that most farms do not need heavy tillage - or often no tillage at all - to produce healthy crops. Minimising tillage can reduce soil erosion across your farm, while saving you time and money by reducing your annual investment in fuel and labour.
Protect soil with cover crops
Cover crops improve soil structure and protect water quality by preventing runoff and leaching of nutrients. To be effective, cover crops must be well established before temperatures drop and growth slows. So plan to plant them right after you harvest your crops. There are many cover crops available to farmers. Get informed and choose the most suitable crop for your rotation. There is no magic formula for improving arable soils. But with the right combination of practises, farmers can create a symbiotic relationship in the soil that contributes to healthy soil, healthy plants and higher yields.
Control Water Flow
Planting vegetation and adding landscape features can slow the flow of water on your property. This increases the infiltration of water and minimises soil erosion that can occur after heavy rains.