By Ethan West
Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.
There are essential principles to follow in order to maintain the overall health of the soil, which include minimizing disturbance, increasing living root systems in the soil, increasing biodiversity and maximizing soil cover.
Disturbance to the soil reduces organic matter, reduces water infiltration and increases runoff, which, in turn, increases the risk of erosion. Tillage disrupts the soil’s natural cycles and does greater harm to its structure.
Undisturbed
When soils have not been worked for several years, they have more organic matter and have the ability to hold more moisture within the pores. It’s said that healthy soils have 50% pore space, which is water and air; 5% organic matter, and 45% minerals.
Maximization of living roots holds the soil in place and reduces erosion. The area around a living root is called a rhizosphere; this is where almost all microbial activity occurs because it is the area with the greatest concentration of microbial food and water recycling. Cover crops are a key factor in maintaining soil health because they maintain living roots.
Increasing soil cover helps fight off wind and water erosion. Soil cover is anything that can shield soil from the elements.
Corn, soybeans, cover crops and even leaving crop residue on top of the soil can help. Soil cover also helps hold moisture in the soil, along with holding excess nitrogen rather than allowing it to leach out and become useless for next season’s crop. Weed suppression is also another useful side effect of having adequate soil cover.
Biodiversity
Soil biodiversity is the community of living organisms within the soil. It is made up of micro-organisms, microfauna, mesafauna, macrofauna, megafauna, fungi, mosses and plant roots. All of these organisms play a role in breaking down organic matter and turning it into energy and nutrients that can be utilized by plants and even increase crop yields.
The number of living organisms within your soil ecosystem can be increased by reducing tillage or practicing no tillage. Tillage disrupts the structure of the soil and minimizes ground cover.
Having a good crop rotation along with using cover crops is also a great way to improve the amount of living organisms in your soil — it provides more adequate ground cover, improved water retention, breaks up compaction and provides the necessary food needed to hold such a diverse community.
Improved overall health
When the four principles of soil health (minimizing disturbance, increasing root mass, increasing soil cover and increasing biodiversity) are all practiced together, the overall health of the soil goes up, which provides many important necessities to the environment.
Healthier soils mean better quality food for humans and better forage for livestock and wildlife. Producers will notice a jump in yields and when soils are functioning efficiently, as well as a decrease in the need for commercial fertilizer.
Water systems will also benefit from healthy soils, with the soil acting like a natural filter, absorbing and filtering water before it reaches the water body, along with keeping erosion sediment from entering the system.
(Ethan West is the new agriculture technician for Columbiana County Soil and Water Conservation District. He has an associates degree in wildlife management from Hocking College.)
