Soil - The Most Important Resource

Soil is the most important resource on any farm. Prior to industrialized farming, forestry and mining the soils were rich with nutrients, worms, bacteria, enzymes, nematodes, mycelium fungi structures, mold spores, and mineral profiles necessary for plant growth. Industrial farming is focused on high-volume production through mono-culture cultivation and harvest. Intensive farming practices have done two things to disrupt the soil.

Soil Structure Compromised

Soil structure consists of the ability for  water and sub-soil biology (worms, bugs, nematodes) to navigate the porous soil as deeply as possible. The porosity of the soil supports deep root structures that hold together the underworld ecosystem in a cohesive manner. Highly porous soil also retains significantly more water at higher rates to replenish aquifers and help plants survive droughts and extremely hot weather. With large-scale plowing and repetitive tilling the deep root structures are destroyed along with the underworld ecosystem. Crop roots and the related biology is limited to the top few inches of the soil.

On the prairie grasslands it was normal for native grasses to have roots as deep as ten feet or more for a single grass plant to support an entire world of biology that consumed carbon and locked it into the soil at rates higher and faster than trees and shrubs. When the plants would die or be burned through cyclical grass fires the carbon would remain locked in the soil and continue to supply the underground biology. Trees, when they die, release carbon into the atmosphere slowly until the tree is decomposed.

It goes without saying, compromised root structures also increases erosion concerns. In hilly country the soil is more susceptible to slow shifting of land over time. 

Nutrient Profile Unavailable to Plants

With deep roots and a thriving underground ecosystem the nutrients and trace elements are made bioavailable to plants. Recent research is proving that enzymes, mycelium, nematodes and ground chemistry is an important component of making nutrients bioavailable to plants. When roots grow deeper into the soil the plant has more volume of soil from which to obtain the required nutrients. Without bioavailability the plants cannot uptake the nutrients and farmers are required to supplement nutrients to the plants through urea and potash based fertilizers, sprayed chemicals and pelletized minerals.

Grasses - The Link to Healthy Soils

Grasses provide the most important structure of roots to the soil that trees, shrubs and other forest plants cannot provide. Soil health is directly related to root turnover. The key to proper soil biology is maintaining the structures in the soil in a way that all life under the surface can thrive. The roots are the skeleton or backbones of these invisible communities. Trees and shrubs do not provide the structure that grasses do. 

Root turnover is promoted through high impact grazing followed by a longer rest period for restoration. Continued grazing and high-stress practices on the grasses will kill the root structures faster than the turnover can support. There are many methods and approaches to grazing to support healthy root development and turnover. Farmers need to pick what works and monitor conditions with a willingness to make changes to improve the grazing system. 

The most fertile and healthiest soils are found in savannas, not in forests or grasslands. A savanna is a combination of trees and grasses that coexist in a symbiotic manner without competition or crowding out one or the other. 



The most fertile and healthiest soils are found in savannas, not in forests or grasslands.



Soil in a diverse deep-root grass system will accept and retain significantly more water through natural precipitation events.

Drought and Erosion Resistance - A Natural Benefit

With a diverse variety of grasses in the grazing system the root systems can become symbiotic and provide the best conditions for the soil biome. With this variability the underground biology will have greater opportunity to succeed in adapting to changing conditions above the surface. Droughts have the potential to wipe out entire nations in terms of agricultural crops. But, thriving deep-root grass systems will be much more likely to survive. And, we know from history, droughts can cause significant erosion dynamics that will destroy entire ecosystems and economies. 

Soil in a diverse deep-root grass system will accept and retain significantly more water through natural precipitation events. The deeper the measured moisture presence, the greater the ability to absorb high volume rain events. Imagine a dry kitchen sponge under the faucet. It does not absorb water until it is moistened. Once moistened the sponge is now able to asborb significantly more moisture at a faster rate. 

Experiment

Experiments can be conducted with school children to demonstrate this. Find metal casserole pan and drill a hole 2" in size at one end. Place the casserole dish on an angle with the hole facing downhill. Fill it with dry dirt. Pour one gallon of water onto the dirt on the uphill side and watch the water scour and cut through the dry dirt on it's way down to the hole and out. How much dirt is left?

Set up a second pan in the same way. Except, this time, plant some small plants across the surface and ensure the soil is damp, not wet. Pour one gallon of water and see what happens. The soil will not only stay in place, but most of the water will be retained in the soil. This enhances the ability to grow crops, livestock and life sustaining foods during droughts through a higher volume of water stores in the soil.

Regeneration

Regeneration is the process of restoring soils and underground biology for the betterment of the farm system. Regeneration is not done through simply applying a chemical, adding a few worms and water. Regeneration is a multi-year process. Many considerations and steps go into soil regeneration. Here is a list of just a few things that are considered. A soil scientist, biologist or even the agricultural extension biologist will be able to give proper guidance.

For this farm, we first had to address the invasive species issue. Three species of plants were destroying grazing habitat. 

To address this, we dozed and cleared all of the Eastern Red Cedar. We sprayed and killed all of the Amur Honeysuckle we could find. We drag harrowed up as much  brown moss as we could to disturb the surface bio-mat. After this, we planted grass seed at higher than normal seeding rates and drag harrowed it into the soil for germination. Brown moss has filled back in where grass did not germinate. We will repeat the process until the grass prevails.

Next, we had to address the soil nutrient profile. It was so off-balance that weeds and moss was growing out of control and still thrive in certain places. There's a myth that moss on the soil means the ground is too acidic and needs additional lime. This is not true. Moss will thrive in all kinds of conditions. Moss thrives where plants are not turning over or receiving the nutrients they need to fully fill the voids on the ground surface, increasing soil erosion and soil shifting risks. In summary, we had a plant replacement and nutrient availability problem. 

First, we had to plant new seeds to replenish the natural plant turn over. Then we had to add fertilizers to match the nutrient needs. As the plants reestablish, we will need to redo this process to eliminate all of the moss and crowd out the undesirable weeds. When the plants become established and stable we can then change our focus to allowing animal grazing on the new grass.

Animal grazing will convert grasses into bioavailable nutrients for the soil to improve the underground biology. 

Invasive Species - A word of caution

There are many plants that look beautiful and are highly desired, but are invasive and damage any agricultural habitat. Invasive plants are vines, trees, bushes, grasses, weeds or any other plant that is not in its natural and normal setting and impedes or disrupts the lifecycle of the desired plants.

Allelopathic chemicals are present in many plants that are highly prized for appearance and lumber product. Allelopathic plants emit chemicals onto the ground to prevent other plants from taking root and establishing nearby. Here is a list of allelopathic plants found in Kentucky.

Amur Honeysuckle is also known to poison aquatic life with the leaves and red berries. 

The methods of disposal are also a consideration to remember. Burning large volumes of Poison Oak will cause the urishiol oils to become aerosolized and inhaled, causing respiratory irritations that can be severe.

On this farm we had to pay attention to every plant we were removing to ensure we handled and disposed them properly. We also had to call the county burn control line every time we burned large piles of invasive trees and brush.