Soil health is defined by the USDA NRCS as the continued capacity of a soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans. These functions include maintaining plant productivity, regulating and partitioning water, filtering and buffering against pollutants, and storing and cycling nutrients.
Soil health as we know it depends on management and generally boils down to organic matter and porosity, two physical properties that are highly dependent on soil texture. When we have higher organic matter we have, greater water infiltration, lower bulk density, higher EC (Electro Conductivity), higher respiration, greater soil nitrogen, greater aggregate stability, more earthworms and more soil microbes.
To improve soil health farmers should consider implementing a practice or combination of practices that depend on soil texture, soil health status, and constraints of their farming system. The practices include minimizing disturbance, maximize time with living roots, keep the soil covered, and diversifying rotations.
News
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Soil temperatures and planting timing – Part 2 of 3: Tracking soil temperature trends
Published on April 19, 2019
A look at soil temperatures in Michigan in the last 10 years gives a glimpse into when soils typically reach optimum levels for seedling emergence.
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Soil temperatures and planting timing – Part 3 of 3: Testing Enviroweather data
Published on April 19, 2019
The Enviroweather network of weather stations provides current and historical weather and soil data for nearly 100 sites within Michigan and northern Wisconsin—but how well do they represent conditions on your farm?
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Soil temperatures and planting timing – Part 1 of 3: Optimal soil temperature for planting
Published on April 18, 2019
Timing for planting corn and other field crops is based in part on when soil temperatures are optimal for seed germination and seedling emergence.
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Precision soil sampling: Every farm needs it!
Published on April 18, 2019
MSU Agriculture Innovation Day session will focus on importance of soil sampling for proper management.
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Every farmer should be doing on-farm research
Published on February 15, 2019
Allocate acres to help answer questions and solve problems.
