Is your soil built for high performance? That is, does your soil have the optimized capacity to store nutrients and water, allow for plant roots to grow unimpeded by compaction and areas with low oxygen, and support a healthy microbial community (Figure 1)? This seems...
Globally, agricultural soils have lost considerable amounts of carbon, particularly in the last 200 years (Sanderman et al. 2017). This is problematic as soil carbon imparts desirable properties to agricultural systems such as increased nutrient retention for plant use, elevated water holding capacity, and improved soil structure. Improved water penetration and decreased erosion are also associated with soils that have higher carbon level. Recent work among agricultural scientists and in the popular agriculture press have highlighted a new set of holistic management tools that can improve soil carbon and soil quality. These practices are termed regenerative agriculture.
Finding the right words to describe your soil can seem like a daunting task. Folks might use terms like “heavy”, “light”, “mellow”, “gumbo’, “good”, “bad”, etc., but the exact definition can change from person to person, depending on their perspective and experience. The challenge for soil professionals is to relate...
In celebrating World Soil Day (Dec 5th) and the theme of stopping soil erosion, I wanted to remind you of the important role that soil plays in sustaining a healthy planet and, ultimately, our way of life. Starting at Heliae® Agriculture this fall as the...