As a farmer, increasing crop productivity and profitability helps your operation to succeed, both now and in the long term. That’s why protecting your land matters.
One of the key ingredients that can help is good soil.
How does good soil help?
Good soil goes a long way towards the success of your operation for two big reasons:
- It’s balanced to sustain plants, soil microbes and beneficial organisms that work together to keep it healthy.
- It’s porous, allowing air and water to move more freely in order to help improve soil structure.
Good soil benefits farms with reduced crop input needs and the increased ability to bounce back from the unexpected, such as weather events and pests.
What’s more, the surrounding land, including beneficial wildlife habitats and local waterways, benefit, too.
Do you have good soil?
The key to good, healthy soil is an increase in soil organic matter, or SOM. SOM affects several functions that are critical to helping plants, animals, and even humans thrive. To find out if you have enough SOM, the following can help:
- Take a sample of your soil and send it to a state or private testing lab.
- Ask a trusted adviser to help you analyze the results and update your nutrient management and fertility plans to improve your SOM.
Maintain good soil
One of the best ways to improve and maintain good soil is with a Soil Health Management System. The following 4 principles are a great place to start:
With good soil, your farm operation can:
- Increase productivity and efficiency through improved soil structure, aeration, water retention, drainage and nutrient availability
- Increase profits through a reduction in expenses for labor, fuel and optimizing inputs needed to grow crops
- Protect natural resources through decreased runoff, good infiltration and reduced crop input needs
Good soil is a great way to take your farm operation further while protecting the land around you.
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-3 Steps to Healthy Soil
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-Make Your Soil Count
