Page 20 - MNLGA Free State Spring 2024_WEB SPREADS

DEFINE

IT'S TIME FOR SHARING (Continued)

Worms and insect larvae make a significant contribution
to aggregation by burrowing through the soil in search
of food. They increase the air space and their fecal
discharge contributes to the soil soup.

This is all significant for several reasons keeping in mind Your Skyline
that aggregation will not occur in the absence of organic
matter. First, as stated above, the larger soil particles
represent a home for the microorganisms.
Second, the particles create air space reducing the soil
bulk density allowing for greater gaseous exchange and
drainage. Third, the particles act as sponges to hold to
retain water that will be released when plants need it.

Nutrition
Here is the magic. If the soil food web is healthy with
all the participants working well together, they provide Soil textural triangle; medium loam is the goal.
all the nutrition needed for plants to thrive without added
fertilizers. It is known that for every one percent organic Synthetic fertilizers are salts. Salts in solution can
matter contained in a soil, the soup of microscopic life damage a healthy soil food web. Therefore, an optimal
can produce 20 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. An soil solution should not be fertilized except when using
ideal soil would contain 8% organic matter producing organic sources.
160 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. Most of us ONE gram of a healthy soil contains the following –
think in terms of N per 1,000 square feet so we can see something to really ponder:
that this equals about 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet – -600 million bacterial individuals
every year! Equally important, phosphorus and potassium -15,000 to 20,000 bacterial species
as well as many micronutrients are produced. Even better, -150 to 300 meters of fungal biomass
all this nutrition is derived from organically bound or -5,000 to 10,000 fungal species
immobilized sources. Synthetic fertilizers are soluble and -10,000 protozoa
will move through the root zone if unused finding a new -20–30 beneficial nematodes
home in the ground water. Organically bound nutrients AND
stay bound in the soil particles until the nutrient -200,000 arthropods per square meter
equilibrium gets out of balance. Thinking this through it is
easily understood how the great grasslands, prairies and Source: Dr. Elaine Ingham and Soil Food Web, Inc.
forests succeeded so vigorously before man arrived. Previously I mentioned that in the absence of naturally
sourced nutrition we have to do stupid things to make
Summary From sunrise to sunset, you know the value of your time in the greenhouse, and we understand
soil perform. The stupid thing is to spend our fossil fuel
Research has shown that up to 80% of synthetic nitrogen the significance of your financial investments. No matter your view, Farm Credit is here to
resources to manufacture nitrogen as well as mine the
is never used by plants; it either volatizes or leaches into
other nutrients required to sustain plant life. help you prepare for success.
the ground water. Of course, 80% is probably an extreme,
but knowing that possibly 50% of the nitrogen budget is
wasted is not very encouraging from both a financial and Jerry Faulring Give us a call today to speak with an agriculture lender, ready to help you define your future.
environmental perspective.
Waverly Farm
Ideal soils high in organic matter do not just happen 1931 Greenfield Road
in the landscape as they will in woodlands, grasslands Adamstown, MD 21710
and forest. We need to give these soils a boost by adding 310-874-8300
organic matter.
888.339.3334 | HorizonFC.com NMLS#
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