Soil Tillage = Hurricane+Forest Fire+Earthquake

Not to sound too drastic, but “tilling the soil is the equivalent of an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and forest fire occurring simultaneously to the world of soil organisms” says the Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRCS continues, stating “there are more individual organisms in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.” The health of our soil must be taken very seriously, for it gives us the food we eat, the land upon which we live, and filters the water we drink.

NRCS* and the Indiana SWCDs recommend the following strategies to improve and maintain your soil’s health:

Fantastic image and information featuring
Dr. Elaine Ingham on how living soil = health
from Natural Farming Hawai'i

Manage more by doing less

No-till or strip-till: disturbing the soil creates a hostile, instead of hospitable, place for soil organisms to live and work.

Wise use of fertilizers and pesticides

Misusing chemicals and other soil inputs can disrupt the naturally-balancing relationship between fungi, microorganisms, and crop roots.

Diverse Cropping

Just like humans need a variety of foods to eat to be healthy, crops need a variety of nutrient sources. “Biodiversity will ultimately be the key to success of any agricultural system,” states NRCS, and “Lack of biodiversity severely limits the potential of any cropping system and disease and pest problems are increased.”

Keep your land alive

Soil organisms feed on living plant roots first – it is the richest & most easily-accessible source of nutrients. Then they’ll feed on dead plant roots, then crop residue (i.e. husks), and then the leftover organic matter in the soil. Keep your soil happy by giving it the best food: from living roots, like cover crops.

Keep the soil covered

Soil is heavily disturbed by falling raindrops, which can cause erosion. Protect your land by protecting your soil: leave crop residue on the land, and use cover crops when you’re not growing a cash crop.

It all starts with soil.

If your soil is healthy, the health (and wealth) of your land will follow. Contact your local SWCD for more information on how to improve your land and your crops.

*Much of this information is taken from the NRCS publication "Farming in the 21st Century: a practical approach to improve Soil Health, November 2011 version"