The Basics of “Healthy” Soil and Some Key Ways to Improve It

Soil. Photo from centralvalley.com

Soil health is based on the soil's ability to produce plants and the diversity of its organisms. Soil is more than just dirt, it consists of many factors that must all work together in harmony in order for the soil to be “healthy” and successful. Many things can influence a soil's health such as soil microbes and fungi, different amounts of minerals like nitrogen, organic matter, plants and more. These are all very important when considering soil health.

If you are wondering whether or not your soil is healthy, check out this blog.

The Basics

Soil is composed of two main components: minerals, like rock or sand particles, and organic matter. The space between groups of soil particles (called aggregates), is called pore space; this is where water and air move through the soil and where organisms travel and plant roots grow. In order for soil to be it’s healthiest self, there needs to be a perfect balance between soil and pore space.

The soil community consists of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, arthropods and earthworms. Bacteria can form relationships with plants that are beneficial to both parties. Bacteria and fungi are important for decomposition and making nutrients available to plants. Protozoa are also important for cycling nutrients. Arthropods and earthworms help with decomposition of organic material by breaking it down as they eat.

Stressors to Soil Health

Many things can cause stress to soils; such as degradation, erosion, compaction and contamination (which can impact their health). Some agricultural practices can cause major stress to soils.

Heavy field equipment can cause soil compaction. Photo from Machine Finder Blog.

Things like heavy equipment can cause compaction, which closes soil pores and makes it difficult for water to saturate the soil. Other things like leaving the soil bare during the offseason, causes large amounts of erosion, especially in the spring. Contamination can also occur from the use of pesticides and herbicides.

What to do to Improve Your Soil’s Health

1. Crop Rotation

One way farmers can improve the health of their soil is to integrate more diversity of crops. Crop rotation refers to implementing a rotation of crops each season. For example, you might plant corn one year, soybeans the next year, and then alfalfa for the next few years.

Example of a common crop rotation. Photo by Jordyn Munson.

2. Intercropping

Another tactic they can use to introduce diversity is intercropping. Intercropping is planting multiple crops in the same field, and alternating between crops every other row. Typically, intercropping involves two or more crops that complement each other.

A common combination used in intercropping would be a grain crop and a legume crop. Together they have more benefits than they would if they had been planted alone. Another benefit of intercropping is that it can result in overyielding, which can be very beneficial to the farmer. With diversity of plants comes diversity in the soil community.

3. Cover Crops

Another way farmers can improve soil health is to plant cover crops. Cover crops are planted after the regular season’s harvest, and they are harvested in the spring. Farmers typically use winter wheat or winter rye, because these crops can establish quickly before the snow falls.

Cover crops are very beneficial because they allow for the soil to be covered year round, which prevents erosion. These crops are especially important in the spring when the snow melts as they can prevent runoff in the fields.

For some more great examples of soil healthy practices, see this brochure by the USDA. By implementing soil healthy practices into your farming or gardening, you can see growth in your yields, year after year. They can also help improve surrounding ecosystems. The importance of healthy soil is great, and the outcomes of healthy soil are even greater.