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Regenerative farming is based on good 'Soil Health'. What does this mean?
Regenerative farming is based on good 'Soil Health'. What does this mean?
Soil Health
Soil Health
The term 'Soil Health' is being heard more recently.
Previously, you may have heard of soil 'quality', which implies a good range of chemicals and soil structures. Soil health reflects that soil is alive, and like all living matter can be healthy or ill.
Interest in soils has shot up recently, mainly due to an interest is seeing whether soils can 'sequestrate' carbon, thereby mitigating global warming (that leads to climate change)
Soil health' describes how well soil performs all of its functions now and how those functions are being preserved for future use. Soil health is not determined by measuring only crop yield, water quality, or any other single outcome. Soil health cannot be measured directly, any more than we can do that for ourselves
A more detailed explanation of soil health, functions and agriculture can be found here Soil Health in Agriculture Systems . "Soil health is dependent on the maintenance of four major functions: carbon transformations; nutrient cycles; soil structure maintenance; regulation of pests and diseases."
Soil and Health Albert Howard
Youtube Webinar
Soil: Regenerative Agriculture
Notes & Screengrabs
Become an 'Earth Buddy'
Dr Dirt says:
Imagine the soil is a body which has to breath to stay alive. It needs oxygen, like any living body, to metabolise 'aerobically' , ie run its bodily functions. It breathes out carbon dioxide, having built lumps of life on the way. Soil, like the the gut in our body, has anaerobic systems too, but is not as efficient as aerobic. Soil health helps breathing which helps soil metabolism work properly.
According to Doran and Zeiss (2000):
"Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a living system with ecosystem and land use boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health. "
According to Peter Trutmann, quoted in FAO (2008 (The case for improving soil health), soil health emphasises, a unique property of biological systems, since inert components cannot be sick or healthy; this emphasises the important role soil life and soil biology play in the maintenance of soil health.
Management of soil health thus becomes synonymous with management of the living portion of the soil to maintain essential functions of soil to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health.
Module aims:
Module aims:
To find out how soil food webs, consisting of flora, macro- and meso-fauna, fungi, and microorganisms, work so as to improve soil functions.
To identify the importance of soil health in crop growth, animal welfare, water holding and healthier diets.
To demonstrate how increasing the biodiversity of life in soils helps drive biogeochemical processes, like water, carbon and nutrient cycles, that make life on earth possible.
To produce indicators of good soil health.
To determine how improving soil health can contribute to resilience and help mitigate climate change..
Soil Health Module
Soil Health Module
Aims
Aims
Bring soil to life
(cf classic 'dead')
Explore ‘soil health’
(meaning - further impact)
Investigate role in Climate Change - (holistic)
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