Without oxygen in the soil, nothing works
Oxygen is one of the overlooked but most important requirements for microbial and root development. In fact, I’d even posit that it is more important than food, water, and warmth.
Why not compost?
Nothing should ever be viewed as “waste” on the farm. Organic waste can be converted into compost that helps improve the farms soil life and fertility.
Our soil is under threat
To a large extent, these threats are caused by conventional agriculture. This is what makes the regenerative approach to soil management so important.
Constant cover is your soil insurance
Keeping the soil covered is important for soil conservation. The abundance and diversity of food for soil organisms is what determines a soil’s natural productivity.
Are herbicides really helping you?
There has been a lot of research conducted about the impact of applying herbicides. The problem is that there is a full spectrum of findings showing positive, negative and negligible effects on soil biology. This can be very confusing.
Graham Shepherd: Managing nitrogen and carbon to maximise farm performance
Graham’s keynote presentation, Managing N and C to maximise farm performance, truly resonated with the audience. Many of the farmers in attendance are already in transition towards sustainable farming while others are not quite there yet.
Should I only buy local produce?
What is more important is becoming conscious of how our food is produced, no matter where it comes from. This especially includes considering what it would have taken for food to arrive on the shelves of your local supermarket.
The fate of nitrogen: nitrate-N vs ammonium-N
Nitrogen is the growth element. Plants need it, no doubt about that. In the first half of a plant’s growth cycle, it takes in about 80% of the total nitrogen it needs for the entire cycle.
The underrated value of good quality irrigation water
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to irrigation water quality. The best place to start is knowing the quality of your irrigation water.
Does your soil have a balanced diet?
The ultimate goal is a healthy soil, with a fully functioning soil food web. One of the important steps in achieving this is ensuring the correct diet for the microbes which make up the full food web.