Your Soil

Soil Basics
     Factors influencing Soil Health and Quality A Cyber original Shockwave animation
     Sustainable Soil Management - Soil Systems Guide (ATTRA)
     The Pedosphere (U Alberta)
     Biodiversity and Organic Agriculture (FAO)
     Look after your soil

Let The Soil Work For Us

Elliott, E. T. and Coleman, D. C. 1988. Let the soil work for us - Ecol. Bull. 39: 23-32.
Reprinted with Ecological Bulletin permission

Abstract: Appropriate management of microbial populations in soil can reduce leakage of excess nutrients from the rooting zone and enhance the fertilizer use efficiency and agroecosystem production. Manipulation of the microbial habitat by varying residue and tillage management is an effective and practicable way to manage soil microorganisms. Aggregation, pore space and preferential flow are strongly influenced by cultivation. The architecture of the soil structure can determine the habitability for soil microorganisms and nutrient fluxes through agroecosystems. Soil organic matter availability to microorganisms is related to its position within the soil matrix. A simple hierarchical model for soil aggregation can explain many aspects of changes in soil organic matter aggradation and degradation. Likewise, four hierarchical pore categories are presented which relate to the aggregate structure of the soil and provide a basis for predicting how soil pore networks influence ecological relationships among organisms in soil detrital food webs. Macroporosity is sensitive to variations in cultivation practices and can increase under no-till management. Less leaching of nitrate was observed in no-till experimental plots. This was related to increased infiltration rates and preferential flow of incoming nitrate-free rain water down large pores; this effectively bypasses or short circuits the nitrate in the surface soil layers. Where soils were tilled, the water moved down the profile more slowly and subsequently transported more nitrate deeper. Greater macroporosity and a responsive microbial community can be used to provide more efficient management of agroecosystems. Establishment of a new steady state for soils put under no-till cultivation may take as long as a decade in temperate climates.

E. T. Elliott, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, U.S.A. D. C. Coleman, Dept of Entomology and Institute of Ecology, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, U.S.A.

Read on: Let The Soil Work For Us

Soil Quality, Soil Health

Organic Crop Production - Fertility (Sask. Ag. & Food)
Soil Health (Soil Health)
Managing soil fertility in organic farming systems
What is Soil Quality or Soil Health? (AAFC)
Health of Our Soils (AAFC)
Soil and Health Library

Soil Biological Processes

Weeds Guardians of the Soil (A manual by J. Cocannouer)
The Soil Biology Primer (Soil & Water Conservation Soc.)
Weeds Guardians of the Soil (A manual by J. Cocannouer)
Soil Organic Matter (Alberta Ag)
Soil Biological Processes (Soil & Water Conservation Soc.)
Influence of Agricultural Practices on Earthworm Populations (UIUC)

Bill Mollison on soil health and earthworms in a cool climate

Soil Fertility Tools

Average Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P²O⁵), and Potassium (as K²O) percent composition of various materials (NCSU-US)
Nitrogen Available from Organic Sources (XTension, 27 mins.) [Flash: Audio and slides]
Cobalt for Soil and Animal Health (Weston A Price Foundation)
Commerical Organic Nutrient Recommendations (UMES-US)

Managing Organic Matter

Regenerative carbon management (Rodale)
Soil biodiversity and its functions (FAO)

Crop Rotations

Planned Crop Rotations (ATTRA)
Organic Crop Rotations (COG)

Green Manures

Cover Crop Resource Page (UC SAREP)
Thinking across and beyond disciplines to make cover crops pay [PDF]
A cover crop roller without all the drawbacks of a stalk chopper (Rodale)
Green Manures & Cover Crops (ATTRA)
Green Manure Crops Seeding Rates (KSU/pdf)

Tillage Methods

Principal Tillage Methods (FAO - review of various tillage procedures)
Conservation Tillage (GNB)
Raised beds Very well illustrated
Infosheet # 19: Field Crop Management (OMAFRA)
Best Management Practices: No Till: Making It Work (OMAFRA)
Building and using a tool that makes organic no-till a reality (The New Farm)

Organic Farming Beats No-Till? by Don Comis, USDA. July 10, 2007
Organic farming can build up soil organic matter better than conventional no-till farming can, according to a long-term study by Agricultural Research Service scientists.

The opening paragraph from Chris Wells's Managing Cover Crops on a Small Scale No-till Farm article:
"I tend to talk a lot about no-till soil management in a casual way. But it seems that I often get less than casual reactions from people when I do. One question I often get is in dealing with cover crops and turning them in. Discussing no-till farming in relation to cover crops is a great way to communicate the principles of no-till farming, as cover crops likely post the biggest challenge to the no-till concept. I would like to take you through the process I use to deal with cover crops and carry that on to give you a look at the life-cycle of a no-till farming system. But first, a short introduction to no-till farming."
Click here to read the rest of the article.

Precision Farming

About Precision Farming (Ab ag)
An Overview of Precision Farming Technology: Is It for You? (Mb ag)
Nitrogen Efficiency in Organic Farming Using a GPS Precision Farming Technique (OACC)

Equipment Care & Settings

Planning Guide to Farm Machinery Storage (Purdue)
Maintain Machinery in Winter (USU/pdf)
Prevention Maintenance Checklist (USU/pdf)
Equipment Wheel Space for Ridge -Till & No Till Row Crops (UofN)

Individual Biota

Fungi and Mycorrhizae (AAFC)
Cultivating diversity underground for better yields above (New Farm)
FAQ - Earthworms (AAFC)
Nematode Management (NCSU-US)
FAQ - Nematodes (AAFC)
Soil Life Movies (IAState)