Soil for Life

Did you know all living things depend on soil! There can not be life without soil!  Soil is Life!  We do our best everyday to take care of our soil by using the Five Principles of Soil Health.

Importance of Soil

Soil grows materials that feed humans and animals, materials for clothes and shelter, it filters and holds our water, practically everything somehow is tied to our soil.

Soil Structure

Having healthy soil structure helps reduce wind and water erosion, increases water infiltration, improves nutrient cycling, and reduces compaction.  Soil is made of 25% Air, 25% Water, 45% Minerals (Sand, Silt, and Clay), and about 5% Organic Matter.

Soil Food Web

 Did you know there are more living organisms in a tablespoon of healthy soil than people on our planet?  These micro-organisms are responsible for decomposing organic matter, converting nutrients to usable form for plants, enhancing soil structure, and controlling the population of soil organisms.

The Five Principles of Soil Health

1. Soil Cover:  Keep plant residues on the soil surface.  Look down, what percentage of your soil is protected by residue?  Erosion needs to be minimized before you can start building soil health.
2.  Limited Disturbance: Minimize tillage as much as possible.  You will start building soil aggregates, pore spaces, soil biology, and organic matter.

3. Living Roots:  Keep plants growing throughout the year to feed the soil.  Cover crops can add carbon to the soil, provide a great food source for micro-organisms.  Start small to find the best fit for your operation.
4. Diversity:  Diversify as much as possible with 3 or more crops and cover crops whenever possible.  Try to mimic nature – cool and warm season grasses and broadleaf plants.  Three or more crops in a rotation benefits the soil food web, improves infiltration, nutrient cycling, reduces disease and pests, and aids in weed suppression.
5. Integrating Livestock:  Fall/winter grazing of cover crops increases livestock’s plane of nutrition at a time when pasture forage quality can be low.  Grazing croplands increases the soil biological activity and improves nutrient cycling.  Proper grassland management improves soil health.
 

Healthy Soil is key

Educating people is a very important and powerful tool to help keep our soils healthy, sustainable, and resilient in the future.  We are very grateful to be part of a fantastic network of people "Voices of Soil Health" that are striving to educate people.

Resources

south dakota soil health coalition

south dakota no-till association