HOW HEALTHY SOILS GROW RESILIENCY Healthy soils are
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HOW HEALTHY SOILS GROW RESILIENCY Healthy soils are the backbone of our health and community vitality “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. ” - Aldo Leopold Trisha Jackson, Ph. D Soil Health U 23 January 2020
Overview • • • Sustainability science Farming resiliency Impacts of building soil health Historical context Case study
Pillars of Sustainability Economic Social Natural
Pillars of Sustainability Profitable Farm Vibrant Community Clean Water, Air, Plentiful Habitat
Pillars of Sustainability Profitable Farm Happy, healthy people live at this nexus. It doesn’t exist without a wellfunctioning ecosystem. Vibrant Community Clean Water, Air, Plentiful Habitat
Resiliency • Resiliency refers to a system’s ability to weather and recover from stresses or disturbances. • Example 1: Extreme weather event • Example 2: Drop in crop prices • Example 3: Loss of family member Vitality over time in face of disturbances. Resilience Sustainability Capacity to preserve the system over time.
Resilient or not? How would your operation fare? Vitality over time in face of disturbances. Resilience Sustainability Capacity to preserve the system over time. From: Marchese et al. 2018. Resilience and sustainability: Similarities and differences in environmental management applications. Science of the Total Environment Volumes 613– 614, 1 February 2018, Pages 1275 -1283
Healthy Soil Builds Resiliency When functioning at its highest potential, the soil ecosystem: • Builds its own fertility • Requires fewer inputs • Decreases or eliminates irrigation needs • Fights pests and diseases • Produces more consistent yields
Impacts on Natural Systems Healthy Soils: • Increase plant growth • Reduce erosion • Prevent pest and disease outbreaks • Filter water • Store water • Carbon sink • Nutrient reservoir • Help Pollinators • Encourage biodiversity and wildlife habitat • And, verdant plants produce O 2, clean the air
Impacts on Economic Systems Healthy soils on your farm means: • Fewer inputs • Better pollination • Fewer health costs • Federal and State incentives • Higher yields/yield stability Regenerative corn fields generate nearly twice the profit of conventionally managed corn fields. Source: Claire E. La. Canne, Jonathan G. Lundgren Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably Published February 26, 2018 in Peer. J - Life & Environment
Impacts on Social Systems Healthy soil in your community can mean: • • • Fewer toxins Cleaner water Cleaner air Better mental health Slowed antibiotic resistance Sustainable livelihoods Fresher food Resilient food systems Decreased obesity Nutrient dense food
Paradigm shift • Recognizing the connection between human health and soil health. • “…Soil has roughly the same ratio of nitrogen-to-carbon and a similar range for normal p. H as the human body…the carbon, nitrogen, and every mineral and vitamin that is a building block in our own bodies is derived from soil. In other words, we are of the soil. ” (pg. 8)
Historical context • Reductionist science burgeoned in the 16 th-17 th centuries – large contributions in understanding world • Now, many of these technologies are contributing to our health woes. • Chemical weapons converted into fertilizer, pesticides have unintended consequences (cancer, lung disease, chronic ailments, water pollution, and more) • Super-sizing of farms (industrialization of agriculture) degraded rural communities • Food bred for yield and appearance are nutrient depleted. • Widespread bacterial, viral, fungal resistance from antibiotic and pesticide overuse.
Shape of resilient systems
Shape of resilient systems Figure from Baran, 1962 After joining the RAND Corporation in 1959, Paul Baran took on the task of designing a "survivable" communications system that could maintain communication between end points in the face of damage from nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Source: BBC News
Resiliency of Farmers • Farmers are problem solvers, tinkerers, connected to the land. • “There should be some profound resemblances between our treatment of our bodies and our treatment of the earth. ” – Wendell Berry Image source: Relevantmagazine. com “Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do. ” ― Endorsement statement for The Dying of the
Case study #1 – Good Roots Farm, Inc. – Brookings, SD Family Farm • Goals – Profitable – Educational – Source of fresh produce – Social gathering place Project goal: To measure 1. Quality and abundance of biochar from wooded patches 2. Measure impacts on soil health, crop quality and yield 3. Cost: Benefit analysis
Step 1. Make biochar
Step 2. Design Vegetable Plot A: Control B: Biochar + compost C: Compost only Produce: • Tomatoes (4 types) • Bell peppers • Jalapenos • Habanero • Zucchini • Eggplant • Turnips • Watermelon • Musk melon
Step 3. Compost delivery
Step 4. Application, monitoring
Step 5. Analyze Results -Veggies average yield by weight* (kg) % change in yield vs. control Vegetable control compost biochar compost only biochar mix Beans 0. 00347 0. 00281 0. 00368 -19% 6% Beets 0. 541 0. 663 0. 497 23% -8% Bell pepper 0. 011 0. 034 207% 202% Cherry tom. 0. 052 0. 068 0. 159 29% 204% Eggplant 0. 358 0. 339 0. 330 -5% -8% Musk melon 0. 820 1. 201 1. 204 47% Roma tomato 0. 082 0. 220 0. 172 168% 110% Turnips 0. 177 0. 330 0. 318 86% 79% Watermelon 1. 814 1. 941 1. 993 7% 10% Zucchini 0. 376 0. 267 0. 379 -29% 1% *Normalized by yield per individual crop or by number of plants in a harvested row.
Results – Nutrient Density Summary by Treatment vs. Control Nutrient Compost Biochar Phosphorous, P 6% 9% Potassium, K 3% 7% Sulfur, S 1% 7% Zinc, Zn 5% 16% Iron, Fe 23% 36% Manganese, Mn -3% 10% Copper, Cu 0% 4% Calcium 7% -7% Magnesium, Mg 0% 5% Boron, B -1% 1%
Results – Brix (sweetness) Produce Type Control Compost Biochar beans 7. 0 6. 0 7. 0 beet 12. 3 5. 5 16. 8 bell pepper 5. 9 5. 7 5. 8 cherry tomato 7. 5 8. 7 7. 0 eggplant 4. 0 4. 1 5. 5 habanero 7. 4 7. 6 musk melon 6. 3 9. 1 6. 0 roma tomato 4. 1 3. 7 turnip 6. 6 13. 7 6. 5 watermelon 9. 2 8. 7 8. 0 zucchini 3. 8 4. 1 4. 3 Compost only -14% -55% -3% 15% 1% Biochar mix 1% 36% -1% -7% 36% 44% 0% 107% -5% -10% -2% -13% 6% 12%
Aronia Field -only top dressed with biochar/compost mix (after flowering)
Aro nia resu lts row 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Treatment Biochar/compost Biochar/compost yield per plant (kg) 0. 163636 0. 225325 0. 205992 0. 298565 0. 209933 0. 173052 0. 163409 0. 154017 0. 050909 0. 050273 biochar yield 0. 180246 control yield 0. 158776 Yield % difference 14% biochar brix 18. 74733 control brix 18. 798 Brix % difference 0%
Results summary VEGGIE PLOT • 7 out of 10 crops showed significant yield increases – Increases from 47% up to 202% – Yield increases in plots with biochar generally higher than compost-only plots • 8 out of 10 crops showed higher nutrient levels – Nutrient levels of P, K, S, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mg higher • 3 out of 10 crops were sweeter than the control – Increased sweetness up to 36% – 2 out of 10 crops were slightly less sweet than the control ARONIA PLOT • Increased yields 14% with top dressing after flowering • No change in sweetness
Take Aways from this Study • Biochar enhances the soil ecosystem • Healthier soil produced higher quality, more abundant food • Compost helped too (short term) • Costs: Time, effort • Benefits: Significant yield increases, continuing gains
Good Roots Farm and Gardens, Inc. Brookings, SD Profitable Farm Vibrant Community Clean Water, Air, Plentiful Habitat Good Roots continues to work with students, as well as providing fresh, nutritious food and a popular location for social events, such as weddings.
Final Take Aways • Consider the three pillars of sustainability when planning • Holistic management can help • Rethink your operation to build resiliency by mimicking nature Resource Suggestions • Savory Institute • Regeneration International • Soil health Facebook groups
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