All over the country [some soils are] worn out, depleted, exhausted, almost dead.
But here is comfort: These soils possess possibilities and may be restored to high productive power, provided you do a few simple things.
—C.W. burkett, 1907
It should come as no surprise that many cultures
excessive runoff and flooding are more common. Soils
have considered soil central to their lives. After all,
also absorb, release, and transform many different chemi-
people were aware that the food they ate grew from
cal compounds. For example, they help to purify wastes
the soil. Our ancestors who first practiced agriculture
flowing from the septic system fields in your back yard.
must have been amazed to see life reborn each year
Soils also provide habitats for a diverse group of organ-
when seeds placed in the ground germinated and then
isms, many of which are very important—such as those
grew to maturity. In the Hebrew Bible, the name given
bacteria that produce antibiotics. Soil organic matter
to the first man, Adam, is the masculine version of the
stores a huge amount of atmospheric carbon. Carbon, in
word “earth” or “soil” ( adama). The name for the first
the form of carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas associated
woman, Eve (or Hava in Hebrew), comes from the word
with global warming. So by increasing soil organic matter,
for “living.” Soil and human life were considered to be
more carbon can be stored in soils, reducing the global
intertwined. A particular reverence for the soil has been
warming potential. We also use soils as a foundation for
an important part of the cultures of many civilizations,
roads, industry, and our communities.
including American Indian tribes.
Although we focus on the critical role soils play
WHAT KIND OF SOIl DO YOU WANT?
in growing crops, it’s important to keep in mind that
Soil consists of four important parts: mineral solids,
soils also serve other important purposes. Soils govern
water, air, and organic matter. Mineral solids are sand,
whether rainfall runs off the field or enters the soil and
silt, and clay and mainly consist of silicon, oxygen, alu-
eventually helps recharge underground aquifers. When
minum, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The soil
a soil is denuded of vegetation and starts to degrade,
water, also called the soil solution, contains dissolved
Photo by Dan Anderson
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Building SoilS for Better CropS: SuStainaBle Soil ManageMent