Reduced tillage
ed til age
Rotations
Rotations
Erosion control
Erosion control
Cover crops
Cover crops
Manures, composts
Manures, composts
Nutrients
Nutrients
Prevent compaction
Figure 23.1. Are all the practices just confusing? Solutions can be found by matching them with the needs and opportunities of your farm.
are probably best implemented at strategic times. For
• growing cover crops
example, when you are ready to buy a new planter, con-
• using better crop rotations
sider a whole new approach to tillage as well. Also, take
• applying organic amendments
advantage of flush times—for example, when you receive
• applying inorganic amendments
high prices for products—to invest in new management
There are many options for making soil management
approaches. However, don’t wait until that time to make
changes in different types of farming systems. We have
decisions. Plan ahead, so you are ready to make the
discussed these in the previous chapters with respect
move at the right time. Remember that soil health man-
to helping remedy specific problems. A good analogy
agement is a long-term commitment. There are no silver
is to think of your soil as a bank account with credits
bullets or snake oils that will work to build soil health;
and debits. The credits are management practices that
it requires an integration of the concepts of physical,
improve soil health, like manure additions, reduced
biological, and chemical processes we have discussed in
tillage, and cover crops. The debits are the ones that
this book.
degrade the soil, like compaction from field traffic and
intensive tillage (table 23.1). One farming system may
gENERAl APPROAcHES
result in a different balance sheet than another due to
Most types of agriculture soil health can be improved
specific constraints. For example, a daily harvest sched-
through six main approaches:
ule means that you cannot avoid traffic on wet soils,
• reducing tillage
and small-seeded crops require intensive tillage at least
• avoiding soil compaction
in the planting row in order to prepare a seedbed. Still,
268
Building SoilS for Better CropS: SuStainaBle Soil ManageMent