ecological soil management - the key to successful gardening - introduction

8/9/2019 Ecological Soil Management - The Key to Successful Gardening - Introduction

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Ecological Soil Management:

The Key to SuccessfulGardening

Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.

Vegetable and Fruit Technical AssistanceAdvisor

Northeast Organic Farming Association of

Vermontwww.nofavt.org


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Soil: the Foundation of

the Garden

WSH


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Todays Presentation

Ecological Soil Management of

Organic Matter

Soil Tilth

Bio-diversity

To achieve healthy soil, healthy plants,

and ecological balance.


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A Plant & Soil

Ecosystem LightAirWater, etc

Nutrients

pH

CEC

Moisture

Microbes,

Earthworms, etcOM = Organic Matter

Temperature

Air

Texture

Structure

Pollutants


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CEC

Soil Air

MoistureMicrobes

rganicM

atter

Struc

ture

Text

ure

pH

Pollutants

Nutrients

A Simplified Soil Ecosystem


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A Good Loam Soil:

50% Solids

50% Pores

45% Mineral5% Organic Matter

25% Air

Big Pores

25% Water

Small Pores

So why is this important?


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Soil Fertility is

The ability of a soil to provide a physical,

chemical, and biological environment forthe plant that is health sustaining.

This is a long-term ecosystem based or

ecological agriculture perspective!


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Seven Principles to Maintain Soil

Fertility

1. Maintain a Proper Air to Water Balance2. Maintain Soil Tilth

3. Prevent Erosion

4. Maintain Soil Organic Matter Levels

5. Maintain Biological Diversity

6. Maintain a Proper Soil pH7. Maintain a Balance of Nutrients

A systems approach means you gotta do them all.Each alone will not make a fertile soil.


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Maintain Soil OM

Versus

Organic matter makes structure and feeds the biology!


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Why Add Soil OM to Make Humus:

1. Source of Nutrients - N P S & micronutrients

2. Acts as a chelating (binding) agent for the micronutrients

3. Has high CEC; holds cations in soil (ex. K+, Ca2+, Mg2+)

4. Chelates potentially toxic elements (ex. Al3+, Cd2+, Zn2+)

5. Extracts base nutrient cations from minerals

6. Buffers soil pH reaction

7. High water holding capacity

8. Promotes aggregation & improves structure

9. Improves drainage (less erosion) & aeration

10. Affects soil temperature w/ dark color

11. Provides food, energy & nutrients for organisms

12. Stimulates plant root growth

13. Active OM helps maintain a diverse group of soil

organisms = less pests and diseases

Soil Organic Matter Profoundly Influences Soil Fertility


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Soil Solution:The Thin Skins of Water that Coat

Everything.

RootH

airRAIN


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Cation

ExchangeCapacity +

++

+++ We arepositive!

Cations

K+ Mg2+ Ca2+ H+ Al3+

pH near neutral Acid pH

NO3-


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C t


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Compost:

Aerobic Methods

Small piles and bins

Windrows

Passive aeration

On-Farm Compost Handbook


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Mulch Gardening - 1998

WSH


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Cover Crops in the Garden 2008

WSH


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Cover Crops:

Cover Crops: Covers soil when normally bare preventingerosion. Either survive winter (rye) or die and provide a mulch

(oats).

Can build OMmature plants with lots of biomassturned under build soil OM best.

Green Manures: Grown and turned in while still green;generally immature.

Legumes can build soil fertilityprovide nitrogen.

Can build Soil OM and reduce weeds.

Catch Crops: Grasses mop up and holds nutrients that wouldotherwise leachnitrates scavenger. Holding nitrogen protect water quality and helps

harden-off perennial plants.

Johnnys

Selected

Seeds

All from

Johnnys

Selected

Seeds

C C Q liti f


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Cover Crops Qualities for

Gardening Cover Crops Uses

Cover crops, green manures, and catch crops

Some Types

Legumes: clovers, field peas, vetch, etc. Grasses: winter rye, oats, annual rye, etc

Others: buckwheat, mustards, sorghum-sudangrass

Winter Survival

Winter-killed: buckwheat, oats, sorghum-sudangrass Might winter-kill: annual rye

Survives winter: winter rye, perennial ryegrass, hairy vetch,white clover, winter wheat

Will Re-grow after Cutting Can be cut repeatedly: annual rye, rye, vetch

Can be cut at some stages: oats, buckwheat,


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Cover Crops in the Garden

Serial planting after onions

Rye-VetchAnnual Ryegrass

Buckwheat

Oats

WSH


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Rye-Vetch Annual Ryegrass

Biomass Production

WSHWSH


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Cover Crops in No-Till Gardening

Buckwheat and Oats BiomassPast Cutting

WSHWSH


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Before and

After Cutting

WSH

WSH


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DO YOU KNOWWhats In Your Dirt?

How Much OM Should YouAdd?

pH??

HeavyMetals??

N-P-K??

%OM?

?

Micronut

rients??

Take a Soil Test and Use Soil Test Recommendations

Dont Fly Blindfolded!


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Soil Test

Report Soil Test Results

Recommendation Limestone

Nitrogen Phosphorus

Potassium

Management Info

Who to call


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Create Great Soil Tilth


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Make and Maintain Soil Structure

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Ohio State University

Think about being a root. Which soil

can you grow through best! Get your

air and water from best!


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What Structure Does for You

Drainage in clay soils (macropores)

Water holding capacity in sandy soils(micropores)

*Building structure with OM Creates thePores You Aint Got!*

Macropore hold air and drain (in-between)Micropores hold water (inside)

OM = Drought Prevention Insurance


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Pores Are Different!

In-between

Aggregates

Inside

Aggregates

After water drains,

air is storedWater is stored

No inside space =no water; no in-between space= no air.

Cornell University


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How to Identify Compaction

Compaction densely packs the soiltogether, destroying tilth, structure and

increasing bulk density.

Compaction:

Surface crusting Surface compaction

Symptoms

Standing water Stressed plants

Erosion

Purdue University


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Making Soil Structure: Improves: drainage, air exchange, moisture

holding capacity, root penetration and seedgermination!

Lowers bulk density and reduces erosion!

It ameliorates natural textural properties!

Dont Destroy Your Structure

Wait and work your soil when it has dried outenoughno mud patties

Add OM to improve soil structure

Keep soil covered to protect soil structureTreat soil gently

C t G t Bi di it


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Create Great Biodiversity

SMB


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In Soil Organisms:Decompose plant and animal residues

releasing nutrients and making humus

Change nutrients to plant available forms

Improve soil structure and tilth (thru 1)

Improve plant nutrition (thru 1,2, & 3)

Diverse populations increase biologicalstability and balance resistance to system degradation

resilience or the bounce back factor

Create self-sufficiency (Emergentproperties) internal system nutrient cycling

beneficial mutualistic organism relationships internal system pest population managementand disease suppression

SMB

SMB

SMB


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Disease Suppression Mechanisms

The process of OM breakdown from OM additions: compost,cover crops, manures, etc.

Antagonists

Bacillus, Entrobacter, Trichoderma, Streptomyces,Pseudomonas, and more!

Single strains are not as effective as mixtures of microbes!

Antibiosis

Nutrient competition Parasitism

Induced systematic resistant- plant vaccination (lesscommon)

Doesnt suppress all diseases: some easy, somehard

Lasts about 6 months


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This Is Who!SMB

SMB

fungal-jungle.blogspot.com

www.profileproducts.com

& SOIL


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& SOIL

DFW

Interesting Relationships!


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Interesting Relationships!Population control for nematodes and fungi

Fungal

HyphaeNooses

Parasitized

Nematode

Captured

Nematodes

Interesting Relationships and

Population Checks and Balances.

DFW

DFW

SMB

SMB

SMB

ore n eres ng


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ore n eres ngRelationships!! Phoresy:

Detritivore Hitchhikers

Sucker Disc

Immature

Mites

PhoreticNematodes

DFW

DFW

DFW

DFW


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Plant - Microbial Relationships

Rhizobium and Legumes: Mutualism

SMB



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Mycorrhizal FungiEctomycorrhizae Endomycorrhizae

SMB

SMB

SMB

Bradyand

Weil,

2002.

Brady

and

Weil,

2002.

fungal-jungle.blogspot.com

www.profileproducts.com


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Plant to PlantMutualistic

Relationships

Bradyand

Weil,

2002.

& SOIL


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& SOIL

The Foundation of Food Web is FOOD.DFW


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That Means.

Soil OM Biodiversity

Ecological Balance

Efficiency of Soil Processes

Resistance: Systems Resistance to Degradation

Resilience: Systems Ability to Bounce Back

Self-Regulation or Self-Sufficiency (Emergent Properties)

Nutrient Cycling

Mutualistic Organism Relationships

Pest Checks and Balances(Disease Suppression)

Stability

Create Functional Biodiversity


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Create Functional BiodiversityProvide Diverse Food: Organic Matter

Add Organic ResiduesAdd Manure or Compost

Grow Cover Crops

Provide Diverse HabitatRotate Crops

Grow Cover Crops

Plant Mixtures of Species

Interplant, Under-sow, Companion Plant, PolycultureAdd Compost

Use Mulches

Plant Biological or Ecological Islands; Habitat and Food ForBeneficial Organisms

Bio-strips, Flower Strips, Beetle Banks, Strip InsectaryIntercropping, Vegetative Corridors, Hedge Rows

Selective Weeding

Reduce Tillage, Bare Land, and Chemical Inputs

Change Tolerance Levels for PestUse Integrated Pest Management

Rotate Crops


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Rotate Crops

ATTRA

To breaking pest cycles: insects, weeds, diseases

To manage nutrients

To reduce erosion

To build Soil OM

To improve yields


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Biological or Ecological Islands

www.sare.org

Syrphid Fly

Lacewings

Parasitic Wasp

www.attra.org

www.sare.org

www.sare.org

NCSU-IPMNCSU-IPM

NCSU-IPM

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Refugia or Conservation Head Lands


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Refugia or Conservation Head Lands

www.sare.org

University of Minnesota Extension

NCSU-IPM

www.sare.org

www.ukagriculture.com

Hedge Rows as Habitat


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Hedge Rows as Habitat

Wind Shelter Belt

Vegetation Barriers

Vegetative Corridors

Spined Soldier Bug

Praying Mantis

USDA/NRCS/NAC

National Corn Growers Association

Texas A&M University

University of Idaho

www.sare.org

Mulch as Habitat


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Mulch as Habitat

Ground Beetles

Spiders

DFW

DFW

WSH

WSH

Beetle Banks: Britain


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Beetle Banks: Britain

Ground Beetles

and other

Predatory Beetles

http://www.orc.govt.nz/

Oregon State University Extension

www.snh.org.uk/

DFW

Intercropping: Living Mulches


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Intercropping: Living Mulches

Bigeyed BugRover BeetleMinute Pirate Bug

NCSU-IPM

www.omafra.gov.on.ca/

www.dereila.ca

www.sare.org


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Resources

Start with the Soil.1993. G. Gershuny. Rodale Press. Building Soils for Better Crops. 2000. F.R. Magdoff

and H. van Es. Sustainable Agriculture Network.Handbook Series Book 4.

Managing cover Crops Profitably. 2007. SustainableAgriculture Network. Handbook Series Book 9.

Manage Insects on your Farm: A guide to ecologicalstrategies. 2005. M.A. Altieri and C.I. Nicholls with

M.A. Fritz. Sustainable Agriculture Network.Handbook Series Book 7.

The Rodale Book of Composting. 1992. D.L. Martin &G. Gershuny. Rodale Press.

Tales From The Underground. 2001. D. Wolfe.Perseus Pub

SARE

R


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Resources

A Whole-Farm approach to Managing Pests.Sustainable Agriculture Network.

Farmscaping To Enhance Biological Control. 2000.R. Dufour. Appropriate Technology Transfer for

Rural Areas.

Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable Agriculture.2004. F.R. Magdoff and R.R. Weil. CRC Press.

The Nature and Properties of Soils. 2008. N.C.Brady & R.R. Weil. Prentice Hall.

ATTRA: (Soils and Composting) NE-SARE:

SARE


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Biological Slide References

DFW: The Decomposer Food Web:Ecology of organisms of compost and

soil litter byDr. Daniel Dindal, Professor Emertius,Soil Ecologist, SUNY-Syracuse

SMB: Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry

from Soil Science Society of America

WSH: Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.

ore ues ons on o s or


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ore ues ons on o s orCompost?

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH


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The End

ecological soil management - the key to successful gardening - introduction

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