organic gardening - who is in your soil

8/9/2019 Organic Gardening - Who is in Your Soil

1/43

Who is in Your Soil?

Soil Biology: What Gardeners Needto Know

NOFA-VT Winter Conference 2008

Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.

Vegetable and Fruit TA AdvisorNortheast Organic Farming Association of Vermont

www.nofavt.org

www.profileproducts.com

fungal-jungle.blogspot.com


2/43

Soil Organisms: Today

Examine Soil Biology: The amazing web oflife that makes garden soils healthy.

Answer: Why is soil biodiversity important

in the garden? Discuss: How to improve soil biodiversity

for successful gardening.

SMB

DFW


3/43

Soil: the Foundation of the

Garden

WSH


4/43

A Plant & Soil

Ecosystem LightAirWater, etc

Nutrients

pH

CEC

Moisture

Microbes,

Earthworms, etcOM = Organic Matter

Temperature

Air

Texture

Structure

Pollutants


5/43

CEC

Air

MoistureMicrobes

OrganicM

atter

Struc

ture

Textur

e

pH

Pollutants

Nutrients

A Simplified Soil Ecosystem


6/43

Soil Fertility is

The ability of a soil to provide a physical,chemical, and biological environment for the

plant that is health sustaining.

This is a long-term ecosystem based or

ecological agriculture perspective!


7/43

Seven Principles to Maintain SoilFertility

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.


8/43

The Ecology of Soil Organisms& Soils

Feeding

Levels

Sizes

DFW


9/43

Microflora Swimmers: Bacteria

DFW

SMB SMB

SMB


10/43

Microflora Swimmers:

Actinomycetes

SMBSMB

SMB


11/43

Microflora Swimmers: Fungi & Molds

Mold

FungiDFWSMB

SMB

SMB

University of Edinburgh


12/43

Microflora Swimmers: Fungi

Saprophytic

Parasitic

SMB

SMB


13/43

Microfauna Swimmers: Protozoa

Flagellates

Ciliates

Amoebas

DFW

DFW

SMB

Tulane University


14/43

Microfauna Swimmers: Rotifers

DFW

Microbus

Microscopy-UK


15/43


16/43

Mesofauna: Walk Knee-Deep in Water

Mold Mite Beetle Mite

Predatory MiteDFW

DFW

DFW

Soil-USDA


17/43

Mesofauna: Walk Knee-Deep in Water

Bark Lice

Spring Tails

Feathered-winged

BeetlePseudoscorpion

DFWDFW

DFW

DFW


18/43


19/43

Macrofauna: Pore Makers

Ispod, Pill or Sow Bug

Slug

Land Snails Maggots or Fly LarvaeDFW

DFW

DFW

DFW


20/43


Centipede

Ground Beetle

Ants

DFW

DFW

DFW


21/43


Land Planarian,

Flat Worm or

Turbellaria

Wolf Spider

DFW

DFW


22/43

Interesting Relationships!!

Fungal

HyphaeNooses

Parasitized

Nematode

Captured

Nematodes

Population Checks and Balances.

DFW

DFW

SMB

SMB

SMB


23/43

More Interesting Relationships!!

Phoresy: Detritivore Hitchhikers

Sucker Disc

Immature

Mites

PhoreticNematodes

DFW

DFW

DFW

DFW


24/43

Plant - Microbial Relationships

Rhizobium and Legumes: Mutualism

SMB

Pl t Mi bi l R l ti hi


25/43

Plant - Microbial Relationships

Mycorrhizal FungiEctomycorrhizaeEndomycorrhizae

SMB

SMB

SMB

Bradyand

Weil,

2002.

Brady

and

Weil,

2002.

fungal-jungle.blogspot.com

www.profileproducts.com


26/43

Plant to PlantMutualistic

Relationships

Bradyand

Weil,

2002.


27/43

The Ecology of Soil Organisms& Soils

DFW

SMB


28/43

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 (Emergent properties) system nutrient cycling,

beneficial mutualistic organism relationships,

system pest population management, anddisease suppression.

SMB

SMB

SMB


29/43

The Food Web Foundation is Food!& Soils

DFW


30/43

The Importance of Soil OM or 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

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 energy (NRG) & nutrients for microbes

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


31/43

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

Stability

5 M i t i C t Bi di it


32/43

5. Maintain or Create Biodiversity

C t F ti l Bi di it


33/43

Create Functional BiodiversityProvide Diverse Food: Organic Matter

Add Organic Residues

Add Manure or Compost

Grow Cover Crops

Provide Diverse HabitatRotate CropsGrow 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


34/43

Biological or Ecological Islands

www.sare.org

Syrphid Fly

Lacewings

Parasitic Wasp

www.attra.orgwww.sare.org

www.sare.org

NCSU-IPM

NCSU-IPM

NCSU-IPM

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk


35/43

Refugia or Conservation Head Lands

www.sare.org

University of Minnesota Extension

NCSU-IPM

www.sare.org

www.ukagriculture.com

H d R H bit t


36/43

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

M l h H bit t


37/43

Mulch as Habitat

Ground Beetles

Spiders

DFW

DFW

WSH

WSH

B tl B k B it i


38/43

Beetle Banks: Britain

Ground Beetles

and other

Predatory Beetles

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

Oregon State University Extension

www.snh.org.uk/

DFW

I t i Li i M l h


39/43

Intercropping: Living Mulches

Bigeyed BugRover BeetleMinute Pirate Bug

NCSU-IPM

www.omafra.gov.on.ca/

www.dereila.ca

www.sare.org


40/43

Questions on Soils Biology or Ecology?

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH

WSH


41/43

Resources Start with the Soil.1993. G. Gershuny. Rodale Press.

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

Tales From The Underground. 2001. D. Wolfe. Perseus Pub. Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable Agriculture. 2004. F.R.

Magdoff and R.R. Weil. CRC Press.

Manage Insects on your Farm: a guide to ecological strategies.M.A. Altieri and C.I. Nicholls with M.A. Fritz, SAN. 2005.

Life in the Soil. 1966. R. Jackson & F. Raw. St. Martins Press.

Soil Biology Guide. 1990. D. Dindal. John Wiley & Sons.

NYC. The Nature and Properties of Soils. 2002. N.C. Brady & R.R.

Weil. Prentice Hall.

ATTRA: (Soils and Composting)


42/43

Biological Slide References

DFW: The Decomposer Food Web: Ecologyof organisms of compost and soil litter by

Dr. Daniel Dindal, Professor Emertius, SoilEcologist, SUNY-Syracuse

SMB: Soil Microbiology and Biochemistryfrom Soil Science Society of America

WSH: Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.


43/43

The End

organic gardening - who is in your soil

Documents