Soil Cover

Soil Health: Principle 1 of 5 – Keep the Soil Covered: It starts at the surface

To maximize soil health and regenerate degraded soils, each of the five principles of soil health should be implemented, and each principle is of equal importance. But keeping the soil covered is usually the first mentioned principle, because you can’t build soil if you’re losing it. Here are the reasons why keeping “armor” on the soil should be your first line of defense when starting your soil health journey.

Control erosion Wind and water are powerful forces. A 5-millimeter raindrop is travelling at 18.2 feet per second when it strikes the soil surface (Marelli, 1983). Wind erosion can start at wind speeds as low as 12-15 miles per hour. Erosion occurs when the kinetic energy of the rain or wind destroys soil aggregates. By keeping the soil covered with the previous crops’ residue and/or living plants, the energy from the raindrop or wind is absorbed by the cover.

Reduce weed pressure Cover reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the soil surface. For weed seeds that require some amount of sunlight to germinate, a good cover will inhibit germination. Any weeds that do germinate will have to contend with a low light environment and may not have the energy to grow through the residue. Some living covers, such cereal rye, have an allelopathic affect on weed seeds and prevent their germination.

Moderate soil temperatures Soil armor acts like a blanket in cold weather and a shade in hot weather. Roots and below ground life do not perform well, and may even die, with wildly fluctuating temperatures.

Moisture retention By shading the soil surface, evaporation rates are greatly reduced, allowing more plant available water to be stored for use by your crop. Reducing evaporation rates also aides in the prevention of salts moving to the soil surface through capillary rise.

Reduce compaction/crusting When soil aggregates are broken down by the erosive power of rain, they are left as individual particles of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. When the sand, silt and clay are no longer held together in an aggregate, they clog soil pores and form visible layers on the soil surface. These layers become compacted and prevent water infiltration and seeds from sprouting.

Home for biology Having a high residue cover on the soil surface provides both the home and the pantry for surface feeding soil life. Maintaining this layer of residue is important for fostering earthworm populations, as their primary source of food is dead and decaying plant matter. Earthworms serve as soil aerators and fertilizers.

 

2023 Soil Health School Registration Open!

The 2023 Soil Health School will be held August 28-30 on the farms of Anthony Bly and Bruce Carlson near Garretson, SD! There will be classroom sessions, field excercises, discussion panels, and opportunities to network with researchers, industry professionals, and experienced producers who can help you on your soil health journey! Class size is limited, so learn more and register today!

News & Events

Long-term research reveals advantages of diverse crop rotations

Long-term research reveals advantages of diverse crop rotations

By Stan Wise PIERRE, SD – It can take time for scientists to build new knowledge of biological processes, especially when those processes play out over the course of years. Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service North Central...

‘Park the chisel’: First step toward soil health can be simple

‘Park the chisel’: First step toward soil health can be simple

By Stan Wise PIERRE, SD – The benefits of improved soil health for agricultural producers and gardeners are numerous and valuable – reduced input costs, improved profitability, drought and flood resilience, reduced erosion, improved water quality, increased wildlife...

Saline Soil Management: More Money With Fewer Crop Acres

Saline Soil Management: More Money With Fewer Crop Acres

By Stan Wise PIERRE, SD – Salinity areas. Trouble spots. White deserts. Regardless of what they’re called, saline soils are a problem for South Dakota. White, salty areas where nothing grows are a common sight in fields across the state. “The amount of salinity that's...