Find recommendations for having better soil health in 2018, from the people at the Soil Health Partnership.

 

The New Year is a time to make resolutions to improve, and that can apply to your ag operation’s soil health, too. Soil health is the basis of your crops or forage, so making sure your soil is as healthy as possible will benefit the bottom line of your operation.  Try these five resolutions for better soil health from the Soil Health Partnership and published on SoutheastFarmpress.com. See the resolutions below.

Resolutions for Soil Health

 

  1. Watch nutrient intake. “Using science-based nutrient management strategies on the farm can help curb unwanted loss and improve farm economics. Split nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications, or dividing total nitrogen application into two or more treatments per year, can help growers enhance nutrient efficiency, promote optimum yields and protect the environment.”
  2. Consider cover crops. “Growing cover crops in the winter, like grasses and legumes, helps hold the soil in place, reducing erosion, while improving use of water and many ag inputs. These crops make the soil more resilient to drought and resistant to flooding. They help reduce nutrient loss by taking up what’s left on the field between growing seasons – and provide beneficial habitat for migratory birds and pollinators.”
  3. Reduce tilling. “Reducing or eliminating the practice of turning over the soil between growing seasons is one proven method of restoring soil health that can help the bottom line. Adopting strip-till can be like getting a new pair of walking shoes to set you on a new path.”
  4. Take care of the soil’s organisms. “Adding cover crop roots and disturbing the soil less through tillage can help restore the lively ecosystem of organisms your crops and soil crave. Earthworms, microscopic bacteria and fungi, and a host of other organisms produce structure and nutrients for plants to grow.”
  5. Look to soil health for future farm success. “Farmers are beginning to understand that improving soil health is like putting money in the bank. Data collected on the Soil Health Partnership’s 111 farms is starting to show that taking care of the farm’s foundation can pay big dividends over time, through optimal yields, more resilience to extreme weather, and more efficient use of inputs like fertilizer.”

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.