managing organic matter for soil health and fertility
TRANSCRIPT
- 1. Managing Organic Matter for Soil Health & Fertility Resilient Farmer Workshop April 28, 2012 Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture Steve Diver, M.Sc. Agri-Horticultural Consulting www.agri-synergy.com Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture Poteau, OK
- 2. Without living organisms and organic matter, the birth of soil is not possible Kyoichi Kumada (1987) Objectives for this Workshop 1. What is soil organic matter (SOM) 2. Why is SOM important2. Why is SOM important 3. Vital role of soil biology 4. Contribution of SOM to soil quality and fertilty 5. Managing SOM and soil foodweb habitat
- 3. Organic matter transformation
- 4. Soil Composition 50% Pore Spaces 50% Solids 1-5%
- 5. Soil Organic Matter Organic matter is 1-6% living biomass 10-20% humus of total soil mass active fraction 10-20% humus 60-80% The living, the dead, and the very dead Vermont Agric Exp Sta Bullletin 135, 1908
- 6. Soil organic matter encomposses all organic components of the soil: Living organisms Fresh residues Image: soils.usda.gov Fresh residues Decomposing OM Stabile OM
- 7. Soil organic matter Living organisms (plant roots, fungi, bacteria, worms) Fresh residues (crop residues, sloughed roots, dead insects, animal manures, microbial secretions) Decomposing (decaying leaves & stalks; partly recognizable & partially stabilized OM) Stabilized OM (transformed, recalcitrant OM or humus) Brady and Weil, 1996SOM dynamic = changing = transforming
- 8. What is Humus? Humus is the end result of organic matter decomposition (break-down) and transformation (build-up) into a complex, dark-brown, amorphous-heterogenous (non- crystalline, non-uniform) structure that no longercrystalline, non-uniform) structure that no longer resembles the decaying matter of origin, is resistant to further microbial decay, and . has chemical and physical properties of great importance to soils and plants.
- 9. Humus properties: 1. Humus particles become bonded to clay-silicate surfaces, leading to the formation of clay-humus complexes. 2. Humus stores and releases soil N. 3. Humus possesses buffering capacity3. Humus possesses buffering capacity 4. Humus possesses cation exchange capacity 5. Humus possesses anion exchange capacity 6. Humus adsorbs pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Agriculture James F. Power and Rajendra Prasad, CRC Press, 1997
- 10. % Organic Matter (dry weight) via Lab Test Image: Rodale Institute 5%OM 1%OM
- 11. SOM Colorimetric Field Test Using Sodium Hydroxide/EDTA K-State Soil Test Kit www.ksre.ksu.edu
- 12. Active Organic Matter Test Permanganate Oxidizable C Image: www.certifiedcropadviser.org
- 13. Soil quality is the capacity of a soil to function (in a farm or ecosystem) and thereby sustain productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health Physical Chemical NPK Ca Mn Mg S Fe BiologicalSoil Health Aim is to manage for balance between all three soil components
- 14. Learn about Soil Quality Indicators & How they are Measured
- 15. Soil Organic Matter (SOM) influences all three soil components & improves soil health Physical Chemical Biological Soil Organic Matter Soil Health
- 16. Function of Soil Organic Matter and the Effect on Soil Properties, CSIRO 2004
- 17. The Vital Role of Soil Biology Physical Chemical BiologicalBiological Soil microbial biomass is the eye of the needle through which all organic material that enters the soil must pass Jenkinson, D.S. 1977. The soil biomass. New Zealand Soil Science News, 25: 212-218.
- 18. Foodweb pyramid in one square meter of soil James B. Nardi, Life in the Soil, 2007
- 19. SoilSoil MicrofloraMicroflora Fungi BacteriaBacteria Actinomycetes Fungi FungiFungi FungiFungi after Balser, Univ of Wisconsin AlgaeAlgae
- 20. SoilSoil MicrofaunaMicrofauna -- MesofaunaMesofauna Mite Nematode Protozoa after Balser, Univ of Wisconsin Springtail
- 21. Termite EarthwormEarthworm PseudoscorpionSoilSoil MacrofaunaMacrofauna Snail Vole Centipede Balser, Univ of Wisconsin
- 22. Soil microorganisms live in association with plant roots and excrete nutrients & sticky substances VAM mycorrhizal fungi on plant root: Paula Flynn Alfalfa root with bacterial rhizosphere: Jennifer Fox
- 23. Endo-Mycorrhizal Fungi Excrete Glomalin Glue = Carbon Photo: Sara Wright, USDA-ARS
- 24. Whats up with Soil Structure? Physical Chemical BiologicalBiological Soil structure is a key factor in the functioning of soil, its ability to support plant and animal life, and moderate environmental quality with particular emphasis on soil carbon sequestration and water quality. -- Ratan Lal, Ohio State University, 2005
- 25. EPS Extracellular polysaccharides Sand, silt, clay Clay-humus Bacteria & fungi Soil Aggregate The interaction of soil particles, biology & biochemistry Soil Mineral, Organic Matter, Microorganism Interactions, P.M. Huang (2004)
- 26. Soil Aggregation
- 27. Photo: Joo Carlos de Moraes S Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Brazil Roots, fungal hyphae, & microbial glues stabilize soil macroaggregates and promote good soil structure
- 28. Colony of bacteria on a humus aggregate EPS ExopolysaccharidesEPS Exopolysaccharides Image: University of Bremen (Germany)|www.microped.uni-bremen.de
- 29. Fungal hyphae attaches to clay particle via polysaccharide glue Image: University of Bremen (Germany)|www.microped.uni-bremen.de
- 30. Fungal myceilum stabilizing micro-aggregate Image: University of Bremen (Germany)|www.microped.uni-bremen.de
- 31. Actinomycete filaments stabilizing soil structure Image: University of Bremen (Germany)|www.microped.uni-bremen.de
- 32. 25 yrs of CT corn25 yrs of CT corn 20 yrs bluegrass, then 5 yrs CT corn 20 yrs bluegrass, then 5 yrs CT corn Water stable aggregate test on rotation plots Photo: Ray Weil, Univ of Maryland
- 33. Dispersed Water Stable Aggregates 1.0% C 1.4% C Adding Water to Soil Samples 25 yrs of25 yrs of conventionalconventional corncorn 25 yrs of25 yrs of conventionalconventional corncorn 20 yrs of bluegrass, then 5 yrs conventional corn 20 yrs of bluegrass, then 5 yrs conventional corn Photo: Ray Weil, Univ of Maryland
- 34. Water-Stable Soil Aggregates Conv Tillage No-Till NRCS Demonstration, Texas
- 35. The Role of OM in Soil Fertility Physical Chemical BiologicalBiological Cation exchange capacity Anion exchange capacity Nitrogen mineralization Slow-release fertility Source of N, P, K, S, micronutrients
- 36. Nitrogen Released from Organic Matter In surface 7-inch depth of soil (2,000,000 lbs) % OM Stable OM lbs/ac Total N lbs/ac Lbs N/ac Released in Silt Loam Soil 1.0 20,000 1,000 15-30 1.5 30,000 1,500 22-45 2.0 40,000 2,000 30-60 2.5 50,000 2,500 37-75 3.0 60,000 3,000 45-90 3.5 70,000 3,500 52-100 4.0 80,000 4,000 60-120 4.5 90,000 4,500 67-135 5.0 100,000 5,000 75-150 Soil Fertility and Corn Production, Univ of Missouri Agr Exp Sta Bull 583 (1952)
- 37. Negatively-charged clay platelets attract positively-charged cations; adsorption Colloidal = glue-like Managing Healthy Sports Fields, Paul D. Sachs, 2004
- 38. Clay-Humus, Seat of Soil Fertility Clay-humus architecture with: Massive surface area Negatively-charged exchange sites Organo-mineral complex Siegfried Luebke, CMC Compost Group
- 39. Managing Organic Matter and Soil Foodweb Habitat Keep the Soil Covered (year-round) Living crops, crop residues, living cover crops, killed cover crop mulches, organic mulcheskilled cover crop mulches, organic mulches Feed the Soil (supply carbon & mineral foods) Green manures, cover crop roots, composts, carbon pulses (liquid fish, molasses), minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg, S)
- 40. Managing Organic Matter and Soil Foodweb Habitat Reduced Tillage & Common Sense Tillage Minimum-till, no-till, surface cultivation Tillage with Humus Management = OK Tillage neglecting Humus Management = Avoid Bio-Complexity Above & Below Ground Cover crop mix, crop diversity, intercropping
- 41. Five Things to Know About Cover Crops 1. Multiple Functions & Uses in Cropping System 2. Plant Species Choices & Mixtures 3. Promote Growth of Cover Crop Biomass 4. Surface Mulch & Green Manuring Options4. Surface Mulch & Green Manuring Options 5. Promote Break-Down (organic matter digestion) & Build-Up (humification)
- 42. Keep the Soil Covered Baled mulch from cereal cover crop Potomoc Vegetable Farm, Virginia
- 43. No-Till Soybeans in Brazil Photo: Joo Carlos de Moraes S Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Brazil
- 44. A Guide to Green Manure, Cover Crops and Cultivated Legumes by Ralph Waldo Earthworm
- 45. Cover Crops for Every Season Buckwheat Crimson Clover Cool-season Warm-season
- 46. Image: Joel Gruver, NCSU-CEFS Rapeseed Crimson clover Rye Wow ! Look at that root !
- 47. Air above each acre of earth contains 36,000 tons (72M lbs) of Nitrogen Rhizobium nodules on legume N fixationRhizobium nodules on legume = N fixation
- 48. Bio-Complexity = Above & Below Ground
- 49. Peregrin Farm, NC Movable Hoop House with Cover Crops
- 50. Roller-Crimper, USDA-ARS in Alabama Widely practice in South America using Black Oats cover crop
- 51. Organic No-TillOrganic No-Till Corn with Roll-Plant System Image: Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute
- 52. Mechanical-Killed Cover Crop Mulch Image: Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute
- 53. Sicklebar Mower Mechanical-Killed Cover Crops Image: George Kuepper, Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
- 54. Photo: Ray Weil, Univ of Maryland Whats the difference between these two farms? Mid-Atlantic Drought, 1996-97
- 55. Conservation tillage Photo: Ray Weil, Univ of Maryland Keeping the Soil Covered Conventional tillage Mid-Atlantic Drought, 1996-97
- 56. The First Book of Farming (1905) by Charles L. Goodrich
- 57. Green Manuring Spading Machine = SOM incorporation Potomoc Vegetable Farm, Virginia
- 58. Effects of SOM incoporation Add organic matter Increased biological activity & diversity Decomposition Pore Microbial diversity reduces soil-borne diseases Nutrients released Aggregation increased Pore structure improved Humus formation Tilth improved HEALTHY PLANTS
- 59. Humus management practice: bio-inoculating green manures & crop residues Pfeiffer Field & Garden Spray, Josephine Porter Institute, over 50 species of SOM digesting and humifying microbes Gerald Wiebe, Manitoba (Canada), compost extract with microbial food additives to enhance microbial digestion of crop residue incorporation
- 60. Compost is a Managed Process of Organic Matter Decomposition & Humification C:N ratio Particle size Mixing Porosity Temperature Moisture Aeration Microbes Transforming raw organic matter into humus
- 61. Transformation of raw organic matter into stabilized compost occurs in a succession of temperature & biological processes Phases of Compost Heating, Cooling, and Maturation FiBL / IFOAM Training Manual on Organic Agriculture in the Tropics
- 62. Compost Rate of Application High 10-15 tons per acre (20-30 cu yds) RegularRegular 5 tons per acre (10 cu yds) Low 2-3 tons per acre (4-6 cu yds)
- 63. Dairy Manure Compost (Texas)
- 64. SEM MicroscopicSEM Microscopic View ofView of CompostCompost ParticleParticle Miloslav Kalb, Guelph Food Research Centre
- 65. Worm CompostWorm Compost Synergism: NutrientsNutrients Microorganisms Humic acids Hormones Enzymes Microbial metabolites
- 66. Five Principles of Agriculture for the Humid Tropics by Roland Bunch 1. Maximize organic matter production 2. Keep the soil covered 3. Use zero tillage3. Use zero tillage 4. Maximize bio-diversity 5. Feed the crops largely through the mulch GM/CC Mulches + Zone-Till + Agroforestry Nutrient Access (Ana Primavesi) vs Nutrient Quantity Concept
- 67. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Goals for SOM Management 1. Till the soil as little as possible1. Till the soil as little as possible 2. Grow as many different species of plants as possible through rotations & diverse mixtures of cover crops 3. Keep living plants in the soil as long as possible with crops & cover crops 4. Keep the soil surface covered with residue year round
- 68. Presented at the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a non-profit organization in southeast Oklahoma, as part of a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant. Steve Diver, M.Sc. Agri-Horticultural Consulting www.agri-synergy.com [email protected]