Soil health is a hot topic in agriculture right now. But it is a lot more than hot air, as two new WSU Extension publications show.
Several on-farm studies in recent years have looked at the effect of soil improvement practices in the Columbia Basin, such as green manure (and cover crops), organic amendments (e.g. compost, manure), and high-residue farming (aka reduced tillage). These are the most common “soil health” practices used, and are the focus of the publications
The practices led to measurable improvement in a number of soil characteristics, including overall organic matter, measures of active carbon and soil biology, and in some cases water infiltration. Part of the study (not published) included estimates of the costs and benefits of these practices, and they typically led to a positive return on investment.
Andy McGuire, WSU Grant County Extension, plans to continue assessing soil health on farms, looking at a greater diversity of crops and more locations to get a better idea of what baseline conditions are and how much change is occurring when soil improvement practices are used. If you are interested in including one of your fields, contact Andy andrew.mcguire@wsu.edu.
David Granatstein and Andy McGuire,
WSU Extension, WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources
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