Biological agriculture: the integrated approach for maximising soil health Mike Harrington Slido: #B457
What is fertility? Ehrenfried Pfeiffer – extract from a paper 1940 ‘We have become accustomed to regard the soil as a real equation of nutritive values. Such an equation would, as a matter of fact, be correct, if we included all the factors. But the following is an example of one sidedness and an improper equation: ’ soil plus additional fertilisers equals soil plus yield Slido: #B457
What is fertility? Current analysis: soil plus additional fertilisers equals soil plus yield The proper equation, from the point of view of life, should be: Soil Biology Environmental conditions (air, water, heat) Natural fertility plus Organic matter, humus production capacity Rotation, equals the sum of Tillage biological functioning of Climate Quality of seed Weed growth Manuring (fertilisers) Slido: #B457 ‘The consideration, or neglect of any one of these factors is just as important as the whole fertiliser equation’
• What is Soil? - Soil is an extraordinary substance! • Functioning correctly, soil is a living entity, a constantly interacting, interdependent whole, operating a continuous cycle of expansion and contraction, digestion and mineralisation. • Fertility, (the natural output of soil) is the culmination of these processes as is the production of humus. The higher the biological activity, the more diverse, more stable and the more resilient this environment and this system becomes. Slido: #B457
Biology makes a huge difference to soil management Chemical Chemical Physical Biological Physical Biological Slido: #B457
SOIL FOOD WEB STRUC RUCTU TURE RE – THROUGH GH SUCCESS ESSIO ION, N, INC NCREASING EASING PRODU DUCTIVIT CTIVITY Cyanobacteria Weeds Bare parent rock True Bacteria - High NO3 material Protozoa - Lack of Oxygen 100% Bacteria erial Fungi F: B ratio 0.1 CHEMIC ICALS Nematodes Micro-arthropods EXCESS ESS F: B ratio 0.01 NITROG OGEN EN VOLC LCANO NO Early grasses Brome, Bermuda F: B ratio 0.3: : 1 CULTI TIVATIO TION S Conifers, old growth forest Mid grasses – veg F: B ratio 100:1 – F: B ratio 0.75: : 1 1000: 1 CATTLE TLE FIRE FLO LOOD Deciduous trees Shrubs vines, Late successional F: B ratio 5:1 – 100: bushes grasses & row crops HUMANS? ANS? 1 F: B ratio 2:1 – 5:1 F: B ratio 1: 1 Slido: #B457 Together, redefining the future of farming and horticulture
When you have soil like this you may be pushing things to consider that a change of drill is going to solve the problem? We require a paradigm system change Slido: #B457
When you have blackgrass like this you may be pushing things to consider that a change of drill is going to solve the problem? We require a paradigm system change Slido: #B457
When you have soil like this you may be pushing things to consider that a change of drill is going to solve the problem? We require a paradigm system change Slido: #B457
‘You should never change your cultivation system to one that is worse that the one you have’ Don Schrieffer Where is your starting point? Is your system moving forwards or backwards? ‘Tillage: as much as necessary and as little as possible or thoughtful movement of the soil’ Don Schriefer Slido: #B457
Physical, Chemical, Biological Everything should connect to everything and everything influences everything Chemical OM Physical Biology Slido: #B457
Cation Exchange (65-70% Ca, 10-15% Mg, 3-5% K) pH 6.4 Index 2 P Index 3 K Calcium Magnesium Index 3 Mg Loam (33:33:33) Bacteria, protozoa, 8%OM Sand Silt CEC 25 fungi, mycorrhizae, nematodes, Physical (25 tables) worms, springtails, beetles, ants; crustaceans, such as sowbugs; SS arachnids; such as spiders and mites; myriapods, such as centipedes and millipedes; and Clay scorpions Slido: #B457 Fertility is the fully functioning and interaction between all sections – OM is the facilitator
Physical, Chemical, Biological Everything should connect to everything and everything influences everything Chemical OM Physical Biology Slido: #B457
Cation Exchange (68% Ca, 12% Mg, 3% K) pH 6.8 Index 2 P Calcium Index 3 K Magnesium Index 6 Mg Silty Clay (4: 48:48) Sand 8%OM CEC 25 Biological (25 tables) Bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, worms Clay Silt No fungi – no digestion of straw Slido: #B457
Cation Exchange (69% Ca, 6.1% Mg, 5.1% K) pH 6.6 Index 0 P Index 1 K Index 1 Mg Calcium Sand (95:4:1) Microbes added 3.9% CEC 5 OM Bacteria, protozoa, Biological (5 tables) fungi, mycorrhizae, nematodes, worms are NOT wanted Sand Fusarium, pythium, foot rots Slido: #B457
Slido: #B457
This is much more than just a drill This is a multifunctional piece of equipment - a tool to be used according to need Slido: #B457
Slido: #B457
Sample Name Ladds Total Dry weight per ha (Kg) 5951 Nitrogen (N) kg/ha 274.36 (half useable) Sulphur (S) kg/ha 37.49 Phosphorous (P) kg/ha 29.76 Potassium (K) kg/ha 143.43 Calcium (Ca) kg/ha 257.1 Magnesium (Mg) kg/ha 7.14 Sodium (Na) kg/ha 53.8 Manganese (Mn) g/ha 285.67 Iron (Fe) g/ha 1540 Copper (Cu) g/ha 39.87 Zinc (Zn) g/ha 203.6 Boron (B) g/ha 130.34 Molybdenum (Mo) g/ha 15.83 Iodine (I) g/ha 26.19 Cobalt (Co) g/ha 1.31 Slido: #B457 Selenium (Se) 0.06
Slido: #B457 Together, redefining the future of farming and horticulture
Big differences in above ground nutrient retention Sample Name Park - Good Park - Poor Sample ID DM004 DM005 Moisture Removed (%) 88.96 86.59 Total Dry Weight per m 2 (g) 304.59 61.93 Total Dry weight per ha (Kg) 3045.94 619.28 Nitrogen (N) kg/ha 201.032 (half useable) 33.689 (half useable) Sulphur (S) kg/ha 13.676 2.403 Phosphorous (P) kg/ha 30.277 4.155 Potassium (K) g/ha 131.280 28.797 Calcium (Ca) g/ha 27017 5673 Magnesium (Mg) g/ha 7097 904 Manganese (Mn) g/ha 118.79 21.67 Iron (Fe) g/ha 572.64 172.16 Copper (Cu) g/ha 36.25 8.92 Slido: #B457 Zinc (Zn) g/ha 184.28 34.87 Boron (B) g/ha 74.02 10.71
Slido: #B457
Simple measurement techniques can be a guide of progress Ground beetles are an important indicator of predator invertebrates… and are worth monitoring Fresh earthworm casts collected this week totalled 5,050kg per hectare since drilling. A half kg sample has been sent off for analysis along with nearby soil Slido: #B457
Over four years: Excess calcium reducing Potassium, magnesium, sodium, iron, boron, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt and molybdenum increased OM increased by 1% 5 tonnes casts per hectare over eight weeks last year Slugs now becoming less of an issue (predators building) Ground beetles up (5 in traps) Increase in structural stability 25 earthworms per cube foot = 1 million worms = 30 tonnes earth casts/acre/year Earthworms render fusarium harmless. Fusarium protein reduced by 98.8% in five weeks, while DON content was reduced by 99.7% Reduction in bulk density of soil Increase in cation exchange Increased nutrient availability (x5 Nitrogen, x7 Phosphorous, x11 Potassium, x2 Magnesium) Slido: #B457
1. 2. Tissue Analysis Report Standard Laboratory Values Customer: RANDALL Date: 14 June 2016 Sample: E207404/02 Field: TEMPLE PARK Crop: Oats 32/37 Report - percent Range No Adjust Results Total Nitrogen 3.4 - 4 1.00 4.01 Report - percent Range No Adjust Results Phosphorous 0.3 - 0.56 0.28 0.47 Potassium 3.5 - 5 3.80 4.64 Magnesium 0.13-0.18 0.15 0.11 Calcium 0.3 - 1.2 0.40 0.47 - Sodium - Sulphur 0.28 - 0.35 0.30 0.27 Report - ppm Range No Adjust Results Manganese 26 - 60 35.00 43.8 Copper 4 - 10 5.00 10.4 Iron 40 - 150 35.00 103 Zinc 29 - 50 20.00 30.5 Molybdenum 0.09 - 0.2 0.15 0.96 Boron 6 - 10 5.00 5.6 Iodine - - - Cobalt - - - Edaphos - - Selenium - Plants can only grow to the extent of their most deficient element - we need to consider what is the biggest limiter to growth Deficiency-Excess -100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 <6 : Ratios Desired Ca: P Results 1 1 N:P 6-18 :1 Ca:Mg 8.5 4.3 Slido: #B457 N: K 1.4-3 :1 Fe: Mn 0.9 >1 :1 2.4 5-30 : N:S 14 :1 Cu: Mo 14.9 10.8 1 8-11 : K: P 9.9 1 K:Mg 42.2 K:Ca 9.9
A systems change can be difficult, it starts in the mind! In the end you, you have to ‘earn the right’ to reduce inputs! • To reduce inputs – fertilisers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides (slugs, blackgrass, aphids, nitrogen efficiency, poor digestion of straw – symptom of a poor system) • To reduce cultivations and aeration - allowing soils to biologically function (How the current biological system is degenerating rather than regenerating) • To capture free nitrogen and carbon from the air (Why have fields lost the capacity to biologically function and cycle) • To retain and cycle nutrients within the soil and increase and cycle organic matter (Understand the need for change) Slido: #B457
In the end, it is all about balance. However, without a living topsoil we cannot begin to talk about sustainability. Thank you Slido: #B457 Together, redefining the future of farming and horticulture
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