Progressive Crop Consultant July/August 2019

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Figure 2: Direct seeding corn into wheat stubble in Five Points, California. Continued from Page 22 space, this benefit is short lived. This is because individual particles break off aggregates in recently tilled soils and can fill in pore spaces. A healthy soil has about 50 percent open pore space (half filled with air and half filled with water). Soil pores are where roots grow and microbes thrive. There are other management practices to minimize soil disturbance. These include not working or driving over soil when it is wet, distributing tractor weight over a larger surface area to reduce pressure on specific points in the field, and reducing the number of trips over a field when possible. Even if converting to no-till isn’t realistic for your farm, reducing the number of passes with the disc over a field and using vertical instead of horizontal tillage are ways to minimize soil disturbance. California farmers in a number of regions are now experimenting and sharing their experiences with reduced disturbance production systems like direct seeding into crop residue from the previous crop with little soil disturbance (Figure 2). Ongoing summaries of this work may be found at http://casi.ucanr.edu/ Keep a Living Root in the Soil Plant roots release small carbon-based compounds called root exudates, which are a mix of sugars, amino acids, enzymes, organic acids and other compounds. These exudates can help breakdown mineral nutrients, leading to increased soil fertility. They also serve as a source of food for soil microbes. Maintaining a living root in the soil helps keep our soil alive throughout the year. Many beneficial microbes cannot survive in a low-carbon environment and keeping a living root is yet another Photo courtesy of Jeff Mitchell. 24 Progressive Crop Consultant July /August 2019 tool for maintaining consistent soil carbon levels. In general, keeping our soils alive throughout the year will increase soil function. Cover crops that are inserted into rotations as possible are a means for achieving this soil health principle. As part of a California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils Program grant, my colleagues and I are experimenting with planting cover crops during the fallow season. In San Joaquin County, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Brenna Aegerter, are researching the effects of a warm-season legume cover crop between winter small grains rotations. In Sutter County, Amber Vinchesi-Vahl and I are researching the effects of a winter cover crop, at different seeding rates, between summer cash crops (Figure 3). Our projects are entering the second of a third-year project, and we look forward to reporting the results on soil health and crop yields in the future. Incorporate Plant Diversity In annual systems this is called crop rotation. Crop rotation is beneficial for many reasons. It breaks disease cycles by starving out pathogens that can only thrive on specific plants (or plants in a specific family). In addition, crops with different rooting depths will mine nutrients, release carbon compounds, and improve soil structure at different depths of the soil profile. Finally, plants form symbiotic relationships with various microbes, but these relationships are often species specific. When we incorporate plant diversity into our systems we also build up the diversity in our soil microbial populations. In perennial systems, plant diversity can be achieved by planting a cover crop in between crop rows. Although soil biology is an important component of soil health, it is not the only consideration. It’s also important to remember the rules of soil fertility including the 4Rs and the Law of the Minimum. As a reminder, the 4Rs refer to the Right Rate, the Right Source, the Right Timing, and the Right Mode of Application. These principles allow us to optimize our fertilizer application by ensuring the greatest nutrient use efficiency. This reduces the risk of loss to the environment and can increase the bottom line. Liebig’s Law of the Minimum refers to the idea that the limiting factor has to be addressed first. In other words, the soil issue (pH, nutrient status) that is most restricting yield is the one that has the greatest potential to improve yield. If the pH is yield limiting, no amount of fertilizer application will fix this problem. Photo courtesy of Sarah Light Photo courtesy of Sarah Light. Figure 3: Winter vetch cover crop (with volunteer wheat) in Meridian, California. Maintaining soil health is the long game and changes may not be apparent for several years. However, the more the management practices outlined above are incorporated into our farming systems, the greater the likelihood of long-term viability and protection of arable land. In addition to the benefits already discussed, soil water dynamics can be improved by increased water infiltration and water storage. Every farming system is unique and some of the practices may be cost-prohibitive or not viable for some other reason. The goal should be to incorporate as many of the practices that will work in our farm systems as often as we can. Every opportunity to build and protect our soil will ensure the long-term economic viability of our farms, as well as food security for our growing global population. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com
Potassium That performs KTS® (0-0-25-17S) is the liquid fertilizer California’s top growers depend on for healthy crops and better yields. No other liquid fertilizer delivers more potassium and sulfur than KTS®. KTS® blends well with other fertilizers and is easily injected, making it immediately available for plant uptake. Maximize your potassium applications this year with KTS® from TKI Crop Vitality. Crop Vitality Specialists can provide assistance regarding application, blending, field studies and technical data. KTS® liquid crop nutrition. Start a Conversation today with Your Crop Vitality Specialist Call (800) 525-2803, email info@cropvitality.com or visit CropVitality.com ©2019 Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. All rights reserved. KTS ® is a registered trademark of Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. July /August 2019 www.progressivecrop.com 25
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Progressive Crop Consultant July/August 2019

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