Under natural conditions, organic matter tends to build up until gains outweigh losses; however, cultivation and soil management methods can decrease soil levels of humified carbon. Here is some exciting info about naturalbiochar.com biochar.
Organic farmers work to increase soil fertility through crop rotations, green and animal manures, and soil-building cover crops. These techniques help maintain tilth and nutrient availability even during times when cash crops are not grown.
Improves Soil Structure
Soil organic matter (SOM) serves as an invaluable reservoir of water and nutrients, binding soil particles together to allow roots to penetrate them, holding moisture for plant roots to penetrate, and providing binding sites for soil nutrients that won’t get washed away by rainfall; and breaking down into plant nutrients to feed crops as part of organic farming’s goal of increasing SOM to match that found naturally nearby. Most soils do contain some amount of SOM, but many may be depleted of it; organic farming aims to build this up and match nearby natural sites by increasing SOM levels to match that found naturally nearby natural sites by organic farming techniques that increase SOM content with nearby natural sites in order to achieve greater yield from crops by matching local SOM levels with nearby natural sites nearby – in other words: increasing SOM to match natural sites with more SOM – while organic farming aims at building up SOM levels as found naturally near natural sites in order to achieve higher crop yield.
Organic matter increases pore space in soil, making it lighter and friable while simultaneously improving its ability to retain and absorb water. Furthermore, soil rich with organic material has less of a chance to crust over – which suffocates roots while diminishing infiltration capacity.
The amount of SOM needed to improve soil structure depends on its type and texture; sandy, coarse soils might only need two percent, while loamy clays could quickly need four.
Growing organic matter (SOM) in soil requires a long-term strategy and a proper management plan. Organic farmers rely on crop rotation, cover cropping, and no-till cultivation practices as ways to increase soil organic matter (SOM).
Bulky organic manures such as compost and hay are more cost-effective sources of SOM than inorganic fertilizers. Their carbon is slowly leached from the soil over time, helping increase soil humification levels.
Green manure crops such as rye, hairy vetch, and mustard can help boost SOM levels by producing stable aggregates that quickly decompose when plowed under. Regular cultivation, however, dismantles these stable aggregates, exposing them to rapid decay.
Gardeners can add organic matter to their soil by regularly using homemade compost. If they don’t have access to home composting facilities, buying bags of organic matter sold as soil improvers or conditioners might also be an option—make sure it has been screened to remove unwanted weed seeds!
Improves Water Holding Capacity
Soils with high amounts of organic matter act like sponges to absorb and retain water, helping plants access moisture for healthy growth. A higher organic matter content can also help maintain essential nutrients like nitrogen, which often leach out from their source soils.
Regenerative organic systems use green manures and animal/plant residues as carbon-based amendments to improve soil health. These carbon-rich amendments improve soil structure and nutrient cycling while helping minimize chemical leaching into groundwater or pollution of waterways with synthetic fertilizers—an integral aspect of environmental sustainability.
Organic materials are less likely to pollute waterways due to their slow release rate compared to synthetic inputs and are an abundant natural source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other minerals that can be used to meet soil nutrient needs without creating excesses that run off fields. Research conducted at Stroud Water Research Center’s Farming Systems Trial (FST) and Watershed Impact Trial has provided evidence of long-term organic practices protecting soil health while simultaneously improving water quality.
Conventional farming relies heavily on chemical inputs for maximum crop yields; organic systems seek to achieve similar goals through enhanced nutrient cycling and better soil structure, with reduced soil erosion and conservation of organic material as key benefits of the system. Furthermore, organic systems contribute towards building resilience within soil food webs by maintaining an abundance of vitality-building bacteria that feed off organic matter within them.
When done effectively, reducing tillage can significantly enhance soil tilth and organic matter content while increasing water holding capacity, an essential aspect of any sustainable organic system in dry regions.
A Water Holding Capacity (WHC) laboratory test measures the amount of organic material present in soil by simulating its sample with or without adding organic matter and measuring how well it retains water under a certain pressure. As organic content levels increase, WHC increases as well.
Improves Nutrient Uptake
Organic farmers use soil improvers to ensure sufficient nutrients are available for plant growth. This material increases the level of active organic matter, which in turn boosts microbes that make nutrients available to plants. It also improves soil moisture retention and aeration capabilities. A healthy soil with sufficient organic matter also provides better resistance against erosion and nutrient loss than its counterpart.
Nitrogen deficiency is one of the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies, and organic farmers frequently utilize legumes (such as soybeans and peas ) as sources of nitrogen due to their ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for plants when planted.
Phosphorus and potassium deficiency are other issues, and both can be supplied through organic amendments or chemical fertilizers. While National Organic Program regulations allow some synthetic inputs, organic producers should monitor soil nutrient levels carefully in order to use only as much chemical fertilizer as necessary.
Improved soil organic matter not only supplies essential plant nutrients but also increases rooting zone depth, promotes good drainage, prevents disease and insect pests, and enhances aeration—as well as increasing resistance against environmental stresses such as drought, heat, or flooding.
Soil improvers are composed of carbon-based materials that have been decomposed into organic compounds through decomposition, providing food, energy, and enzymes for microbes that aid in breaking down nutrients in the soil for plant uptake.
Research increasingly supports the notion that healthy soil is at the core of sustainable agriculture. Organic farmers understand this principle well; maintaining good conditions in their fields will ensure their crops provide nourishment without harming the environment. Rafiq Islam from Ohio State University Granville is part of a regional team researching organic methods of increasing soil organic matter on farms; their findings will be discussed at an Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Conference workshop held Feb 12 in Granville.
Improves Aeration
Soil Organic Matter Is Essential to Healthy Plant Growth
As soil organic matter declines, cultivation becomes increasingly tricky, creating problems such as poor water availability, nutrient uptake, compaction erosion, and parasite infestation that require increasingly higher inputs such as fertilizers, irrigation water, and pesticides to sustain yields. Furthermore, soil organic matter plays a vital role in climate change mitigation by serving as part of the carbon cycle and helping mitigate climate change.
Organic farming’s focus on natural processes over synthetic chemicals has a tremendous effect on soil health, creating an abundant and diverse microbiome that supports ecosystem harmony.
Example: Legumes and green manures help increase the presence of actinomycetes bacteria, which break down complex organic matter such as lignin and cellulose to make more nutrients available to plants. Furthermore, organic material facilitates mycorrhizal fungi’s growth, which forms beneficial relationships with plant roots to absorb nutrients and water more effectively.
By forgoing chemical herbicides and pesticides, microorganisms can more efficiently convert them to non-toxic forms. Soil organic matter also keeps harmful chemicals at bay by holding onto them tightly enough, thus limiting or even preventing their leaching into groundwater or soil.
Soil improver for organic farming is a natural product designed to increase organic matter levels in your soil and has numerous advantages, including better aeration, water holding capacity, and nutrient uptake. It’s perfect for all types of soil conditions, including heavy clay soil. Our peat-free soil improver can easily be added to your regular fertilizer program or applied as a top dressing on top of the existing soil. Over time, it will release macro and micronutrients essential for plant health – unlike inorganic fertilizers, which only offer immediate support. To maximize its benefits, we advise pairing our soil improver with high-quality compost containing micronutrients for optimum results. Regular soil testing and budgeting tools can help manage nutrient application efficiently and thus use fewer inputs, saving both money and effort!
