Maybe ploughing is the answer?

[Lincsman]

Your all assuming soil is heavier at depth, on some of my blue clay soils a metre down is red silt (you only see it when putting in land drains) and would love to have a plough that worked to 4 foot deep.

 

[Bury the Trash]

no noones assuming that at all . Who would? Soils vary hugely, thats the only thing to assume,

 

[oil barron]

Your all assuming soil is heavier at depth, on some of my blue clay soils a metre down is red silt (you only see it when putting in land drains) and would love to have a plough that worked to 4 foot deep.

 

[oil barron]

It's certainly an interesting idea, although I am not sure that carbon sequestration is about effectively locking away the biologically active layer of your soil away 16" below ground. Carbon is continually cycled and I would guess that the best long term sequestration is achieved through increasing that cycling by building up microbiological activity and populations.

But doesn’t the microbiological activity break down solid organic matter and release CO2? Good for the soil from a farming perspective but is it increasing carbon level in the soil?

 

[EddieB]

But doesn’t the microbiological activity break down solid organic matter and release CO2? Good for the soil from a farming perspective but is it increasing carbon level in the soil?

Because of carbon cycling there is CO2 release, however C levels in the soil still increase overall.

 

[oil barron]

Because of carbon cycling there is CO2 release, however C levels in the soil still increase overall.

Because the roots are bigger in DD crops?

 

[EddieB]

More carbon is retained as root matter is retained in the soil from crop to crop. This cycled by soil biology but there should be an overall gain.

 

[oil barron]

More carbon is retained as root matter is retained in the soil from crop to crop. This cycled by soil biology but there should be an overall gain.

The root matter is retained in the soil in any type of tillage. Just the biological action is slower in DD because the soil is tighter.

 

[EddieB]

I’m no soil scientist but I thought that ploughing wouldn’t retain root matter to the same degree?

 

[oil barron]

I’m no soil scientist but I thought that ploughing wouldn’t retain root matter to the same degree?

It retains it, it just gets broken down quicker because you provide more surface area for the microbes to act on and the soil is freer for them to move about. From a farming perspective it could be considered to break down too fast and provide a sugar rush early in the growing season vs a more continual feed of carbon and nitrogen from delayed break down from reduced tillage.

 

[EddieB]

It retains it, it just gets broken down quicker because you provide more surface area for the microbes to act on and the soil is freer for them to move about. From a farming perspective it could be considered to break down too fast and provide a sugar rush early in the growing season vs a more continual feed of carbon and nitrogen from delayed break down from reduced tillage.

I’m only just starting on the DD journey but I will be interested to see how my soil C levels respond. Talking to long term DD practitioners improved soil C is a benefit.

 

[martian]

One of the key components in the making of humus is glomalin, a lovely sticky material created by fungi, predominantly mycorrhizal fungi. These MF need living roots to associate with in order for them to thrive. Ploughing destroys them and lets excess air into the soil which both encourages bacteria to chomp away at humus and dead creatures and it also helps oxidise more soil carbon, thus reducing SOM. A living soil is a beautiful and complex ecosystem, why would you want to smash it up for short term gain?

 

[oil barron]

One of the key components in the making of humus is glomalin, a lovely sticky material created by fungi, predominantly mycorrhizal fungi. These MF need living roots to associate with in order for them to thrive. Ploughing destroys them and lets excess air into the soil which both encourages bacteria to chomp away at humus and dead creatures and it also helps oxidise more soil carbon, thus reducing SOM. A living soil is a beautiful and complex ecosystem, why would you want to smash it up for short term gain?

I agree with most of that. The concept of carbon oxidizing is nonsense though. Carbon requires thermal or biologic reaction to convert from an organic solid compound to CO2.

 

[delilah]

why would you want to continually slag off other farmers crop establishment methods, making baseless allegations about their environmental impact, just because their overall farming system doesn't lend itself to your chosen crop establishment system ?

Edited that for you .

 

[Bury the Trash]

All constant arable farming, bar none, is for short term gain by its nature its unnatural.

 

[ajd132]

Edited that for you .

Nothing he said is wrong though.

 

[delilah]

Nothing he said is wrong though.

One group of people, who are so utterly convinced that their chosen way is the only way to save the planet that they aren't content just to live that way themselves but believe that it is their duty to vilify everyone else and harangue them until they see the light.

Are you vegans in disguise, sent undercover by AR to destroy UK ag from within ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

One group of people, who are so utterly convinced that their chosen way is the only way to save the planet that they aren't content just to live that way themselves but believe that it is their duty to vilify everyone else and harangue them until they see the light.

Are you vegans in disguise, sent undercover by AR to destroy UK ag from within ?

Wow

But You have to admit that Apart from anything else that There is a soil/ fertility loss from some sort of erosion going on therfore any developdments that can be done / had towards reducing at least that will can only be good.
Even if they that you mention have acres of flat fields not at such risk from washing , there will be risk of blowing away if them soils are lighter.

Imo , its all about not being snobs , big heads or stuffed shirts ...what good is there being like that?

 

[clbarclay]

I seem to have lost track of who is in which trench (are we still allowed to dig those?) and now wondering who all the double agents are.

 

[ajd132]

One group of people, who are so utterly convinced that their chosen way is the only way to save the planet that they aren't content just to live that way themselves but believe that it is their duty to vilify everyone else and harangue them until they see the light.

Are you vegans in disguise, sent undercover by AR to destroy UK ag from within ?

Christ, abit aggressive there. From reading your numerous posts on this forum you appear to think that U.K. ag is absolutely perfect and no problem is ours. There is many of us who are recognising mistakes of the past and trying to evolve on from them. That’s not to say we should demonise what has been done, but we can learn from it and hopefully keep improving both crops and the environment. Evolution not revolution.