monitoring soil health

[EchoesFromThePast]

Measuring the Bulk Density of Soil
https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/6245-tighty-whities-demonstrate-soil-microbiology
https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/topics/86-soil-health
https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/6291-measuring-the-bulk-density-of-soil
detailed instructions available for this procedure online
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sqi/assessment/test_kit.html
(address invalid - valid address wanted)
More test kits
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/health/assessment/?cid=nrcs142p2_053873
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/health/assessment/?cid=nrcs142p2_053870
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1044790.pdf

The Tea Bag Index
https://teabagindexuk.wordpress.com/
http://www.teatime4science.org/
http://blog.globalsoilbiodiversity.org/article/2016/07/06/science-buried-tea-bag
http://innge.net/?q=node/966

VERY indirect measering of ONLY a very small part of microbiology soil life.
Compost heap will tell the same.

 

[N.Yorks.]

Soil Visual Assessment - SVA

Originally developed in New Zealand and now widely used worldwide.

You score various soil factors that you can observe and document. Takes 30-40 minutes in the field to do one.
I did a 16ha field in the summer that I wanted to understand better and did the SVA in 10 locations around the field, most random locations and a couple targeted as I knew there were issues.

Using this allows you to give the soil a numeric score, which you can record and monitor over the years to come. This allows you to compare and contrast management practice and whether or not it has made a difference.

It's all elbow grease, no high tech gizmos, but tells you what you need to know. Sometimes simple is best!

 

[Old McDonald]

Sometimes simple is best!

I agree with that, but simple to me means taking soil or tissue samples and having them analysed. Quite frankly, with SVA being a subjective system, I would not trust myself (or anyone else) to score objectively. Anybody doing it on their own land is not going to accept that they are heading in the wrong direction.

I found this interesting, although not very informative:-
http://www.bbc.com/future/sponsored/story/20161202-super-dirt

 

[N.Yorks.]

I agree with that, but simple to me means taking soil or tissue samples and having them analysed. Quite frankly, with SVA being a subjective system, I would not trust myself (or anyone else) to score objectively. Anybody doing it on their own land is not going to accept that they are heading in the wrong direction.

I found this interesting, although not very informative:-
http://www.bbc.com/future/sponsored/story/20161202-super-dirt

SVA has guidance pictures against which you compare your soil. Also when it comes to worm counts that is totally objective.

I totally disagree that you wouldn't be able to trust in the objectivity of the person doing the scoring, its a good system, but takes time to do properly. Once you've done a few you'll see what I mean.

 

[N.Yorks.]

Look at this clay soil, not good at all!!!! Mass blocky, not much in the way of a crumb structure. Earthworms were low and those that existed were tiny.

.........

 

[EchoesFromThePast]

Link please ..

Your Guide to Visual Soil Assessments 2016 Edition

http://www.vaderstad.com/ImageVaultFiles/id_7555/cf_5/VSA_Guide_Red_Thread_Vis_7.PDF

http://www.vaderstad.com/


The VSA Method

http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/i0007e/i0007e00.htm

http://www.fao.org


Could it be ..

that there is a secret connection between the Method how the soil is treated and the Method how the soil quality is measured ?

You'll Never Know ..

 

[Old McDonald]

N.Yorks, Pictures, as in the one you have posted above, are quite meaningless. Your photo does not show the soil as it was in the profile from the surface to whatever depth it represents. It has been sorted for size. What was the worm count when the soil was damp?

I have nil worm counts from about June to October. Now (I am currently planting almond trees) I am extremely pleased at the numbers in the top few centimetres.

You can disagree as much as you wish. Any subjective measurement is just that - subjective, and always open to interpretation. Carry on as you are, I have no objection to you doing so. How often do you measure each field? Is your assessment at age 30 the same as age 40, or 70? Your eyesight will deteriorate which makes it even more difficult to be objective.

I will not be doing any, so will not see what you mean. I am more than happy to rely on the scientific testing that has been done for me for about the last 60 years. Increasing production is more meaningful to me than lots of pictures or charts, or systems put out by other people.

 

[N.Yorks.]

N.Yorks, Pictures, as in the one you have posted above, are quite meaningless. Your photo does not show the soil as it was in the profile from the surface to whatever depth it represents. It has been sorted for size. What was the worm count when the soil was damp?

I have nil worm counts from about June to October. Now (I am currently planting almond trees) I am extremely pleased at the numbers in the top few centimetres.

You can disagree as much as you wish. Any subjective measurement is just that - subjective, and always open to interpretation. Carry on as you are, I have no objection to you doing so. How often do you measure each field? Is your assessment at age 30 the same as age 40, or 70? Your eyesight will deteriorate which makes it even more difficult to be objective.

I will not be doing any, so will not see what you mean. I am more than happy to rely on the scientific testing that has been done for me for about the last 60 years. Increasing production is more meaningful to me than lots of pictures or charts, or systems put out by other people.

 

[N.Yorks.]

OK, don't do any, that is entirely your choice. However before you can really dismiss the technique you have at least got to try it for yourself and only then can you critically appraise it.

I suspect you aren't going to agree, so I wish you a happy christmas, and hope the worms do their job in 2017!!

Cheers.

 

[KMA]

Interesting links

The VSA seems to be an updated version to what we did on my very first day at college so very many years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth. IMO it's handy to make a point of doing the tests now and a gain but then I do a VSA as I'm digging the ground over anyway and I like to get my hands into the soil, was the same when I was doing acres rather than square feet.

My garden still scores 0

 

[Old McDonald]

N.Yorks, I am not dismissing SVA. I agree it is a straightforward method that will suit some people, but it is not for me as an analytical tool. I also think the 20cms depth is insufficient to decide on whether or not a hardpan exists. On my present property I had one over a couple of hectares block that began at a foot and was 6” thick.


As it happens I do some of the things without scoring, and I will continue to do so. I also keep a lot of records. Here are some sample snippets from something I published 5 years ago:-



You can check your own land by taking a spade, preferably when the land is wet and easier to dig, and dig a hole as deep as you care to go, although I would think three feet is quite enough. Better still, hire, beg or borrow a digger to save you the effort. If doing it by hand you might feel the resistance of any hard pan when you reach it, but if not, a look at the profile of the hole you dig will tell you a lot about the soil on that particular part of your property, and about the depth of rooting of the plants already growing there. Now dig a few more holes elsewhere on the place.


I think the numbers and even the species of earthworms are a good indicator of the whole of your underground army. Wherever I have been in the world the earthworms that occur in good fertile land always appear different to the species that occupy poorer infertile land. Try to gauge your local population, by memory, notes or taking photographs and use the information to ensure you are using your soil wisely.


Be careful too of overworking soil and ruining its structure. In dry times this is a real risk on many soils because the soil can be pulverised into fine particles that can either blow away, or suffer water erosion if it rains heavily.

 

[Future Farmer]

Jumping on the bandwagon a bit late with this one! I've been researching soil monitoring as I'd like to start better understanding the soil on my Dad's small mixed arable & livestock farm. He recently started a mid tier environmental scheme and I hope to help him integrate some new practises to actively improve soil health on the farm.

I've started the process of monitoring soil health with Sectormentor for soils which suggests 5 key soil tests to try first, and offers a simple smartphone app to use in the field to log the results. Once you've been out, done the tests and collected the results, you can upload the data to your computer at home to analyse it.

We haven't started testing yet but have set up the fields we want to test on the app - it's very easy to use and they have advice on which fields to get started with, as well as a plethora of soil tests and equipment list on their website too.

Will report back once we've done a few tests and start to see the first results!

 

[Old McDonald]

You obviously are part of, closely related to, work for, or are an agent for the company. No problem with that, but why not be open with us?

Some of the remarks in my earlier posts also apply to this method. Care to respond to any of them?

In particular I want to know the pH of the soil (I already do foliage analyses on my two business strands of olives and almonds) and the availability of macro and micro nutrients and that is why I also do soil analyses.

I do not own a mobile phone so could not even trial the system free of charge.