What measurements to make.

I am a scientist by training, ( with a PhD in biochemistry before coming back to family farm). I am very keen to improve our soil and plan to start trying to make and use compost tea to improve soil biology. My question is what should I measure to see if I have made a difference. I have a new microscope and intend to try and quantify what is present in my compost, compost tea and soil. I hope to apply compost tea to parts of fields and compare to untreated areas. What information do you think other farmers would want to know to decide if improving soil biology was worth doing.
 

permapen

New Member
I would think the main measurement farmers want is productivity. If I were designing the experiments I think I would examine the soil in nearby undisturbed woods, then grow three sets of plants together: one in standard field soil, one in your 'improved' soil, and one in woodland soil. Compare the productivity with the soil contents to find correlations.

With regard to improved soil, you might like to look at permaculture's 'hugelkultur' approach of bringing in huge amounts of biomass, from tree-trunks to chopped-down weeds, and letting them decompose in place even as you grow in them.
 

shakerator

Member
Location
LINCS
I would think the main measurement farmers want is productivity. If I were designing the experiments I think I would examine the soil in nearby undisturbed woods, then grow three sets of plants together: one in standard field soil, one in your 'improved' soil, and one in woodland soil. Compare the productivity with the soil contents to find correlations.

With regard to improved soil, you might like to look at permaculture's 'hugelkultur' approach of bringing in huge amounts of biomass, from tree-trunks to chopped-down weeds, and letting them decompose in place even as you grow in them.

Would cereals grow well in woodland soil??
 

permapen

New Member
Actually I want to amend my first point, about productivity. I meant yield, meaning how much you can sell your product for (quantity, quality, demand), minus how much you paid for inputs (labour, fertilizers, energy, rent etc). An improved soil might alter that.
 

marco

Member
I am a scientist by training, ( with a PhD in biochemistry before coming back to family farm). I am very keen to improve our soil and plan to start trying to make and use compost tea to improve soil biology. My question is what should I measure to see if I have made a difference. I have a new microscope and intend to try and quantify what is present in my compost, compost tea and soil. I hope to apply compost tea to parts of fields and compare to untreated areas. What information do you think other farmers would want to know to decide if improving soil biology was worth doing.
what you need is a brix refractometer, it measures the sugar content of plants. if you have a few different mixs and are unsure of which to use. measure your crop then use each of your mixes on a different area. come back in 45 mins, whichever areas brix reading has gone up most thats the one to use
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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