Soil Conservation

Often, outside of having a specific problem that needs to be addressed, soil conservation isn't something every farmer readily thinks about. Yet conserving the soil should be at or near the top of every farmer owner or manager's list of concerns because absent the prevention of soil erosion, we have the opportunity for another dust bowl.

- Hope Ellis-Ashbur

“We also have the opportunity for algae blooms caused by phosphorus in our waters, which leads to eutrophication, or filling in, of our lakes,” says Cody Brown, district conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jasper, Tennessee. While the filling in of lakes is undesirable, Brown says that the algae blooms create dissolved oxygen problems in the water leading to fish kills.

Whether you’re concerned about existing erosion problems on your farm or want to be proactive in their prevention, there are steps you can take to help. Conservationists such as Brown rely on the voluntary participation of landowners who wish to conserve their land and implement a conservation plan that includes the interests of the landowner. These plans, Brown says, can focus on soil erosion, invasive species of plants on the property, or even plant productivity issues.

Soil Testing The first step in developing a plan is often collecting a soil test. “Soil sampling is one of our best tools,” Brown says. “We can’t understand what is going on with the soil until we analyze it.”

Results from the soil test allow problems with soil health to be remedied by adjusting pH levels along with various macro and micronutrients in that order. Examples of macronutrients include calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur.

Micronutrients include boron, copper, chlorine, iron, molybdenum, nickel and zinc. Organic matter content, made up of the tissue of plants and animals in decay, or calcium and magnesium ratio, follows.

Pastures & Crops Once these have been addressed through such practices as adding lime, fertilizer, etc. and the soil has been restored to good health, specific management practices are then woven into the conservation plan.