Healthy soil should be at the heart of all agriculture. However, as with any living thing, soil needs nourishment and loving care in order to thrive! So, how can we best take care of our fields? How can we prevent erosion and conserve our precious soil? In today’s blog, we are gifting you with 10 simple best practices that you can adopt to prepare and preserve the land.
It is crucial that we have fertile and productive soils - now, more than ever. As we face an ever-growing population, we need to steadily increase food production. What’s more, healthy soils contribute to a sustainable environment. So, without further ado, let’s explore our top tips for soil conservation on your farm.
Have you heard of no-till farming? In a nutshell, this farming technique requires that, at the end of the harvest season, each plot of land is left “resting”. This allows natural herbaceous plants to grow without any interruption - so your tractor needs to leave these areas well alone! This means that the soil can recover the organic substances needed for fertility. Simultaneously, the aforementioned herbaceous plants maintain the stability of the soil and protect it from the effects of water and wind-fuelled erosion.
This technique slows the flow of water (specifically rainfall) on sloping land, through a series of “grades”. These steps are incorporated into the natural slopes of hills - and creates a pleasing aesthetic effect! Most importantly, this allows for better soil and water management, protecting your soil from the erosive nature of water.
Contour farming is all the rage! This crop sowing technique specifically follows the natural contours and shape of the plot, as opposed to sowing in vertical and parallel lines. Water is certainly one of the main culprits of erosion, and like terracing, contour farming slows the flow of water along the land and prevents these unwanted effects.
Surfaces impermeable to water such as driveways, roads or asphalted areas allow the rain to flow and drain too quickly. This leads to the rapid erosion of banks and ditches, streams and ponds. In order to eliminate this risk, you may choose to pave these areas with natural porous stone, instead of cement, so that the water can easily penetrate the underlying soil instead of flowing away.
A rain garden: how whimsical! If you’ve never heard this term before, allow us to explain; a rain garden is none other than a plot of land that is slightly lower and ridged in relation to the rest of the area. This causes water to accumulate, which is beneficial for soil conservation for two reasons: it does not flow away and, therefore, does not erode the soil it crosses. It also provides the ability to grow plants that require plenty of water or that grow in marshy areas.
Some people find the sound of rain to be relaxing. However, your soil will likely disagree! If left to flow freely, water can damage the soil and, therefore, collecting and storing it not only protects the soil but is also good for the environment: you can even use it for irrigation, reducing consumption and waste. The best way to collect rainwater is by creating a cistern - at the edge of roofs, for example.
Water isn’t the only villain in this story - wind is responsible too! To prevent its detrimental effects, you can plant a variety of ‘windbreak’ plants around the edges of your plot that reduce its speed, thus protecting the crops. Do you want some examples? Try hedges with laurel, cypress, oak and poplars. And be sure to let us know how you get on!
Small ponds and marshes form naturally in certain low areas of the ground, and many farmers tend to remove them in the attempt to have more arable land. However, these areas can limit soil erosion; we have already seen that water accumulates in these areas and cannot erode the soil. In addition, these small ponds are the perfect habitat for small animal species, contributing to the biodiversity of the ecosystem.
Buffer strips are certain types of plants, natural herbs and small bushes that enrich the banks of ditches. Their roots dig deep into the soil in the menacing face of erosion, and they help to keep it compact and solid even in the event of large water flows or small floods. Go team!
We’ve all heard of the all-important flora and fauna. The presence of large trees is crucial to fight soil erosion. Plant roots create a dense network that form a makeshift skeleton for the underlying soil, making it less prone to erosion or possible landslides.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our expert guide on top soil conservation! Each of these 10 tips contribute to maintaining the soil over time, providing an answer to one of the most crucial problems in agriculture.
Finally, when it’s time to work the soil, don’t stop protecting it. Choose tires that are the least aggressive and intrusive, in order to reduce compaction of the soil and preserve its integrity and productivity. Moral of the story: protect your soil at all costs!