Conservation Agriculture Soil Health Matters · 2020-01-30 · Conservation Agriculture. Soil Health Matters. Paul Reed Hepperly, PhD. Senior Scientist, ... • Produces erosion-resistant,

©2008 Rodale institute

Conservation AgricultureSoil Health Matters

Paul Reed Hepperly, PhDSenior Scientist, Rodale Institute

Fulbright Scholar


Rodale Institute 1970


Stop Erosion



• Holds water

• Cements soil particles

• Reduces acid soil toxicity through natural liming

• Increases micronutrient availability

Electron micrograph of soil humus

Soil Organic Matters


Reducing Erosion



Organic Matter Increases Infiltration

Conventional

Organic Using Compost


Organic Corn - 1995 Drought

Organic Conventional

Better infiltration, retention, and delivery to plants helps avoid drought

damage


0

25

50

75

100

1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2025 2050

Soil Organic Matter (mt / ha)

0

25

50

75

100

1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2025 2050

No Till, Cover Crop, Compost

Compost

Cover Crop

Fertilizer

Conventional Monoculture

Future PredictionHistorical Management


The Farming System Trial ®


The Farming System Trial ®

• Established in 1981.

• Three cropping systems are compared.

• 8 replications, 3 crops represented each

year in each system

• Plot size: 20 x 300 ft (6 x 91.5 m)

• Lysimeters installed in 4 reps in fall of 1990


Soil Organic Matters

1% 5%5 % 1%


1% 5%-505

1015202530

Conv.

Legu

me

Manur

e

% Carbon% Nitrogen

FST Soil Carbon and Soil Nitrogen change from 1981 to 2002


• Higher corn and soybean yields in drought years

• Increased soil C and N

• Higher water infiltration

• Higher water holding cap.

• Higher microbial activity

Soil in Organic Systems


1.7

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Manure Conventional Legume

Tota

l Soi

l Car

bon

Con

tent

( %

)

Conventional: R2 = 0.04y = 0.002x + 1.97

Manure: R2 = 0.83y = 0.021x + 2.03

Legume: R2 = 0.79y = 0.015x + 2.12

Carbon is Covered


0.10.30.50.70.91.11.31.51.71.92.12.32.52.72.93.13.3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Soil Depth (cm)

Conventional Organic Legume Organic Animal

Carbon ProfileDepth in Organic & Convention Systems

Farming Systems Trial 2006


• Extends plant root systems

• Produces erosion-resistant, carbon enriched soil

• Provides mechanisms for soil biological carbon fixation

• Slows decay of organic matter

Mycorrhizal Fungi


Ener

gy u

se (i

n m

illio

n kc

al)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6Seeds Herbicides Fertilizer Fuel

MNR LEG CNV

Energy Use FST™


No-Till Roller Crimper

Biologically Based No-Till


Energy Used in Different Corn Production Systems

0

50

100

150

200

250

Tillage No Till Tillage No Till

231.7

77.5

121.6

199.2

Conventional

Organic


Successful Weed Control

Biologically

Based

No-Till

Corn


Proven, Affordable, Immediate

Holistic

Grazing

Biologically Based

No Till


Basic grazing determine

If landscapes are like this:……………

…or like this.(Two rivers in the same area, with the same soils and rainfall, on the same day.)

© ManagingWholes.com

River Restoration


ct 1.368

rt1.584

nt 1.665

pp 2.052

Sr Nt 2.088

LR NT 2.268

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Soil

Car

bon

(%)

ct rt nt pp Sr Nt lR NT

Management

Soil carbon under continuous cropping for forage and in permanent pasture and short and long pasture rotation with no till cropping 1995 t0 1999.

Putting it Together


0

50

100

150

200

5% 4% 3% 2% 1%

195 lbs.

140 lbs.

100 lbs.

55 lbs. 33

lbs.

Wat

er in

Pou

nds

Organic Matter

Water Holding Capacity


-44.6 -18.9 -8.1

312 330

1000

1261

2363

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

MoldboardPlow

Sub Soil MoleKnife

Raw DairyManure

Cov. NoTill

WinterCoverCrops

CompostBroiler(litter,

leaves)

Compost(Dairy,

Manure,Leaves)

Carbon Impact by Field TreatmentCarbon Sequestration ( kg C / ha /year)


Creating New Soil

A photo from a Canadian research station showing the root growth of bunchgrass plants that were kept clipped at certain levels.

Research efforts in the soil science arena have concentrated on reducing the rate of soil loss. The concept of building new topsoil is rarely considered.

From Dr. Christine Jones, Carbon For Life, Inc.


Creating New Soil

From Dr. Christine Jones, Carbon For Life, Inc.


145%

104%

76% 70%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Mea

n O

rgan

ic P

rem

ium

(%) 1

995

to 2

007

Soybean, Corn, Wheat, Oats

.

Premium Prices1995 to 2007


-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

N P K Ca Mg Mn Fe Cu B Al Zn

Oat Leaf Tissue Mineral Comparative Mineral Content

Perc

ent I

ncre

ase

over

C

onve

ntio

nal C

ontr

ol

Increased Foliar Nutrients

*Zero is equal to the conventional baseline.

Organic Livestock System Compared To

Conventional Corn Soybean Row Crop System


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Elements

Perc

enta

ge In

crea

se

Series1 17.24137931 20.51282051 20 21.42857143 16.66666667 74.25742574

K P Ca Mg S ASH

Increases in mineral contents in oat grain comparing organic and conventional production systems after 22 years of system differentiation. When zero Organic and Conventional were equal.

Increased Grain Mineral Content


Organic Conventional

Wet Year


0123456789

10

C. Prot.

A. Prot.

Fiber

Min.

D. E.

Lys.

Meth.

Compost Conventional

FST™ Corn 2005


Vegetables

Quality Analysis of Carrots, Peppers & Tomatoes:

• Antioxidants• Vitamin C

• Carotenoids • Pigments


• Better Disease reaction to carrot necrosis and leaf blight, pepper virus complex and tomato late blight. Equal yieldexcept higher in organic when disease was limiting as carrot necrosis.

• Higher Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, and Boron in Tomato fruit

• Higher Calcium, Sulfur, and Boron in Tomato leaves

• Higher Boron and Sodium in Carrot leaves and roots

• Higher ascorbic acid and total antioxidants in dry environment for tomato , peppers, and carrots

Advantages


1. Building Soils2. Cleaning up Waterways3. Improving Water Dynamics4. Avoid Drought & Floods5. Improve Yield Productivity6. Increase Adaptability to

Climate Change7. Improve Food Quality

Ecological Regeneration


Rodale Institute Conservation Agriculture


Questions

Thank You

Documents

Conservation Agriculture Soil Health Matters · 2020-01-30 · Conservation Agriculture. Soil Health Matters. Paul Reed Hepperly, PhD. Senior Scientist, ... • Produces erosion-resistant,