By Alice McFarlane

Protecting and preserving topsoil for soil quality

Jul 21, 2020 | 11:20 AM

SASKATCHEWAN – Maintaining soil health should continue to be a priority for producers.

Healthy soil or soil quality is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain the quality of air and water environments and promote plant, animal and human health.

Ministry of Agriculture summer student Amy Bowditch said the top five to 10 centimeters of soil, or topsoil, is an important variable when it comes to soil health.

“A few main functions of soil are regulating water and controlling direction of flow, promoting diversity and productivity in plant and animal life, filtering pollutants, cycling nutrients and providing physical stability and support for plant roots and human structures,” she said.

Protecting and preserving topsoil is vital to maintaining and improving soil quality. Bowditch said soil can continue to regenerate and produce lush crops and pastures by minimizing disturbance by limiting tillage which will also save money and time, rotating livestock to prevent overgrazing and optimizing chemical inputs.

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“Another practice to start is maximizing soil cover. To do this, you can plant cover crops to prevent erosion and improve the soil’s water intake and storage capacities,” Bowditch said. “Use organic mulch to hold the soil in place and practice rotational grazing to maximize perennial grasses and forbes.”

Bowditch said maximizing biodiversity happens by integrating livestock, using diverse crop rotations, and planting diverse cover crops.

“Cover crops can also help to save money, as over time the crops can require fewer herbicide applications and less fertilizer. These all also help to break disease cycles and stimulate plant growth,” she said.

Another practice to improve soil health is by reducing fallow to maximize living roots. Bowditch said doing these things will reduce erosion and promote microbe health.

“Clean air and water, quality crops and pastures and beautiful prairie views all rely on healthy soil. Farmers and ranchers, have some control on how we maintain the soil for future generations,” Bowditch said. “With healthy soil comes reduced erosion, maximum water infiltration, improved nutrient cycling, improved resilience and money saved on inputs.”

Bowditch said soil is the backbone of producers’ livelihoods and it’s important to care for the soil and take action in improving and maintaining its quality.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF