3 Signs That You Have Healthy Soil

What is Healthy Soil?

Healthy soil is essential for the sustainability of plant life. Healthy soil is full of microorganisms that help to sustain the life of plants, insects, bacteria, and animals. These microorganisms help to break down organic matter into nutrients that plants can absorb to maintain a natural cycle.

Symptoms of Unhealthy Soil

Unhealthy soil lacks microbes and is unable to retain nutrients properly. This leaves people to believe there is something wrong with their soil when it is an issue with the chemicals added. The increased use of pesticides and fertilizers over the last 50 years has caused an increase of artificial nutrients in the soil, which leads to abnormal growth.

The symptoms of unhealthy soil include:

1. Decrease in biodiversity
2. Fewer plants can grow, while others die off completely
3. Contamination of land, water, and air
4. Suffering from the insects and animals that live in that area.

Difference in nature of Soil Health in various Regions

Soil health differs in different regions, and thus the purpose of agricultural practices may also vary. In some countries, the livestock production is priortize more. In others, priority is crop production for export or general food security. In any case, however farmers practice agriculture in any particular region, the objective of farming is to obtain the maximum yields possible.

While crop-growing can yield up to 20% more than livestock-rearing or other livestock-related activities, the production rate of crops also depends on soil health. This in turn depends on fertilizer and pesticide exposure, mobility in soils, soil acidification, erosion, and nutrient cycling.

Soil health thus determines the yield of crops grown even in the same region, and the country’s agricultural goals can directly impact what is cultivated, how it is cultivated.

Signs of having healthy soil

Thus, farmers should practice agriculture to build soil health and protect it from degradation, so they must be careful about which pesticides to spray. Healthy soils should be able to hold water and prevent erosion.

In addition, farmers should also maintain sustainable practices so that soils can stay healthy if pollutants do not foul them. To maintain soil health in this way, farmers should:

Insect activity

Healthy soil stimulates the activity of insects and other organisms that improve soil health, especially when they deter pests. In addition, organic matter in the soil can keep insects away. Healthy soil is protected by various life forms that ensure it remains functional. This ranges from beneficial microorganisms to beneficial fungi and worms.

Erosion controls

A healthy soil ecosystem is good if the topsoil is protected from erosion and washed away during a slope. That is why it is essential to build permanent structures and structures that prevent erosion in the first place. The critical element in soil health is its biological content, which includes the activity of soil organisms. Place some grass seed into moist soil in late spring to early summer.

The grass helps provide a habitat for beneficial insects and worms, which will increase the biological composition of your soil and thus enhance its ability to support plant roots.

Organic matter

Living organisms produce organic matter in the soil, substances produced by plant or animal life that cannot decompose. Specific organic matter breaks down in a predictable amount of time (called a “biodegradable” particle). This improves soil structure and the ability of soil to hold water. The more organic matter in the soil, the more plants can get their nutrients out.

Soil Testing

Testing soil with soil tests is a great way to test the health of your soil. Testing for your soil’s nutrient levels is a necessary process to do before planting. Knowing the nutrient levels in your soil will help determine how much fertilizer to use on your crops. Checking for organic matter in the soil is also essential – you want to ensure that the organic matter does not burn. This will prevent you from overfertilizing your plants.

Methods to Improve Soil Health

1. Gardeners and farmers can benefit from reducing the disturbance to their soil. For example, ploughing annual crops will disturb the soil and make building up its natural structure much harder.
2. Organic matter is critical in making your soil healthier. This way, it creates a healthier environment for your plants. Fewer nutrients will be lost from your soil during decomposition, and better nutrient absorption possibilities increase as the organic matter breaks down into smaller particles. In addition to having its structure broken up and the nutrients lost, organic matter also increases the drainage of your soil. This means you should remove excess soil around your plants to prevent overwatering. 
3. Planting slow-release or soluble fertilizers into the soil will allow it to deliver its nutrients to plants quickly. Applying organic materials that break down into nutrients over time is also an excellent way to improve your soil’s nutrient levels.
4. The use of compost is an effective way to improve soil health and ultimately produce better crops overall than those grown in conventional soils. Compost contains beneficial bacteria that break down the organic material in the soil and convert it into usable nutrients for your crops. It is also essential when improving your soil’s nutrient levels because it contains many minerals that plants need to grow successfully and produce foods with high nutritional content. This benefit cannot be overstated!
5. Feeding livestock with animal waste can increase microbial activity in your yard or farm, but only if you use livestock feed with high nitrogen levels (such as corn). Cows will have their manure turned into a resource for you in this method, but only if you can raise enough animals for milk or meat nearby!

Pasture Rotation & Soil Health.

Pasture health can easily be overlooked when it comes to farming. However, Poorly managed pasture can deplete the soil and plants, and the farmer’s vision is that poor soil will not support a diverse and nutritionally rich forage supply. Much of the world’s land is used to grow crops that can feed livestock to support the growing human population. 

Facts about Healthy Soil

• Healthy soil microorganisms live between the space available in soil particles, around roots, leaf/plant litter, humus, or soil aggregates (soil particles that bind to each other).
• These microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing nutrients for the plants.
• The more profound the rooting depth and soil organic matter, the greater the health of the soil.
• The wider the space between soil particles, the greater the amount of air and water that can penetrate through it. 
• Shallow soil has a high water table, leading to shallow root growth (in temperate zones) or death (in tropical zones). A shallow surface drainage layer might also decrease organic matter production in these zones.
• Solutions: Grow crops at lower elevations or on steeper slopes for richer root growth. Add organic matter such as composted manure, manure from livestock raised nearby, or straw to reach deeper soil layers for better yields.

Conclusion

In this article, we have seen that soil is the heart of every ecosystem and is a crucial factor in how much food and jobs can be produced. When we look at all of the ways soil provides life and services to us, we realize that it is not just Earth’s most essential resource but also its most underappreciated one. Because a healthy ecosystem requires an abundant supply of nutrient-rich soil, our social responsibility to all the creatures that depend on it must be absolute. I hope you like all of the articles. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comment section.

Thanks for reading!