Improving soil health is one of the best ways to increase crop productivity and profitability and help improve the environment. A good measurement of soil health is the level of organic matter in your soils.
The 1% challenge was developed in 2017 by Brad Harrison with the Dallas County NRCS. Producers participating in the 1% challenge pledge to increase their organic matter by 1% over 10 years. Using as many of the 5 key soil health principles below is a good start!
Some ways you can start thinking about your soil’s health today:
- Keep the soil covered as much as possible
- Disturb the soil as little as possible
- Keep plants growing throughout the year to feed the soil
- Incorporate grazing when possible
- Diversify using crop rotations and cover crops
The NRCS puts it like this: MAXIMIZE the presence of Living Roots. MINIMIZE Disturbance. MAXIMIZE Soil Cover. MAXIMIZE Biodiversity.
Check out our Biology for Soil Health Workshop Page to learn about proactive steps you can take to improve your soil health.
To provide leadership that helps people improve, conserve, and sustain our natural resources while educating them on the importance and practicality of maintaining our environment and quality of life.
Office Hours
- Monday-Friday: 8:00am - 4:30pm
- Saturday-Sunday: Closed
You must be logged in to post a comment.