Ag 101 Week 16

Soil Doesn’t Follow Trends

These past few weeks have been busy as I’m sure most of you are experiencing too. Mine has been filled with meetings, conferences, presentations, farm visits, homeschool activities, and trying to fit in planting somethings in my garden.

As I’ve talked to what feels like hundreds of people recently, there has been one reoccurring theme I have been brought back to

Soil Doesn’t Follow Trends Markets Do

So, what exactly do I mean.

Soil is a dynamic highly evolved ecosystem that in spite of all the good or bad we do, it has a single mission to be in a state of constant growth. It is home to organisms that are continually going through every stage of life in order to provide life to the plants that grow in it.

1.     It has no idea what type of cropping system or gardening method you choose to use this year. It has no idea how many books you have read, conferences you have gone to, or how many speakers you have listened to telling you about farming and gardening systems.

2.    It doesn’t give a flying fig about what the latest and greatest trend in agriculture is either. It is not reading all the gardening and farming magazines touting all the benefits of the next best super go-go grow juice or the magic results you see if you apply only 500# to the acre of the best fairy dust ever.

The only thing soil wants to do is be what it was intended to be which is a healthy, resilient, and highly efficient system in which life can grow. Get out of its way and let it happen. Stop buying into one method or product that promises yields beyond your imagination and tomatoes that Instagram dreams are made of.

Am I saying turn your back to all the progress we have made with science and technology-NO!

In my perfect world, in which I believe Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton are genuinely best friends and platonic despite Islands in The Stream, I want growers, farmers, gardeners to-

Start paying attention to the soil they have and work with it to apply science and technology in practical ways to harness its natural abilities.

Ag 101 Week 15

Alternative Soil Fertility

I’ve been preparing for a presentation titled Unusual Edible Perennials and How to Use Them for Soil Health. Already, I have a problem with the title because I dislike using the term soil health. I would rather it be the title of this post. However, I realize it is not as pleasant sounding. It seems as if a large part of what I end up focusing on revolves around making things sound good to get likes, clicks, and follows. I will be the first to admit if you look at my social media, well, let’s say I might not be as social as I should be if those are my goals. I have come along way from posting about the tattoo on my foot though. I have also stated that those are not the reasons why I'm doing all of this either. It is just the nature of the beast I guess. 

What preparing for this particular presentation has made me think about is

How I as an agronomist view -how and what farmers use to manage soil fertility. I know the obvious – cover crops, fertilizers, manures, and management. But, does it have to stop there?

What if you grew an alternative crop that had multiple markets, could be used to do what cover crops do and provided a sustainable source of soil fertility? That seems like money in the bank to me.

I will insert all my disclaimers now. I realize the ideas I’m talking about aren’t necessarily new, however, far too often we get in our set ways and don’t look beyond what we’re currently doing. I realize that most of what I’m suggesting is anecdotal at best. I also understand the scale at which these crops could be grown successfully will vary. Last, but maybe the most important, incorporating them comes with financial implications. However, in this era of agriculture, it seems to me that markets are opening up to be more receptive if not on the cusp of demanding we make some radical changes to our approach.  Our approach to crop choices, fertilizer choices, and management choices.

In doing research, I’ve come to realize there is not a lot I could find about the subject.  I found the typical article about favorite cover crops, what soil needs to be fertile, and what one can do to promote soil health. Beyond that standard research and information and looking at actually using plants to target soil fertility, information gets pretty obscure.

One article I came across was titled, Maximizing Soil Fertility with Soil Improving Plants.

https://www.regenerative.com/magazine/maximizing-soil-fertility-soil-improving-plants

I finally felt like I was on to something, and maybe I am, but I still want to take the subject further. Again, what if you grew an alternative crop that had multiple markets, could be used to do what cover crops do and provided a sustainable source of soil fertility?

What if we looked at using specific plants to go beyond cover cropping and used them to help meet even more specific soil fertility needs?

Even my husband who proclaims he has no idea even on an average day what I’m talking about when he reads my stuff, let me know I am pretty much-smoking something if I think farmers are going to be able to incorporate alternative crops successfully. But, why not start and look at things through a different lens if only for one presentation. 

Next, I thought I should look at the primary reasons farmers use cover crops. What are the significant factors leading to the choice of cover crop and how could an alternative crop meet those reasons.

Most farmers choose cover crops based on the following-

1.     Reduce fertilizer costs, mainly nitrogen

2.     Reduce herbicide and pesticide use

3.     Prevent soil erosion

4.     Increase overall soil tilth

When planning my talk, I took those reasons and few others into consideration based on the crowd I’m going to speak to and the typical scale of the grower I work with.

I also took into consideration-

1.     The fact I grow each one in my garden - hence the scale

2.     They are edible in some form - multiple markets

3.     They are all relatively easy to grow – ease of management

4.     They are relatively common – attainability

5.     If it could address at least one fertility need – a movement towards sustainability

So, the five plants or “crops” that I included are borage, comfrey, stinging nettle, Jerusalem artichoke, and rhubarb.

Borage-

It’s growth characteristics lend it to being a natural addition to add to any market garden.

It...  tends to spread if happy

and does not like to be in wet soil,

but it

can tolerate some shade, and

 self-seeds

What are the fertility benefits?

It... is a functional companion plant for strawberries, squash, and legumes.

and  is said to be a sacrifice plant for tomatoes from hornworms.

But, what I’m most interested in is the fact it contains B vitamins and trace minerals.

Research has been done regarding the role B vitamins play in metabolic pathways and how it helps to make biochemical reactions in plants easier in regards to environmental stresses.  Take a look at some work being done at the University of Florida at the following link

https://researchfeatures.com/2017/08/08/control-metabolism-changing-conditions/amp/

The part about containing trace minerals interests me because most soils lack them and often overlooked. However, trace minerals can be a limiting factor in soil fertility that can mean the difference in yield loss and more noticeably crop quality. For some growers, trace minerals can be expensive and harder to apply at appropriate levels without doing more harm than good. Using a plant to supply that need could, in fact, be a viable option while having several other benefits as well.

Borage

Comfrey

I can’t say enough about this one. It seems to be the overall work-horse of the plant world.

It...

grows anywhere, and will tolerant several growing conditions

I suggest in my presentation to consider planting the sterile variety. It is a firsthand lesson I had to learn.   

It uses include...

 it can be used as a mulch and dried as a soil conditioner

 soil stabilizer due to is deep roots

  high in calcium and potassium

  hay and forage potential

The fact it is high in calcium is what caught my attention. I have come across several scenarios where soil needs calcium, but other more mainstream inputs are not always an option. Comfrey could be one alternative depending on the scale, that could be more sustainable than mined products.

Comfrey

Stinging Nettle

Nettles are quite fussy about the soil in which they will grow

Once established roots creep so it can be hard to control

Unfortunately, the entire plant is covered with stinging hairs  

So, there are some definite disadvantages to stinging nettle. But, it’s contributions regarding soil fertility in my mind out way the painful reality of dealing with the plant. 

It is high in iron, calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, sulfur, and silica

Aphids love nettles, which you can grow as 'sacrificial' plant

There have been several studies done regarding the benefits of silica and its relationship to nutrient retention and efficiency as well as the role it plays in overall plant health.  What I want to find out more about is the calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, and sulfur potential stinging nettle may bring to the table.

Stinging Nettle Photo Courtesy of DB Impressions

Jerusalem artichoke

Plan when deciding the location

They are prolific and can become invasive unless managed properly

It goes without saying...

the plant is an excellent source of biomass to add organic matter

because they are a tuber, they may help mitigate some compaction issues

and they are rich in minerals like phosphorus and potassium

Jerusalem artichokes contribution from a fertility aspect would come from mainly its addition of organic matter. I don’t have an issue with that being the only one. You have to create conditions conducive for a soil being able to handle the nutrients needed to grow healthy plants.

Jerusalem Artichoke

Rhubarb

Is easy to establish and can be harvested continuously  

Interesting note about rhubarb

It’s considered a vegetable but mostly used as a fruit.

I wonder if it has any conversations with a tomato?! Admit it; you wanted to laugh or google it to see why I said that 

On a more serious note, it’s fertility benefits are, it...

contains Ca, K, Mg, Mn, and fiber

So, 

My presentation is ready

 I’ve stated my case as to the why I think farmers should consider some alternative crops

And,

            My husband has brought me back to reality

Rhubarb

Even if for only one presentation, this agronomist got to think outside the typical bag of seed, fertilizers, and manures and started to think about...

Alternatives to Soil Fertility

Borage

Ag 101 Week 14

The Fourth R 

THE RIGHT SOURCE-   AVAILABILITY, CHARACTERISTICS,  and PRICE

I never thought I would see the day when fertilizers are on the endangered species list of hard to source. I remember starting out back just a few short years ago, and a mentor in the industry mentioned that we could see the day that some of the components used to make organic or naturally derived fertilizers could be hard to get. I thought that’s crazy talk, that will never happen. However, within a few years it has become more challenging to find commonly used inputs such as greensand and raw aragonite, and once you do find them, the price disparages between suppliers and shipping cost can limit and or prohibit their use.

The previous paragraph is from a post from Week 6 of the Ag 101 52 Weeks of Agronomy Series that you can find here  

Ag 101 Week 6

But finding the right source goes beyond all that I previously mentioned.  It involves looking at a soil test determining what is best for the crop, the soil, what is available, and what a farmer can afford. I think people should also understand that no matter what type of farming system you use, i.e., management practices such as no-till or minimum-till, etc., inputs as I commonly refer to them as are all chemistries. Nothing more nothing less. Which type you choose to use -conventional, organic, all-natural, or otherwise they are still chemistries and influence the chemical and physical properties of the soil. Remember the triangle?

 At the heart of agronomy is managing the relationship between the soil, the crop, and the person responsible for them, aka the farmer. Inputs are one part of that balancing act between the three. The trick to being profitable is balancing them in a way that does just that, leads to a profit at the end of the season.

So, how do I determine the right sources for a farmer I’m working with?

For me, as a consulting agronomist, it has to meet certain criteria based first on the type of grower I’m working with. If they are certified organic, I go to that list, if they are conventional I go to that list, if they are a biodynamic grower I go to that list and so on. Just considering that can narrow the options considerably.

 Then I take into consideration everything that has been done to the area they are working whether it be a field, raised bed, or hoop house system.  I want to know it’s past, what has been grown there, what amendments have been used in the past 2-3 years, what fertilizers have been applied how and when, and what crop is going to be planted. The soil is a dynamic system that is constantly changing, however, done at an extremely variable rate due to all the outside influences on it. Getting as much of the back story as I can, will help me build what should be a long-term relationship with that field. Much as people act and behave based on their past so does soil. 

Next, and I probably mentioned this already, I take the future crop or current perennial crop, whichever the case may be into consideration. Considering the crop becomes more important when considering fertilizer because it feeds the crop first and then the soil. During a recent farm visit, I was asked how animal nutritionist and agronomist work together. I jokingly say they don’t. I look at the system with the crop in mind, basically making my decisions based on the crops needs, they look at a system with the animal in mind, making their decisions based on the animal’s needs. Growing up through my scouting days, I often heard agronomist referred to as cow killers for this very reason. Here is where balance can be more important than ever. Now, I consider the whole system.  Does it make an agronomist an animal nutritionist looking at things this way, no? I know some good ones you can get advice from. What it does is makes me a better agronomist so that can tailor a program specific to your farming system.

Next, I look at your soil through a soil test and crop performance. I work with a grower that determines 90% of their fertility program based on how each crop they grow tastes. They eat their way through harvest. We work together to fine-tune things with testing such as soil and tissue. Can every grower do it that way, no? But why not start and look at individual plants and take into consideration appearance and overall health characteristics that present themselves during each stage of growth. I often walk into a greenhouse or certain fields and look at nothing but leaves. Plants will tell you pretty much everything you want to know; the trick is to listen before they stop talking.

Last but not least, price and availability have to be considered. Ever hear the saying “The profit is in the buying?” You cannot outsell your initial investment, especially given the number of variables and costs associated with farming. Fertilizer is one of that growing season's initial investments.  When working with products that are naturally derived their price is largely determined by availability and transportation costs. Which can be good and bad, just because it’s free and abundant doesn’t mean it is what your soil or crop needs.

Having said all that, I’m not sure if any of you have noticed or not, but I have not gone into talking about specific inputs.  I did it for a few of reasons. First, there are books and resources dedicated to explaining individual inputs. One I'm currently reading is Practical Organic Gardening by Mark Highland. Don't let the title dissuade you from taking this book seriously as a market or larger size grower. Size doesn't matter, the scale is what is important. Input are still chemistries no matter if it's in your back yard or a 10 acre field. 

Second, when you realize that all inputs are a chemistry used to achieve a certain goal for that crop, the options become almost limitless unless you work through the steps I wrote about. I am merely attempting to get you to think beyond what your standard soil test recommendations call for. I work with all types of growers, what type of source a grower uses is personal to their system and needs.

It's similar to when I do a presentation. Things are general to be able to give the most number of people the most amount of information. If they have specific questions, they ask by either tracking me down that day, emailing or calling me. Feel free to all of that if you have specific questions. Last, I’ve put together a brief eBook including a section about specific inputs that you are more than welcome to download. It is not an exhausted list, however, it gives an overview of some of the more common inputs.