Why Soil Health Matters Now More Than Ever: Insights from High Plains Journal

Soil health is gaining fresh attention, reviving traditional methods and highlighting their importance. Today, about 37% of U.S. cropland uses no-till farming, while 35% employs reduced-till practices. This means approximately 72% of U.S. cropland engages in some form of conservation tillage. Notably, no-till is more common in soybeans than in crops like wheat or corn.

Recent challenges, such as rising input costs and changing policies around chemical use, have raised the stakes for soil health initiatives. Events like Soil Health U are increasingly relevant, especially as more farmers consider sustainable practices.

Gabe Brown, a pioneer in the soil health movement, has shared his insights at these events. His firm, Understanding AG LLC, works with 34 million acres of farmland across North America, Ireland, Sweden, and the UK. They emphasize five principles for healthy soil: minimal tillage, ground cover, diverse plant and animal life, living roots, and integrating animals into farming practices.

Brown argues that healthy soil can hold 20 to 25 gallons of water per square foot. He warns that traditional tillage creates a “broken water cycle” and that regenerative agriculture can help preserve aquifers. His research shows that farms using these methods recover better from flooding due to healthier, resilient soils.

While immediate yield increases aren’t guaranteed, tactics suggested by Brown often lead to significant reductions in input costs. Farmers typically cut fertilizer use by 40% to 60% and can even eliminate fungicides. Interestingly, Brown prefers not to use genetically modified organisms, but acknowledges many of his clients still choose them.

Brown believes that most farms today are degraded and emphasizes the need to improve soil structure. His approach echoes practices used by farmers for generations, focusing on creating diverse microbial communities within the soil. This can enhance nutrient delivery to plants and improve soil functions like fertility and water absorption, often at a lower cost than conventional methods.

He highlights the connection between soil health and water conservation, advocating for cover crops, like cereal rye, to combat the degradation caused by monocultures. “Properly managed soil should allow rainfall to infiltrate deeply,” he explains. In his view, many farmers are just two weeks away from a drought because their soils can’t retain enough moisture.

Looking to the future, renewed focus on soil health could play a vital role in tackling water crises in agriculture. Brown believes restoring soil will benefit both farmers and the environment.

For those interested in exploring soil health further, the HPJ Live event happening from August 6 to 8 in Wichita, Kansas, will feature discussions on these practices. It’s an exciting opportunity for farmers and anyone interested in sustainable agriculture.

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