By DALE YOUNKER
Natural Resources Conservation Service
JETMORE — There has been a real emphasis on using cover crops or adding livestock into cropping systems to improve soil health, and for some producers this works very well. But while these practices, which seem to be the buzz words of the day, we to not think about other ways to improve the resiliency of our soil and continue to grow profitable crops.
Here is a list of a few other practices and strategies that can also be used to improve the soil.
1. Have a balanced fertility program.
Using the 4Rs concept of, 1) use the right product, 2) put on the right rate, 3) apply at the right time and 4) put it in right place is good place to start.
With fertility being a big share of the cost of production this can pay big dividends in a hurry. Implementing grid soil sampling and using variable rate technology where fertilizer is applied based on the specific fertility needs on 2.5 to 5-acre grids could lower your fertility cost even more. Like the advertisement says, “if you don’t test, it's just a guess,” and at today's fertilizer price you can’t afford to just guess.
2. Soil pH plays a vital role in nutrient availability.
Most plants are most efficient in nutrient uptake with soil pH in that 6.5 to 7.0 range, or around neutral. When the soil pH is too high, or too low, nutrients tend to get tied up in the soil and become unavailable to the crop. Most western Kansas soils are inherently neutral or alkaline with a pH of 7.0. or above. But soil pH has dropped significantly, with some fields down to the lower 5s, due to the decades use of acid-based fertilizers, like anhydrous ammonia, dry urea, UAN and others. A composite soil sample and a $25.00 soil analysis is a good place to start to see where your pH levels are. From there you can come up with a long-term strategy to get everything in balance if you need to.
3. Reducing tillage operations is another way to improve soil health.
Tillage cost money and breaks down the pore spaces for water and air to flow through the soil. It also disrupts the soil biology that help form soil aggregates. These microscopic clumps of individual soil particles of sand silt in clay, held together by biological glues, are what help create pore spaces. Soils with good soil aggregation have higher water infiltration rates and better water holding capacity. In western Kansas everything is dependent on the amount of moisture we can capture and store in the soil and excessive tillage reduces our soil’s ability to do that.
These are just a few simple, cost-effective ways to improve your soil. Like everything, consider what it will cost to implement some of these techniques on your farm to determine if you can get a positive return on investment.
For more information about these and other soil health practices you can contact me at [email protected] or any local NRCS office.
Dale Younker is a soil health specialist at the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.