The variety and activity of soil microorganisms are the major factors in soil health, which is strongly related to sustainable agriculture. Productive, sustainable agriculture depends on healthy soil. Learn here about the principles of soil health and how Earthy Origins practise free-range farming, acting as a twofer.
1. Maximises Biodiversity
Increasing diversity throughout our operation disrupts the spread of disease, promotes plant development, and creates a home for pollinators and soil-dwelling creatures.
⦿ Plant variety of cover crops
⦿ Use variety of crop rotation
⦿ Integrate crop-livestock
2. Rotational Grazing
Animals that graze re-circulate nutrients throughout the ecosystem. Our animals may return vital nutrients and organic matter to the soil and eventually enhance soil health by being allowed to graze whenever and wherever they desire.
3. Crop Rotation
Without incorporating synthetic inputs, crop rotation aids in replenishing soil nutrients. Furthermore, by raising biomass from the root structures of various crops, the practice improves soil health, disrupts the natural progression of diseases and pests, and boosts farm biodiversity. Growing the same crop in a field repeatedly can deplete the soil of some nutrients and encourage the accumulation of pests and illnesses. Therefore, because of this circumstance, alternating the cultivation process improves the soil's productivity.
4. Farming Practices to Improve Soil Health
The interest in organic farming as the most sustainable agricultural system is rapidly growing worldwide because it not only improves the physical, biological, and environmental resources such as soil nutrient mineralization, microbial activity, abundance and diversity, and groundwater quality but also yields and product quality as evidence.
5. Goat and chicken Manure As one of the best animal manures,
⦿ Plants can receive nutrients from goat manure, and it can help strengthen the soil. Goat manure has a higher nitrogen concentration than chicken and cow manure when compared to dung from cows and goats. The final compost is rich and dry.
⦿ Composted chicken dung serves as a soil amendment and a source of slow- macro- and micronutrients. In comparison with other types of manures, chicken manure and the associated waste are richer in organic matter and include higher levels of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium
Conclusion
As a beautiful saying goes, " Action speaks louder than words", Earthy Origins not only speaks about soil health but we practice these steps to enhance the richness of the earth and the betterment of the environment. This overview examined the importance of soil health in systems which produce crops efficiently and emphasized factors that must be taken into consideration when assessing soil health components of sustainable agricultural systems. In determining soil health, factors such as microbial diversity, activity, and community stability are taken into account. The composition, productivity, and sustainability of plants are influenced by the variety and abundance of soil and rhizosphere microorganisms.