The NM Sustainable Agriculture Conference Deming, NM (December 3, 2013)

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1 The NM Sustainable Agriculture Conference Deming, NM (December 3, 2013) Soil & Water analyses Farming in the 21 st Century A practical approach to improve Soil Health Rudy Garcia NM State Agronomist, USDA-NRCS USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer New Mexico Integrated Cropping Systems and Water Management Handbook USDA-NRCS: Unlock the Secrets in the Soil

2 Evaluate How Your Soil System is Functioning OM We will first focus on the Biological component of soil health, as it relates to water & soil analyses and their interpretations. All parameters are important; typically we focus on physical and chemical- but Biology is King or Queen!

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4 Conventional Tillage in Pecans (Wind erosion: a problem on this sandy soil) Take plenty of photos of the before and after changes in soil health.

5 Bermuda grass planted in pecan orchard (1 st Irrigation). 5 tons of compost applied per acre before the 1 st irrigation.

6 Bermuda grass established in pecan orchard. Irrigated with micro-sprinkler system.

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9 Applying an Additional 5 tons of compost per acre. (applied on top of dormant Bermuda grass) Compost (i.e. to feed and prime the Soil Food Web in a no-till system)

10 Bermuda grass (2 nd year early growth) No more Wind Erosion and rejuvenating Soil Health

11 Soil is beginning to develop soil structure. Managing the soil s living organims (Soil Food Web). This entails working to maintain favorable conditions of moisture, temperature, nutrients, ph, and aeration. It also involves providing a steady food source of raw organic material.

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13 A healthy root system = A healthy surface soil. Zone of INTENSE Nutrient Cycling and Water use. Creating a Soil Habitat is the first step to managing soil biota for long-term soil quality, soil health, and productivity. Soil biological processes are responsible for supplying approximately 75% of the plant available nitrogen and 65% of the available phosphorus in the soil. Like all organisms, those inhabiting your soil need food and a favorable environment. Adequate organic matter content, ample aeration, moderate moisture, neutral ph, and warm temperatures all favor increased microbial activity.

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15 Importance of maintaining a favorable habitat for the Soil Food Web.

16 Basic facts about the Soil food web 1) Is complex The soil food web: 2) Individual organisms are small in size 3) Individual organisms are numerous 4) Is greatly impacted by temperature and moisture 5) Is most active near the soil surface

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20 Next, we will focus on the Physical component of soil health, as it relates to water & soil analyses and their interpretations. Evaluate How Your Soil System is Functioning OM All parameters are important; typically we focus on physical and chemical- but Biology is King or Queen!

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22 Slake Test (Ref.: Soil Quality Fact Sheet: Soil Glue)

23 Slake Test (Ref.: Soil Quality Fact Sheet: Soil Glue)

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26 Evaluate How Your Soil System is Functioning Finally, we will focus on the Chemical component of soil health, as it relates to water & soil analyses and their interpretations. OM All parameters are important; typically we focus on physical and chemical- but Biology is King or Queen!

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30 Water Quality Analysis Pounds per Acre: Nitrate-N = 12.2 Potassium = 89.5 Sulfate-S = Calcium = Magnesium = Sodium = Chloride = Bicarbonate = 1,911.4 Carbonate = 26.1 Iron = 9.3 ECiw = 0.81 mmhos/cm SAR = 1.71 ph = 7.9 Conventional Irrigation (soil salinity typically concentrates about 1.5 times the water EC) Leaching Fraction (LF) = /Fc (LF = 7.2%) Fc = ECe(ct)/ECiw (i.e., ECe(ct) = 1.9 & ECiw = 0.81); Fc = 2.35 Mn = 0.22 B = 1.31 Total Salts = 5,640.2 lbs./ac.

31 Calculations and Conversions: (48 ac-in of irrigation water applied/ac/yr.) Water = 1.0 g/cm 3 Cubic Foot = 28, cm 3 28, g of Water/Cubic Foot 28, g x 1.0 lb./454.0 g = lbs. of Water/ft lbs. of water/ft 3 x 43,560 ft3 = 2,716,837.2 lbs. of water/ac-ft 2,716, million lbs. of water/ac-ft. (Our conversion factor is e.g., 2.72 x ppm = lbs. of nutrient/ac.-ft. of irrigation water applied). 1.0 /12.0 = x 2.72 = ( 227,000 lbs. of Water/ac-in. Our conversion factor is e.g., x ppm = lbs. of nutrient/ac.-in. of irrigation water applied). Example: Calcium ppm x x 48 = lbs. of Ca applied/ac./yr. or Example: Calcium ppm x 2.72 x 4 = lbs. of Ca applied/ac./yr. ppm = mg/l TDS (ppm) = EC (mmhos/cm) x 640, for EC between 0.1 and 5.0 mmhos/cm Example: 0.81 mmhos/cm x 640 = mg/l If we apply 4 acre-feet of water/ac./yr., how many pounds of salts will you apply in a year? mg/l x 2.72 x 4 = 5,640.2 lbs./ac. of soluble salts applied per acre per year.

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34 Dr. Jamie Iglesias, with Texas Agrilife Center, discussing soil profile characteristics, drainage, water & salinity management, and water table. Do you know your soils profile characteristics?

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38 Calculations and Conversions(ppm = mg/kg): Soil Bulk Density of 1.472g/cm 3 4,000,000 lbs./ac-ft Cubic Foot = 28, cm 3 28, cm 3 x 1.472g/cm 3 = 41,682.4 g of soil/ft 3 41,682.4 g x 1.0 lb./454 g = lbs. of soil/ft lbs. of soil/ft 3 x 43,560 ft 3 4,000,000.0 lbs./ac-ft. 4,000,000 lbs. of Soil (dry weight)/ac-ft 4,000,000 (our conversion factor is 4.0; e.g., 4.0 x ppm = lbs./ac-ft.) Example: Nitrate-Nitrogen 4.5 ppm x 4.0 = 18.0 lbs. of Nitrate-Nitrogen/ac-ft Example: Nitrate-Nitrogen 4.5 ppm x 2.0 = 9.0 lbs. of Nitrate-Nitrogen/ac (6 depth) Example: 4,000,000 lbs. of Soil x (1.2% Organic Matter) = 48,000 lbs. Organic Matter/ac-ft 48,000 lbs. Organic Matter x 0.05 (5% is Organic N) = 2,400 lbs. of Organic N. 2,400 lbs. of Organic N x (about 2.5% is mineralized/yr.) = 60 lbs. of N mineralized/ac/yr.

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42 Conversions and Calculations (ppm = mg/kg): Parts Per Million (ppm) = milligram/kilogram (mg/kg) Example: 10,000 ppm 1,000,000 ppm = 1.0% Example: 5,000 ppm 1,000,000 ppm = 0.5% Example: 1,000 ppm 1,000,000 ppm = 0.1% Example: 500 ppm 1,000,000 ppm = 0.05% Example: 100 ppm 1,000,000 ppm = 0.01% 1.0 gram = 1,000 milligrams 1.0 kilogram = 1,000 grams = 1,000,000 mg Example: 100 mg/1,000,000 mg = 100 mg/kg 100 mg 1,000,000 mg = 0.01% 100 ppm 1,000,000 ppm = 0.01% ppm = mg/kg

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45 Water-stable Macro-aggregates Living Roots

46 SOIL BIOLOGY CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES For more soil biology information see The Soil Biology Web Page (from the NRCS Soil Quality Institute) at A single spade full of rich, garden soil contains more species of organisms than can be found above ground in the entire Amazon rain forest.

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48 Rhizosphere Narrow region of soil directly around roots. Living roots release many types of organic materials. These compounds attract Bacteria that feed on the proteins & sugars. Rhizosphere is: Area immediately surrounding [0.5-1 inches (1-2 cm)] the plant roots. Has the highest biological activity due to the high concentration of photosynthetically-derived carbon (approx. 70%) Juma, Has some of the greatest impact on soil structure. Most impacted by aboveground management.

49 Fungal hyphae binding soil particles together into aggregates. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi produces Glomalin that glues soil particles together.

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