Conservation Agriculture Soil Health Matters

Transcription

1 Conservation Agriculture Soil Health Matters Paul Reed Hepperly, PhD Senior Scientist, Rodale Institute Fulbright Scholar

2 Rodale Institute 1970

3 Stop Erosion

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5 Soil Organic Matters Holds water Cements soil particles Reduces acid soil toxicity through natural liming Increases micronutrient availability Electron micrograph of soil humus

6 Reducing Erosion

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8 Organic Matter Increases Infiltration Organic Using Compost Conventional

9 Organic Corn Drought Better infiltration, retention, and delivery to plants helps avoid drought damage Organic Conventional

10 Soil Organic Matter (mt / ha) Historical Management Future Prediction No Till, Cover Crop, Compost Compost Cover Crop Fertilizer 25 Conventional Monoculture

11 The Farming System Trial

12 The Farming System Trial Established in Three cropping systems are compared. 8 replications, 3 crops represented each year in each system Plot size: 20 x 300 ft (6 x 91.5 m) Lysimeters installed in 4 reps in fall of 1990

13 Soil Organic Matters 5 % 1% 1% 5%

14 FST Soil Carbon and Soil Nitrogen change from 1981 to Conv. 1% 5% Legume Manure % Carbon % Nitrogen

15 Soil in Organic Systems Higher corn and soybean yields in drought years Increased soil C and N Higher water infiltration Higher water holding cap. Higher microbial activity

16 Carbon is Covered Total Soil Carbon Content ( % ) Manure Conventional Legume Manure: R2 = 0.83 y = 0.021x Legume: R2 = 0.79 y = 0.015x Conventional: R2 = 0.04 y = 0.002x

17 Carbon Profile Depth in Organic & Convention Systems Farming Systems Trial 2006 Conventional Organic Legume Organic Animal Soil Depth (cm)

18 Mycorrhizal Fungi Extends plant root systems Produces erosionresistant, carbon enriched soil Provides mechanisms for soil biological carbon fixation Slows decay of organic matter

19 Energy Use FST Energy use (in million kcal) Seeds Herbicides Fertilizer Fuel 0 MNR LEG CNV

20 No-Till Roller Crimper Biologically Based No-Till

21 Energy Used in Different Corn 250 Production Systems Conventional Organic Tillage No Till Tillage No Till

22 Successful Weed Control Biologically Based No-Till Corn

23 Proven, Affordable, Immediate Holistic Grazing Biologically Based No Till

24 Basic grazing determine River Restoration If landscapes are like this: or like this. (Two rivers in the same area, with the same soils and rainfall, on the same day.) ManagingWholes.com

25 Putting it Together Soil carbon under continuous cropping for forage and in permanent pasture and short and long pasture rotation w ith no till cropping 1995 t Soil Carbon (%) ct rt nt pp Sr Nt LR NT ct rt nt pp Sr Nt lr NT Management

26 Water Holding Capacity Water in Pounds lbs. 140 lbs. 100 lbs. 55 lbs. 33 lbs. 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% Organic Matter

27 Carbon Impact by Field Treatment 2500 Carbon Sequestration ( kg C / ha /year) Moldboard Plow Sub Soil Mole Knife Raw Dairy Manure Cov. No Till Winter Cover Crops Compost Broiler (litter, leaves) Compost (Dairy, Manure, Leaves)

28 Creating New Soil A photo from a Canadian research station showing the root growth of bunchgrass plants that were kept clipped at certain levels. Research efforts in the soil science arena have concentrated on reducing the rate of soil loss. The concept of building new topsoil is rarely considered. From Dr. Christine Jones, Carbon For Life, Inc.

29 Creating New Soil From Dr. Christine Jones, Carbon For Life, Inc.

30 Premium Prices 1995 to % Mean Organic Premium (%) 1995 to %. 76% 70% 0 Soybean, Corn, Wheat, Oats

31 Increased Foliar Nutrients Organic Livestock System Compared To Conventional Corn Soybean Row Crop System Percent Increase over Conventional Control N P K Ca Mg Mn Fe Cu B Al Zn Oat Leaf Tissue Mineral Comparative Mineral Content *Zero is equal to the conventional baseline.

32 Increased Grain Mineral Content Percentage Increase Increases in mineral contents in oat grain comparing organic and conventional production systems after 22 years of system differentiation. When zero Organic and Conventional were equal K P Ca Mg S ASH Series Elements

33 Wet Year Organic Conventional

34 Fiber Min. D. E. Lys. Meth. A. Prot FST Corn 2005 Compost Conventional C. Prot.

35 Vegetables Quality Analysis of Carrots, Peppers & Tomatoes: Antioxidants Vitamin C Carotenoids Pigments

36 Advantages Better Disease reaction to carrot necrosis and leaf blight, pepper virus complex and tomato late blight. Equal yield except higher in organic when disease was limiting as carrot necrosis. Higher Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, and Boron in Tomato fruit Higher Calcium, Sulfur, and Boron in Tomato leaves Higher Boron and Sodium in Carrot leaves and roots Higher ascorbic acid and total antioxidants in dry environment for tomato, peppers, and carrots

37 Ecological Regeneration 1. Building Soils 2. Cleaning up Waterways 3. Improving Water Dynamics 4. Avoid Drought & Floods 5. Improve Yield Productivity 6. Increase Adaptability to Climate Change 7. Improve Food Quality

38 Rodale Institute Conservation Agriculture

39 Questions Thank You