Often farmers treat the farm as a whole and that is completely wrong. Fields within a few meters from each other can have completely different characteristics, especially with regards to soil biology.
Oxygen is one of the overlooked but most important requirements for microbial and root development. In fact, I’d even posit that it is more important than food, water, and warmth.
Nothing should ever be viewed as “waste” on the farm. Organic waste can be converted into compost that helps improve the farms soil life and fertility.
To a large extent, these threats are caused by conventional agriculture. This is what makes the regenerative approach to soil management so important.
Keeping the soil covered is important for soil conservation. The abundance and diversity of food for soil organisms is what determines a soil’s natural productivity.
There has been a lot of research conducted about the impact of applying herbicides. The problem is that there is a full spectrum of findings showing positive, negative and negligible effects on soil biology. This can be very confusing.
Graham’s keynote presentation, Managing N and C to maximise farm performance, truly resonated with the audience. Many of the farmers in attendance are already in transition towards sustainable farming while others are not quite there yet.
What is more important is becoming conscious of how our food is produced, no matter where it comes from. This especially includes considering what it would have taken for food to arrive on the shelves of your local supermarket.
Nitrogen is the growth element. Plants need it, no doubt about that. In the first half of a plant’s growth cycle, it takes in about 80% of the total nitrogen it needs for the entire cycle.
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to irrigation water quality. The best place to start is knowing the quality of your irrigation water.