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It can be difficult to make the right decisions when it feels like everything is on the line. Times of uncertainty can impose pressures that cause the decision-making process to malfunction.
The 2019 growing season will be remembered as one of the most challenging on record. It was cold, wet and frustrating. But while farmers and consultants were thinking about what was going on above ground, I couldn’t help but get wrapped up in what must be going on below the soil surface.
Are you soil sampling regularly? If so, are you getting the most you can for your money? It sounds easy, right? Just stick a shovel into the field and grab some dirt, send it to the lab, get results and move on.
It’s no surprise that soil health is still a buzzword. Though the idea of soil health is an old one, there has never been a quantifiable measure of what one would call a “healthy soil.” Many top researchers have been working on developing this measure for decades.
In a recent press release, the Soil Health Institute endorsed 19 measures that will be used to assess soil health. Not surprisingly, the measures include fertility and microbial activity.
Soil sulfur is something we never used to pay much attention to. It was generally available in adequate supply and was seldom a limiting factor in yields or forage quality. That has changed over the past several years. Soil sulfur is decreasing and can become limiting.
A recent look at some agricultural statistics showed that, as of 2014, roughly half of the farmland in Wisconsin is being actively managed through soil testing. Given that you’re likely already engaged in soil analysis on a regular basis, this article may come across as review.
When discussing forage quality, we often focus on carbohydrates and the energy derived from these forage nutrients. Carbohydrates account for half to three-quarters of a feed’s weight, deliver the majority of the energy and, in turn, drive milk production, health and performance.
As of late, the term “soil health” seems unavoidable. The topic has been the center of a flurry of activity resulting in partnerships, institutions, initiatives and networks. Confusion is added through conflicting, often nebulous, messages among these groups.
