Atlantic Soils 2016: Digging into Soil Health
Summary of Soil Health Workshop and PEI Research
Kyra Stiles PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Sustainable Agriculture Resource Section
Summary
• “Atlantic Soils 2016” Meeting November 2016
• Description of Soil Health Research on PEI
Relative to the term ”Soil Quality”
Slide from: David Burton, 2016
USDA: Soil Health as a Priority
• USDA NRCS Council developed a Soil Health Initiative Nationwide
• 2014- NRCS Soil Health Division was created “to incentivize and facilitate producers in implementing
science-based, effective, economically viable soil health management systems on the nation’s diverse agricultural lands”
-Check out the website! (Great resource for soil issues,
but also in depth section on soil health including webinars, soil literature reviews, factsheets)
CHECK IT OUT :
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
“Atlantic Soils 2016” Meeting
• Nov. 2016- Moncton NB
• Led by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, w/Partner Organizations:
– Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick – New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association – Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture – Soil and Crop Improvement Association of Nova Scotia, – PEI Federation of Agriculture, – PEI Soil and Crop Improvement Association, – Perennia – Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture – PEI Agriculture & Fisheries – Province of New Brunswick
“Atlantic Soils 2016” Meeting
• Created “to increase the awareness and the need for action on soil health and to talk about what can be done to secure the productive capacity of our soil resource”
• Over 130 participants
• Three main speakers with three producer panels, based around the 3 pillars of Soil Health
• Dr. Dr. Mario Tenuta University of Manitoba
Dr. David Burton Dalhousie University, Agricultural Campus
Jean-Louis Daigle Retired Soil Conservationist, Engineer (ECSWCC)
KEY SPEAKER: Odette Menard MAPAQ
Keynote Address- Odette Menard
• Dig in your soil- learn from your soil, see it from a “new perspective”
• Importance of earthworms in soil building, decomposition, soil structure, nutrient cycling (whole package deal)
• Understand the influence of soil ecology on agronomics
• Long term investments into soil building and microbial activity for soil productivity gains
Biological- Dr. Mario Tenuta
• Defined the important relationship between roots and beneficial organisms (bacteria and fungi)
• Improved nutrient cycling (symbiotic relationship b/w fungi/mychorrhizae and plants)
• Role of beneficials in pathogen predation (nematodes)
• Increase OM for increase to microbial species
Physical- Jean Louis Daigle
• Discussed soil health challenges with soil erosion, compaction and drainage
• Impact of cultural practices on soil degradation
• Current Soil health pilot project (CCNB, Potatoes NB, AAFC,NBAC)
• The need for good soil health testing protocols, long term research and BMP development, long term goals to “invest” in soil health
Chemical- Dr. David Burton
• Discussed the origins and differences between soil health, quality, and fertility
• Role of chemical aspects of soil health (i.e. soil chemical testing, CEC, OM, pH, etc.)
• Precision agriculture leading to opportunities to measure soil characteristics, nutrient responses, and monitor crop yields
Main theme of all speakers: Soil Health is a long term investment that is required for long term sustainability
PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.soilcc.ca
Analyzing Soil Health on PEI
Soils
S. MacAulay 2014
Fall 2016 Research Project
CORNELL SOIL HEALTH TEST
• PEIDAF basing Soil health assessment on CSH
• Developed by Cornell University Soil Health Laboratory in Ithaca, NY
• Developed test originally to address soil degradation issues causing – Reduced soil quality
– Lower crop productivity
– Lower farm profitability
• Includes all three pillars of soil health • Tests used are sensitive to soil mgt. and crop rotation changes over time
•Results are generalized to be applicable to a wide variety of soils across US, Canada
• Assess feasibility
of Cornell Soil
Health tests for
use on PEI,
…tailor ratings to PEI
conditions
PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT
-Soil survey and data collection to create soil health database for PEI - Sample analysis based on Cornell Soil Health Test
TEST PLANS
COLLECT SOIL SAMPLES
STORE/PROCESS SAMPLES AT PEI ANALYTICAL LAB
DEVELOP SCORING
FUNCTIONS FOR PEI CONDITIONS
DISCUSS TESTS WITH PEIAL FOR
ADAPTATION
FALL
2016
WINTER
2017
SPRING
2017
SUMME
R 2017
2016 Fall Sampling Season
• Covered approx. 250 sample sites
– Range of cropping systems, rotations and field mgt. practices
- Samples are mixed in field, penetrometer use at each sampling point
Compost’s Role in Soil Health
• Soil Health Test
largely emphasizes
biological
communities and
promotes sustained
biological activity
– Recommendations are largely based on additions of
soil amendments, composts and manures
– Introducing “life” back to the soil
Functioning of the soils
-To attain a healthy soil, we need to understand and assess the soil’s ability to function and perform -Not an end goal, but a neverending process
-BE LOYAL TO THE SOIL. Kyra Stiles, PEIDAF Email: [email protected] Phone: (902) 316-1600
