Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health · Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health...

Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health

David LammNational Soil Health Team, Leader

Presentation Charge

1. The advancement of soil health requires clear and unified national policy that articulates the mechanisms and incentives for implementing conservation systems that enhance soil health.

2. The synergy between various components of agriculture policies as stated in the Farm Bill is essential for insuring a balanced approach between economics and the application of conservation practices

SOIL HEALTH:

The continued capacity of a soil

to function as a vital, living

ecosystem that sustains plants,

animals, and humans.

Soil FunctionsNecessary for Food & Fiber

• Nutrient cycling• Water (infiltration & availability)• Filtering and Buffering• Physical Stability and Support• Habitat for Biodiversity

“Anything can have ‘quality,’ but only living things can have ‘health.’”

Dan DeSutter, Indiana

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”

George Santayana19th century philosopher

Historic Conservation Policy • Agricultural Adjustment Act (1933)

– Control surplus– Funded by tax that was ruled unconstitutional

• The Soil Conservation Act (1935)

– Established SCS– Made funds available for soil conservation

practices• Soil Conservations and Domestic

Allotment Act (1936 Farm Bill)

– Soil Conservation in the public interest– Agricultural Conservation Program

• Reduce commodity surplus• Replace 7 soil-depleting crops

Historic Conservation Policy

• Agricultural Act (1956)– Soil Bank– Erosion affected productivity

• Surplus common in the 1960’s– ACP funds 38% used for fertilizer

and lime– Lots of drainage

• Fence row to Fence row (1970’s) – US was going to feed the world– Impacted previous conservation

efforts

Historic Conservation Policy Common Theme

– Controlling commodity surplus – Infusing money into rural America– Controlling erosion

Change in the Wind – Water quality (1970’s)

• EPA established • Non-point source pollution

– No-till Farming

No Till Adoption• Early No-Till included

reference to cover crops

• No-Till in South America focus included Cover Crops

• No-Till in USA focused more on leaving crop residue

1985 Farm Bill• Linked farm bill program participation to conservation• HEL fields required to have a conservation plan• Most HEL plans included residue management

– Indiana ARS level planCorn – Soybean rotation40% -- 50% residue levels after planting

• Erosion was the primary resource concern

Unintended Consequences• Decoupled the need for cover crops to make No-Till

work– Focus was on managing residue– Only difference with conventional till was has seed was

placed in the ground• Non-HEL cropland was overlooked

– No erosion, No Problem– Reflected in NRCS staffing and progress reporting

• Adequately treated

Toledo Harbor Algae Problem

Too much “P” in the water

Graphs prepared by David Baker, Heidelberg University

Western Lake Erie Basin Soils

Flat, poorly drained, compacted, losing organic matter

Dysfunctional Soils with no erosion problem

Blount soil showing severe compaction

(very low infiltration = very high runoff)

Blount soil under continuous No Till showing good soil structure

(and good infiltration)

Move from Soil Erosion to Soil Function

• Soil Functions– Nutrient cycling– Water cycling– Filter and buffer– Stable soils– Habitat for soil micro organisms

Poor Soil Function causes offsite problems

So

il H

ea

lth

P

rin

cip

le

s

• What does Soil Health mean?

• Soil Health Key Indicators =

• Increasing organic matter• Improving aggregate stability• Increasing water infiltration• Increasing water-holding capacity • Improving nutrient cycling• Balancing and diversifying soil biology

• Recognize that Soil Health is a journey not a destination

Making Soil Health A Priority!

The difference is in how we view the soil. Is it a collection of sands, silts and clay?Is a living ecosystem that can be changed?

“We’re getting back to what we used to do!!”

* Individual resource concerns (SWAPA) * Isolated, not interactive* Addressing symptoms rather than the problem.

* Looks resource concerns in a more holistic manor* Gages the impact that one degraded resource might have on another.

Conservation Planning for Soil Health

RMS Planning Soil Health Planning


* Reactive* Deals with symptoms

• poor infiltration• excessive runoff• gully erosion

*Proactive*Focus on prevention

*Moving towards regeneration

RMS PlanningSoil Health Planning


*Emphasis was on “inherent” soil properties *Interpretation based on the general condition for a soil series.

*Emphasis on soil as a living ecosystem

*Improving soil function through proper management.



*Management strategies focused:*Chemical and physical properties*New ways to till the soil or apply nutrients.

*Focuses on soil has a habitat for soil biology

*Can be improved on large tracts of land.



Conservation plans based on a collection of individual practices that addressed identified resource concerns.

Based on applying practices and activities that address ALL Soil Health principles as a system to accelerate changes in soil health.



*Controlling sheet and rill erosion to tolerable level

*Best accomplished by residue management practices

*Goes beyond controlling erosion *Seeks to regenerate soils as a living ecosystem.



*Cover crops primarily single species

*Little consideration given for the benefits of planting multi-species mixes*Grazing of cover crops was not considered a beneficial activity

*Cover crops add diversity to a crop rotation *Increase diversity in soil microbial communities*Grazing beneficial



Nutrient management is based on a crop nutrient budget, looking at soil test, crop needs and soil nutrient build up.

Nutrient management is based on improving nutrient cycling that includes a robust soil food web.


1. Reduced tillage, increased biomass with more rooting, higher diversity, surface

cover

6. More soil organic matter,

nutrients, and top soil built

8. Field

conditions are

more resilient and

consistent

3. Aggregates rebuild,

soil organic matter

increases

5. Infiltration increases,

erosion by wind and water

decreases

7. Less energy and tillage needed, more

water stored, better rooting, more nutrient

access, greater soil organism diversity,

less disease

9. Crop yields

increase, lower cost,

lower risk

2. Soil biology returns,

decreased erosion

4. Available water holding capacity

increases, reduced compaction from

rooting

Regenerative Systems for Healthy Soils

Modified by Dr. Dorn Cox from Building Soils for Better Crops

Division Director

National Communications &Partnership Liaison

National Soil HealthTeam Leader

Regional Team Leaders (4)

Regional Soil Health

Specialists (12)

National Soil Health Specialist

USDA-NRCS Soil Health Division

aL

L

S

L

L

N

L

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

D

N

S

National Soil Health Division Team

Barry Fisher

Jen

Moore-

Kucera

Dennis

Chessman

David

Lamm

Nathan

Lowder

Ray

Archuletta

Marlon

Winger

Rudy

Garcia

Doug

Peterson

Justin

MorrisStan Boltz

Z. Kabir

Candy

Thomas

Willie

Durham

Brandon

Smith

Paul

Salon

Bianca Moebius-

Clune

Diane

Stott

Jim

Hoorman

Adapting Soil Health Management Principles to

soils, regions, and cropping systems requires

broad collaboration!

Keep the soil covered.

Minimize soil disturbance.

Maximize diversity (plants, animals, amendments, inoculants…).

Maximize living roots.

Observation,

Adaptation

Soil Health

Management Systems

Implementation

Soil Health

Assessment

Soil Health Management

Planning

Soil health

training

Goals of the new

NRCS

Soil Health

Division

• Leverage Partners

• Ensure Scientific Basis

• Evaluate Economics

• Quantify Benefits

Within NRCS and externally (NACD, SARE, TNC, EDF, Soil Renaissance, ARS, NIFA, Hatch, Universities, Nonprofits …)

Soil Health Training

• 250 Training Events• 26,016 Participants

Soil Health Assessments

• Standard soil nutrient test – Only gives us P, K & trace

elements– Some test give OM– No N unless requested– Doesn’t tell us anything

about ALL soil functions

Why Test for Soil Biology?

• Indicator of Soil Functions

– Nutrient cycling

– Water regulating

• Measure of impact of management activity

– Soil is habitat for microbes

• Soil is a living biological ecosystem– Not the sum of the physical and chemical components

Resource Concerns and Microbial Role

Compaction Water infiltration Water storage Water quality Erosion risk Plant growth Aeration Temperature Nutrient availability

Soil Health Testing in the Lab

• PLFA (Phospholipid fatty acids)• Earthfort (Soil Foodweb)• Cornell Soil Health Assessment• Solvita CO2 Burst Test• Haney Test (ARS developed)

In-field soil assessment what to look at:

Look at:• Residue• Soil Surface• Soil Profile• Plant Roots

Utilize all your senses:•Sight•Smell•Touch•Taste????

Limitations:• Does not provide

quantifiable, absolute values related to soil health,

• Not designed to compare one field to another

With management history• It can provide an indication

of the relative soil health • Can be useful for

monitoring changes in soil health over time

• Help lead a discussion

Soil Health Management Planning

• Manage more by Disturbing Soil Less• Use Plant Diversity to Increase Diversity

in the Soil• Grow Living Roots Throughout the year• Keep the Soil Covered as Much as

Possible• Include practices and/or activities that

address all soil health principles

NRCS Conservation Practice Standard

• 161 different practice standards– 97 CED has lead– 21 ESD Agronomist has lead

• 13 Erosion primary resource concern• 4 Residue Management

– 9 ESD Grazing Specialist has lead• Limited number of practices to choose from• Soil Health requires more than controlling erosion

Core Soil Health Conservation Practices

Cover Crop (340)

Conservation Crop Rotation (328) Must Do!!!

Synergistic Practices• Practice that increase soil

health enhancement when applied in conjunction with a core practice

– Nutrient Management (590)– Pest Management (595)

As Applicable

• Practices that address resource concerns that may not occur on all fields

• Site specific– Irrigation water management– Buffer practices

Best Accepted New Technology• Conservation activities that might not be in

an NRCS conservation practice standard• Improve soil health

• Controlled traffic pattern

• Precision application of nutrients and pesticides

• Use of floatation tires

NRCS Resource Concerns

• An expected degradation of Soil, Water, Plant, or Animal resource base– To an extent that the sustainability or intended use is

impaired• This drives the NRCS Conservation Planning

Process• Used in various Financial Assistance Programs

Soil Health Degradation RC(Draft)

• Organic Matter Depletion• Compaction• Inadequate Habitat and food for soil organisms• Poor Aggregate Stability• Concentration of Salts and/or other contaminants

Implementing Soil Health Management Systems Using EQIP

• NRCS Support through EQIP– Ranking Questions– Inclusion of Soil Health Practices

National EQIP

2013-2016

Practice Acreage Funds Obligated

Conservation Crop

Rotation 807,105 $52,586,927

Residue Management, 1,753,450 $27,416,797

Cover Crop 5,520,661 $252,685,267

Nutrient Management 3,645,025 $69,583,005

Pest Management 798,306 $10,334,971

Total 12,524,548 $412,606,967

Iowa EQIP

2013-2016

Practice Acreage Funds Obligated

Conservation Crop

Rotation 5,207 $ 597,073

Residue

Management, 113,421 $ 1,755,282

Cover Crop 355,645 $ 16,282,787

Nutrient

Management 99,127 $ 1,789,091

Pest Management 3,879 $ 109,448

Total 577,279 $ 20,533,680

• National ranking questions• State level Screening

– Permanent Ground Cover– Management of cover crops– Use of reduced tillage systems– Compaction problems

• Variety of CSP Enhancements• Soil Health Bundles

Implementing Soil Health Management Systems Using CSP

Implementing Soil HealthManagement Systems

• Soil Health is a Journey• Requires ALL ag partners • Need to look beyond erosion to Soil Functions• Need to get the science right• This is being driven by Farmers/Ranchers

Soil Health Vision• Increase the number of producers

operating with Soil Health Management Systems which…

• Will lead to continental-scale, systematic improvements in water, air, and wildlife, while enhancing agricultural productivity – and sustainability.

Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health · Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health...

Documents

Transcript of Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health · Conservation Policy for Advancing Soil Health...