The Awesome Autumn Equinox
delved deep into life in the
S O I L
. . . getting the biology back.
23-24th of March 2019
"All the mineral nutrients plants need are already in the soil"
says Dr Elaine Ingham,
To access the minerals, the soil biology needs to be balanced and abundant.
Alan Coates
Soil is defined by:- Structure, drainage & infiltration
- Energy, from the sun to the roots, - Biology, carbon and organic matter that feed the microbiology - Chemical properties, i.e. pH & minerals Soils need to be identified and prioritise to be managed. |
Alan Coates was our guest speaker. Alan has educated and worked with hundreds of landholders in Northern NSW. Alan's wealth of in-field experience on many types of farms, big and small make his services much sought after.
As a TAFE Agriculture and Horticulture teacher Alan has been sharing his knowledge of Biological Farming for more than 30 years. Other specialties are Integrated Pest Management, Production Horticulture, Macadamia and sub-tropical fruit growing. 
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To improve our soils we need to:
- Maximise ground cover (living and mulched, controls water flow and minimises erosion
- Increase and manage for organic matter (OM) - rotational grazing, the denser the better!
- Manage soil structure, it needs micro-pods for infiltration and macropods for aeration & draining
- Improve soil and plant nutrition.
- Promote beneficial soil organism by lifting the organic matter.
- Increase biodiversity & enrich your landscape, everything contributes to the whole and comes into balance
- Increase and manage for organic matter (OM) - rotational grazing, the denser the better!
- Manage soil structure, it needs micro-pods for infiltration and macropods for aeration & draining
- Improve soil and plant nutrition.
- Promote beneficial soil organism by lifting the organic matter.
- Increase biodiversity & enrich your landscape, everything contributes to the whole and comes into balance
Issues of soil health: |
The biology runs the show |
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Loss of Top soil
Decline in fertility Decrease in pH & mineral imbalance Compaction Water infiltration Understanding weeds |
The microorganisms are the managers of good soil health.
There must be CARBON (OM) & OXYGEN & H2O to feed them! |
Worms are the indicators of microorganisms in the soil.Water holding capacity:
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pH & mineral balance
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Plant roots are critical. The rhizosphere, the area around the roots is where the plants feed the bacteria & fungi
& the fungi feeds the plant trace elements and nutrients!
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Alan had a box of handy tools to measure and manage the soil.- Below is the Soil Health Card to measure the different qualities of the soil.
- A distorted coat hanger can measure ground cover in a throw - A 30cm piece of high tensile wire with handle will measure the penetration level. - Six inches of 150ml PVC pipe with 0.5lt of water will give you the speed of infiltration. - a trusty shovel will reveal the depth and density of root matter in the soil - breaking up the clods easily with your fingers will show the smallest pods - soaking soil sods in water will show the aggregate stability. - Counting soil life and earthworms indicate your soil microbiology. - & a pH kit will reveal your mineral balance. |
Useful tips:
Crushed Basalt dust has multiple minerals and paramagnetic properties that help the soil |
Dolicos Lab Lab (or any leguminous cover crop) will enhance all soil nutrients |
Below: Getting the biology back into the soil. Compost teas are aerated for 24hrs then dribbled out behind the aggravator (punching holes into the soil).
Soils are our most important resource to grow healthy plants. Here is an article passed on to me about the decline of civilisations because of their lack of understanding of soils, Mesopotamia, Lebanon, Greece, the Roman Empire, the Indus Valley, Egypt and China. It is startling! Please take time to read.
We are killing our soils faster, now, than any other period of the past!
We are creating deserts!
We are killing our soils faster, now, than any other period of the past!
We are creating deserts!