Soil science
Seven steps to get the most
from soil health EXPERT VIEW
George Hepburn gives his seven practical steps for making a difference to your soil health
ture of farming, so having the right advice on how to make im- provements will be essential to ensure soils are protected for fur- ther farming generations. Here are seven tips to help you get the most from it.
S 1. Analysis
When looking to increase soil health, the first step is to ana-
oil health is one of the government’s main con- cerns relating to the fu-
lyse the soil, because if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. However, a standard UK test only provides nitrogen, potassi- um, phosphorus, magnesium and pH measurements which aren’t enough to accurately determine the level of soil health.
I recommend a full spectrum
test, which costs around £30 per sample.
This will provide a more accu- rate picture of the soil make-up, by measuring calcium, boron and
The right conditions will encourage soil biology to thrive
organic matter (OM) levels, pH, and the cation-exchange capaci- ty (CEC) of your soil. Always take a soil sample with a spade rather than an auger to assess compaction, count earth- worms, look at rooting depths, and notice soil type changes, as you’re taking the sample. Once you’ve assessed the con- dition of your soil, you can now start to make changes.
2. Remedial work
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Before you can affect the biolo- gy of the soil, the structure needs to be right.
The soil micro flora and fau- na need air to breathe, and food and water in the right propor- tions. The ideal soil structural makeup to provide this is 45% minerals, 5% OM, 25% air and 25% water.
Calcium and magnesium are extremely important minerals as they help to define soil structure. Calcium deflocculates the soil, al- lowing air in and water out, and magnesium does the opposite, making the soil tight and sticky. Therefore, it’s essential to get this balance right. If there’s an imbalance you
may need to apply gypsum (cal- cium sulphate) to help lower mag- nesium levels or apply calcium lime or magnesium lime. It may be the case that sim- ple cultivation techniques such as
32 ANGLIA FARMER • AUGUST 2018
subsoiling, ploughing or getting a tine in to aerate the soil, could be what you need to improve soil structure.
3. Implementing a soil fertility plan
After creating the right condi- tions for the soil biology to thrive, you can now concentrate on pro- viding the right inputs to make the soil more fertile. Traditional fertilisers,
al-
though necessary, generally do not improve the fertility of the soil.
Through experience I would applying a new organically based input each year on each field to feed the soil. This could be FYM, compost, chopped straw, cover crops, lime, seaweed, gypsum, liquid carbon-based fertilisers or biologicals.
These will all encourage the soil biology either by improving its habitat or directly feeding it.
4. Use quality inputs When implementing a soil fertil- ity plan make sure you’re using the best fertiliser for your soil. This could simply mean
switching from muriate of pot- ash (MOP) to sulphate of pot- ash (SOP), however there are also many other considerations when choosing inputs. Ensure you’re using the right type of Nitrogen for your crop, es-
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