Just what does the term ‘soil health’ mean? A lot of different things, it turns out.

Ag Days speakers banter on soil health

Soil health is a hot topic, but there’s no clear definition of what it is and how to improve it

What’s soil health? Ask five people that question and you might get five different answers — even among Ag Days experts. Soil health and soil degradation are getting plenty of time in the headlines, with coverage of last year’s Summit of Canadian Soil Health in Guelph, soil tests looking beyond nutrients and into microbiology and

Soil background

Better soil health could capture more carbon

A recent study says changing farming practices could capture as much carbon as the global transport sector emits

Thomson Reuters Foundation – Improving soil health in farmlands could capture extra carbon equivalent to the planet-warming emissions generated by the transport sector, one of the world’s most polluting industries, experts said Nov. 14. Soil naturally absorbs carbon from the atmosphere through a process known as sequestration which not only reduces harmful greenhouse gases but


soil

Farmers’ focus must shift from yields to soil health

But looking after the land doesn’t have to result in a ‘yield penalty’

A funny thing happens whenever talk turns to how to make farming more sustainable. As various options for improving how agriculture treats the natural environment are discussed, someone inevitably brings up the “yield penalty” farmers and society would pay. That penalty is seen as the gap between conventional methods using tillage and high rates of



VIDEO: Testing soil health with cotton underwear

VIDEO: Testing soil health with cotton underwear

Local farmer offers up a patch of land for underground undie research

Soil specialist Marla Riekman and farmer Doug Wilton – whose patch of land has been zero-till for more than 30 years – talk about their ‘Soil Your Undies’ project with Manitoba Co-operator reporter Allan Dawson on April 18, 2017.

An example of rill erosion which occurs when run-off water forms small channels while running down bare soil.

More emphasis should be placed on soil health, MCDA speaker says

Cover crops, reduced tillage, crop and livestock diversity can all help reduce watershed challenges

We’ve all had those moments when we realize what we do most of the time matters more than what we attempt once in a while. One of those light bulbs snapped on for Ryan Canart while sitting at a soil health conference in Alberta awhile back. The district manager for the Upper Assiniboine River Conservation


The use of cover crops such as radish has spread rapidly in Ontario in the past five years. Ontario’s environmental commissioner wants to see that continue. (John Greig photo)

OMAFRA seen needing a soil health ‘tuneup’

Ontario’s environmental commissioner is calling on the provincial ag ministry to rebuild its soil health expertise and find ways to encourage farmers to adopt soil-friendly production practices, to deal with what she calls a “catastrophic” loss in soil organic matter levels. The report recommends better soil carbon level monitoring and 10-year programs to financially encourage

The project may look simple from above ground, but underground many sensors and scales take complex soil measures.

Soil health sensor project largest in North America

A new $2-million soil health research project aims to figure out the impact of different cropping systems on the environment. Research will also be conducted on crop productivity relating to soil health. The result should be new knowledge on productivity of traditional cropping systems versus those with cover crops. The project, at the new Soil


Six limiting factors in your soil that will make or break your operation

Six limiting factors in your soil that will make or break your operation

Without these six key ingredients, your soil — and your farm — could be in trouble

Farms and grazing operations — organic or otherwise — are only as good as their worst resource, according to Oregon-based grazier Abe Collins. “Soil is our primary infrastructure on the farm,” said Collins, who spoke at the recent Organic Alberta conference. “Biologically, chemically, and physically, you need to be looking at the limiting factors in

Grazier Neil Dennis indicates what he looks for in animal manure to help determine the health of pasture soil.

Clues to soil health lie in the patties

If you want a quick indicator of pasture soil health, just flip the flops. “When I am in my pastures I will flip the cow patties over and I want to see as many holes as I can because that is a sign of fertility,” Dave Pogson, a grazier from Clearwater told the recent Manitoba