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A tale of two (soil) cities—(benefits of "cover crops" to soil)
https://www.soils.org/discover-soils/story/tale-two-soil-cities[font face=Serif][font size=5]A tale of two (soil) cities[/font]
[font size=3]
By Susan Fisk
As we walk along a forest path, the soil beneath our feet seems like a uniform substance. However, it is an intricate network of soil particles, pores, minerals, soil microbes, and more. It is awash in variety.
Soil is a living, dynamic substance, and the microbial life within it is crucial to providing plant life with the food they need to grow. The microbes can be bacteria or fungi, but both need space—the pores—for a good living environment.
…
Kravchenko’s work compared two contrasting agricultural systems. The soil in one system, referred to as conventional in the study, grew crops such as corn in summers. Then he soil was barren from the time of main crop harvest through planting the following spring. The soil in the other system, the cover crop system, had live vegetation year-round.
…
Several surprising observations sprang from the study. First, the aggregates of the two agricultural systems developed different pore characteristics. The aggregates from soil in the cover crop system were more complex and varied in their interior pore structures with more large and medium-sized pores. The conventional system had more small pores spread more evenly through the entire aggregate.
…[/font][/font]
[font size=3]
By Susan Fisk
As we walk along a forest path, the soil beneath our feet seems like a uniform substance. However, it is an intricate network of soil particles, pores, minerals, soil microbes, and more. It is awash in variety.
Soil is a living, dynamic substance, and the microbial life within it is crucial to providing plant life with the food they need to grow. The microbes can be bacteria or fungi, but both need space—the pores—for a good living environment.
…
Kravchenko’s work compared two contrasting agricultural systems. The soil in one system, referred to as conventional in the study, grew crops such as corn in summers. Then he soil was barren from the time of main crop harvest through planting the following spring. The soil in the other system, the cover crop system, had live vegetation year-round.
…
Several surprising observations sprang from the study. First, the aggregates of the two agricultural systems developed different pore characteristics. The aggregates from soil in the cover crop system were more complex and varied in their interior pore structures with more large and medium-sized pores. The conventional system had more small pores spread more evenly through the entire aggregate.
…[/font][/font]
4 replies
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Last edited Fri Jul 3, 2015, 04:07 PM - Edit history (2)
https://www.soils.org/about-society
They share a lot of uh… “common ground”…
In any case, Rodale keeps doing research, and so do others…
