Continuously Innovating to Build Healthier Soils
The Gardhouse Family at Watershed Farms has made several investments in the health of their soil. For more than ten years, they have planted cover crops and used a no-till seed drill to sow their crops. But they know that soil stewardship doesn’t always begin with actions in the field. Sometimes it starts with learning more about the field, and a recent investment is helping them do that.
To better manage their fields and soil, they undertook a crop nutrient planning project, funded through the Dufferin Rural Water Quality Program (DRWQP), and created a customized, detailed map using a wide range of data sources.
The Problem with Traditional Soil Analysis
Traditionally, farmers map their fields with a limited amount of information on crop yield, soil nutrient and texture data. This often results in large management areas that don’t fully reflect the differences that can exist across a field.
Because of this, the same amount of fertilizer is often applied across an entire management area. While that amount may have been appropriate for some sections of the field, it could be too high or too low for others. This can reduce the efficiency of fertilizer use, increase costs and make it harder for farmers to manage the varying conditions in their field.
To improve their management decisions and increase the precision with which they manage and treat their soil, the Gardhouse Family sought a new way to map their fields.
Mapping the Soil
To create a high-resolution digital map of their soil, the Gardhouse Family combined soil samples, topography, satellite imagery and electrical conductivity mapping, with their own personal knowledge of the fields.
The map can guide precise applications of nutrients and inform other management decisions about soil and field health at a very fine scale, suited to each smaller management area. With this information, the Gardhouse Family can treat any area of their fields according to its specific soil conditions; improving profitability, the health of their farm and the surrounding environment.
Building Healthy Soils
Conditions can vary significantly within the same field. For example, lower-lying areas may hold more water, while higher areas may drain and dry more quickly. Differences in soil texture, organic matter and past management can also affect how soils retain water and nutrients. As a result, different areas of the same field may require different approaches to fertilizer, water and other inputs.
When soil is managed with practices such as conservation tillage and cover crops, and receives the nutrients it needs, it is better able to filter contaminants, reduce erosion and retain water and nutrients. These practices can support carbon storage, build organic matter and improve nutrient cycling, contributing to better water quality and healthier, more productive soils. In some cases, optimizing crop nutrient management to reflect field conditions and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers can also help lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Continuously Innovating
Crop nutrient planning isn’t a one-time project. It’s part of an ongoing process of learning, monitoring, adapting and finding opportunities to improve farm management.
For the Gardhouse Family, the project offered an unexpected insight into their own fields. “I was shocked when I saw the results of our Crop Nutrient Plan,” Joe Gardhouse said, reflecting on how much more accurately the plan captured soil variability across the farm compared with previous grid soil testing.
As farmers learn more about their soils, crops and the results of their management decisions, they can adjust their practices and use new tools and technologies to make informed decisions. Over time, this approach helps farmers balance farm productivity with environmental stewardship.
With their digital soil map, the Gardhouse Family is better equipped to work toward that balance. And you can be too with funding from your local Rural Water Quality Program.