This document discusses common mistakes and misperceptions in organic soil management. Some of the mistakes discussed include thinking that organic farming means neglect or omission of inputs, that organic means simply substituting synthetic inputs with natural ones, and that plants do not differentiate between management practices. The document also discusses misperceptions such as the need for pre-plant tillage in organic systems and the incompatibility of precision agriculture and artificial drainage with organic farming.

1. Organic Soil Management:
common mistakes & misperceptions
Dr. Joel Gruver
School of Agriculture
Western Illinois University
(309) 298 – 1215
j-gruver@wiu.edu

2. Ten common mistakes & misperceptions
Organic = neglect or omission
Organic = input substitution
Plants don’t know the difference
Rush without consequence
Organic systems require pre-plant tillage
Traditional tillage tools will do the trick
Haphazard cover cropping
Precision ag is incompatible with organics
Artificial drainage is incompatible with organics
Balanced farming = cation balancing

3. Organic =
neglect or omission

4. Franklin Hiram King
(1848-1911)
One of the early agricultural
scientists in the Midwest region
who was very concerned by the
rapid degradation of Midwest soils
during the 19th century
“ We desired to learn how it is
possible, after twenty and
perhaps thirty or even forty
centuries, for their soils to be
made to produce sufficiently for
the maintenance of such dense
populations.. “
Farmers of Forty Centuries, 1911

5. Fertilizing with night soil

6. FIRST SENTENCE:
It is an old saying that "any
fool can farm," and this was
almost the truth when
farming consisted chiefly in
reducing the fertility of new,
rich land secured at
practically no cost from a
generous government.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010134hopkins/010134toc.html

7. Famous photo of Cyril Hopkins
Wheat harvested
Wheat harvested
from 1 ac treated
from 1 ac treated
with manure, lime
with manure
and rock phosphate
Only manure produced on the farm

8. Why were FH King and CG Hopkins so concerned?
-523,000 tons of N/yr !
N budget for Illinois (units are 1000 metric tons N / yr)
(David et al., 2001)

9. +1 ton of N/yr !
N budget for Illinois (units are 1000 metric tons N / yr)
(David et al., 2001)

10. From ―Soil Erosion:
A National Menace (1928)
What would be the feeling of
this Nation should a foreign
nation suddenly enter the
United States and destroy
90,000 acres of land, as
erosion has been allowed to
do in a single county?
To visualize the full enormity
of land impairment and
devastation brought about by
this ruthless agent is beyond
the possibility of the mind. An
era of land wreckage destined
to weigh heavily upon the
Hugh Hammond Bennett welfare of the next generation
is at hand.
(1881-1960)

11. What do I do now?
Organic weed
management by
omission
http://biology4.wustl.edu/olsen/images/briana_field.jpg

12. Input substitution
NOP allows
20% of total
crop N to be
supplied by
“Bulldog soda”
Can this stuff be used on organic farms?

13. Guano was mined intensively off the west coast of S. America
during the mid-to late 1800s. During the peak years of guano
mining, Great Britain imported over 150,000 tons annually.
PERU

14. Mountain of guano
Guanothe coast of intensively off the west coast of S. America
off was mined Peru
during the mid-to late 1800s. During the peak years of guano
mining, Great Britain imported over 150,000 tons annually.
PERU

15. Do you regularly apply chicken
litter on your farm?
If so, how do you decide what
rate to apply and have you ever
estimated the P balance for
your farm?

16. Broiler Litter Basics
What does a ton of litter currently cost in NC?
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/Aub+244.html

17. The nutrient content of manure varies with animal diet

18. Compost or manure management based on N
normally results in excessive applications of P
Compost = 1.7% N 1.2% P2O5
Cumulative P build up in lbs/acre
3000
2000
Most crops
remove 2.5-10
times as much N
1000
as P2O5
3 6 9 12
YEARS
Compost applied at optimal rate to supply crop with N(2004)
Adapted from Magdoff and Weil

19. We applied
4000 gallons
per acre.
How many
lbs of N did
we supply to
our corn
crop?

20. http://anlab.umesci.maine.edu/handout/organ01.HTM

21. No mention of ―green manures‖

22. Historically crop rotations
revolved around LEGUMES

23. Amount of nitrogen fixed by various
forage legumes
N fixed
Crop
(lb/A/year)
Alfalfa 150-300+
Red clover 70-200
White clover 75-150
Other annual forage
50-150
legumes
Legume biomass contains a lot more than N!

24. Many vegetable crop residues are
comparable to a legume cover crop
http://res2.agr.ca/stjean/publication/bulletin/n

25. Moving
Conservation beyond Augmentation
input
substitution
Activation

26. Structural Tortuous, loosely
rigidity connected and highly
constricted porosity
Living within the soil
matrix is challenging!!
Moisture Mostly low quality
fluctuations nutritional
resources

27. Microorganisms have very limited ability to
move within the soil matrix.

28. As a result,
mosttheirmicroorganisms are
For soil prince charmings
in a dormant state
to arrive !
waiting…

29. Rain Roots
There are many types of
prince charmings
Organic Tillage
amendments

31. INDUSTRY
DOGMA

32. What is ―mineralization‖ ?
Soil
Plant biomass

33. The soil food web digestive
serves as a system for
plants
• Bacteria
• Fungi Microflora
“The Soil •
•
Algae
Protozoa Microfauna
Stomach” • Nematodes
Mesofauna
• Microarthropods
• Enchytraeids
• Earthworms
Macrofauna

34. Plants take up mostly inorganic forms of N when
inorganic forms of N are readily available
In some natural ecosystems (e.g., tundra), direct
uptake of organic forms of N is very important

35. ―Our data show that all grass species were
able to take up directly a diversity of soil amino acids of
varying complexity. Moreover, we present evidence of
marked inter-species differences in preferential use of
chemical forms of N of varying complexity. L. perenne
was relatively more effective at using inorganic N and
glycine compared to the most complex amino acid
phenylalanine, whereas N. stricta showed a significant
preference for serine over inorganic N.‖

36. Dissolved organic matter is an
important part of the soil soup!
Fe+3 Ca+2
DOM
Ca+2 NO3-
NO3- Mg
+2
Ca +2 H2PO4-
Cu+2
DOM
K+
K+ NO3
-
Ca+2 Mg
+2
Zn+2
DOM
Mg+2 NO3-
Fe+3
DOM
Ca+2
SO4-2
Adapted from Brady and Weil (2002)

37. Jethro Tull invented the grain drill and many
complementary technologies that resulted in
large increases in grain yields during the
18th century.
Jethro Tull, 1731

38. ―All sorts of dung and compost contain
some matter, which, when mixt with the
soil, ferments therein; and by such ferment
dissolves, crumbles, and divides the earth
very much; This is the chief, and almost
only use of dung... This proves, that its
(manure) use is not to nourish, but to
dissolve, i.e., divide the terrestrial matter,
which affords nourishment to the mouths
of vegetable roots.‖
Jethro Tull, 1731

39. Adoption of Tull’s tillage intensive row cropping
system increased yields across Europe
―All sorts of dung and compost contain
some matter, which, when mixt with the
soil, ferments therein; and by such ferment
dissolves, crumbles, and divides the earth
very much; This is the chief, and almost
only use of dung... This proves, that its
(manure) use is not to nourish, but to
dissolve, i.e., divide the terrestrial matter,
which affords nourishment to the mouths
of vegetable roots.‖
Jethro Tull, 1731
even though it was based on
an incorrect theory of crop nutrition

40. Symptoms of planting
when soils are too moist
Rushing without
consequences?

41. Do these views look familiar?
Slow emerging seedlings in cold soil Frosted corn

42. These situations are less common on organic farms
because most experienced organic farmers plant later to:
• Increase speed and uniformity of stand establishment
• Allow a flush of weeds to be terminated before planting
• Avoid contamination with GMO pollen
Slow emerging seedlings in cold soil Frosted corn

43. Most organic farmers use tillage to stimulate
and then kill 1 or more flushes of weeds
before planting summer crops

44. Terminating spring planted oats with a soil finisher
~ 3 weeks before planting corn

45. Converting old sod to row
crops is much easier if the
soil is allowed to ―mellow‖
between tillage operations

46. Do you know the fence post principle?

47. Which is worse??
Compaction Saturated soil is
probably extends less compressible
several feet deep than wet soil

48. Leveling ruts in moist soil can create season long clods

49. Organic systems require pre-plant tillage
Ridge till and no-till
soybean strips
will require no pre-plant
tillage this spring

50. WIU Allison Organic Research Farm
Tillage System experiment
Conventional till
Bio-strip-till
No-till
Established in fall 08

51. September October
November January

52. March April
Early May Late May

53. Options for rolling cover crops
Rodale design
Cultimulcher

54. Early June
1 week later

55. ~2 weeks after planting

56. July
August late September

57. Early November
Plot yields ranged from 51.6 to 58.6 bu/ac
No significant differences between systems

58. Innovation
all across
the US

62. Cover crop experiment at the WIU/Allison Farm (2007/2008)
Forage radish strips
were drilled (10 lbs/acre)
after rotary tillage

63. February
December
Early May
Warmer and drier than soil
with other cover crops and
almost no weed growth

64. Ridge-till
the original controlled traffic system

67. Traditional tillage tools will do the trick
Do you have a tillage tool that
could handle this situation?

68. 10’ Howard Rotavator tilling ~ 3” deep with C blades

69. Complete kill after 1 pass
and 2 days of sun

70. Organic farmers who want their tillage tools to perform non-traditional tasks
may need to purchase or build non-traditional tillage tools

71. Haphazard use of cover crops
Cover
Crops
Cover crops have many effects! Adapted from Magdoff and Weil (2004)

72. Haphazard use of cover crops
Host
pests
Tie up N
? ?
Become
a weed
Interfere w/
equipment
performance
Suppress
crop growth
Cover
Crops Dry out soil
Prevent excessively
soil
Add cost drying
Increase
management
Not all are positive
Cover crops have many effects! Adapted from Magdoff and Weil (2004)

73. Be realistic about potential
cover crop challenges

74. Key considerations
How will I seed the cover crop?
What will soil temperature and moisture conditions be like?
What weather extremes and field traffic must it tolerate?
Will it winterkill in my area?
Should it winterkill, to meet my goals?
What kind of regrowth can I expect?
How will I kill it and plant into it?
Will I have the time to make this work?
What’s my contingency plan—and risks—if the
cover crop doesn’t establish or doesn’t die on schedule?
Do I have the needed equipment and labor?

75. Cover crops should be viewed
as part of a crop rotation!
:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/tcoa/files/breakcrops_orgagr.pdf

76. Using cover crops to improve soil fertility
generally requires more management than
using manure or purchased nutrient amendments

77. Cover crops are
not idiot-proof!

78. Finding the right times to fit in cover crops
Summer Fallow
Spring Summer Fall
Broccoli Lettuce
A
B
C
= cover crop
A = cover crop seeded after spring crop harvested, tilled in before fall crop
B = cover crop overseeded into spring crop, tilled in before fall crop
C = Cover crop allowed to grow in strips when fall crop is young
Adapted from Sarrantonio (1994)

79. Cereal rye, hairy vetch, and
crimson clover over seeded
into collards

80. Precision ag is
not compatible
with organics

81. How much overlap occurs when you work a field?

82. Guidance before GPS
The best tool for precision ag is not the
latest GPS samples or satellite image.
Your observations during harvest (or
other field operations) can tell a far
more accurate story. Pay attention!
30’ wide strips The very best precision ag tool inyou!
managed using ridge till is Iowa

83. No wheel
traffic on
beds
http://www.avanzi.unipi.it/researchactiviti_file/Agricultural_mechanisation_ENG.htm

84. The best tool for precision ag is not the
latest GPS samples or satellite image.
Your observations during harvest (or
other field operations) can tell a far
more accurate story. Pay attention!
The very best precision ag tool is you!

85. Artificial drainage has greatly increased the number of
days when soils are suitable for field operations
but has also
contributed
Pollution of to many
water resources environmental Loss of SOM
problems

86. Days Suitable for Field Work in Missouri
http://agebb.missouri.edu/mgt/fieldwork.htm
Timely field operations are especially
important in organic farming systems
How much would it be
worth to you if you
could increase the # of
days suitable for field
work?

87. Farmers agree that improved drainage is a big advantage

88. Why do crops on tiled-drained land tend to
be more drought resistant ?
Ontario Ministry of Ag and Food

90. Controlled Drainage
is one option

92. SUMMARY
The interaction of rainfall with the soil surface has a major effect on
agricultural productivity and environmental quality in the
Southeastern U. S.
High-intensity rainfall during the summer months often causes
surface crusting, which inhibits seedling emergence, decreases
water infiltration into the soil, and causes accelerated soil erosion.
Dispersion of soil clays and associated aggregate breakdown have
been implicated in the process of soil crusting.
The application of gypsum has the potential to flocculate
soil clays into micro-aggregates, and thereby delay or decrease
crust formation, provided that ionic strength of the soil solution
is the primary factor responsible for de-flocculation.
The studies reported here show that gypsum does increase water
intake rate and reduce soil loss, and that the mechanism is
primarily an ionic strength effect.

93. Beware of Hype!

94. Recent article in Journal
of Soil and Water
Conservation
(peer reviewed scientific
journal)

95. (Norton, 2009)

97. Figure 1. Varying degrees of clay dispersion in soils. The higher amounts of dispersal
(4 and 5) indicate a soil's suitability for gypsum application. No.0 displays slaking
(breaking off of soil particles), compared to 1 to 5 which show clay dispersion

98. cation balancing =
balanced soil
management

99. Soil fertility is >>
chemical fertility
+ cation balance is only
part of chemical fertility

100. Biological Fertility Soil
+
Chemical Fertility
+
Physical Fertility
Fertility

101. Healthy root function
a balance of inward and outward processes
H20 NO3-
Root exudates
N, S, P activate soil microbes Transpirational
stream
H20 Ca+2
+
Diffusion
Root growth
K+ H2PO4-

102. Healthy root function
a balance of inward and outward processes
H20 NO3-
Root exudates
N, S, P activate soil microbes Transpirational
stream
H20 Ca+2
+
Diffusion
Root growth
K+ H2PO4-
A balance of O2 and
H2O is important for
most of these
processes

103. Feed the soil vs. Feed the crop ?

104. Both strategies are important !
Soils with low OM and
poor structure tend to grow
unhealthy roots which use
nutrients inefficiently
&
healthy roots need
available nutrients !

105. Easily misinterpreted
Easily detected
Acute
root
disease
Chronic root is a common cause of drought stress
malfunction and nutrient deficiency symptoms

106. A balanced approach to soil management
Well adapted crop
Building
(or maintaining)
SOM
a good circulatory
and respiratory
system
Nutrient Water
Management Management
Adapted from Bailey and Lazarovits (2003)

107. Small increases in OM can
improve crumb structure
Superior air/water relationships
Healthier root
growth and function (justification statement)
NC STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT of SOIL SCIENCE

108. Biological inoculants can be helpful but are less
important than SOM and good soil structure

109. Mixed Results

110. Balance between doing and checking what you did