Promoting Soil Health In Organically Managed Systems

Summary

"Little information is given to farmers on specific combinations of organic amendments, crop types, sequences, rotation duration, or weed management strategies that lead to improved soil health. Although there are numerous studies that compare organic systems to conventional systems, there exist few studies that compare organic systems to each other for determining how to improve soil health metrics. In this review, we focused on 11 indicators of soil health. Overall, the published research focused on four key practices: (1) cover crops; (2) rotation diversity and length; (3) tillage; and (4) organic amendments. We found that including a semi-perennial crop, like alfalfa, consistently improved soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and aggregate stability. There is a great deal of variety and nuance to organic systems and more research should focus on how to optimize practices to improve and maintain soil health."