Soil managing for soil health: the high road to productivity

Summary

Managing soil health is considered a core principle of organic agriculture. Effective soil management positively influences several aspects, including organic substances (humus and Soil Organic Carbon/SOC), the activity of soil microorganisms, and structural properties like water retention. Long-term comparison trials (such as the DOC trial) have demonstrated that organic and biodynamic systems generally achieve better aggregate stability and higher rates of SOC sequestration compared to conventional systems. Although SOC sequestration takes time – about 20 years to constantly increase and stabilize – its successful accumulation contributes significantly to both climate change mitigation and the climate resilience (adaptation) of the farm. Practices such as promoting high plant diversity, reducing tillage, and ensuring constant soil cover are key to promoting soil health.