Carbon and organic matter are key players in building soil health and resilience. Organic matter helps keep moisture during drought and improves infiltration during excess rain. Soil organic matter also changes composition depending on how it is managed, and this can help build nutrient and physical stability.
Growing Carbon
Best management practices include crop rotations, a range of tillage options, and the use of cover crops. These practices increase organic matter and support the microbial community.
Roots in the Ground
Roots are the key input of carbon into soils. Root exudates support a microbial community that cycles nutrients and provide a range of beneficial services to plants. Roots and microbes also die and quickly become stabilized through contact with soil minerals. This is an important pathway for carbon stabilization in soil.
Growing Biomass Crops
Not all land is of high enough quality for cash cropping, but can still produce substantial biomass for a range of applications. Biomass crops also develop extensive rooting systems, which are ideal for increasing organic matter in otherwise marginal soils.
Compaction and Crusting
Soil structural problems are widespread in agricultural systems. Farm consolidation and agricultural economics of scale have led to larger and heavier equipment and implements. Compaction from normal farm operations has therefore become more of a concern. Soil organic matter can help mitigate compaction by buffering tire pressure during field operations.
Soil crusting arises when exposed soil aggregates are broken down by falling rain, and reseal to create a hard surface that impedes crop emergence and water infiltration. Organic matter helps stabilize aggregates and can help prevent mitigate this prevalent problem.