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28/10/2025

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Tag Archives soil health

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Crops

Four ways to increase your organic matter

A question that I hear a lot is, “How do cover crops fit into a grain operation?” Lots of grain farmers have no desire to get into the livestock business and no interest in producing hay. But many have some soil issues that need to be addressed. This can be done by buying more iron[...]
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The use of cover crops such as radish has spread rapidly in Ontario in the past five years. Ontario’s environmental commissioner wants to see that continue. (John Greig photo)
Crops

OMAFRA seen needing a soil health ‘tuneup’

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Ontario’s environmental commissioner is calling on the provincial ag ministry to rebuild its soil health expertise and find ways to encourage farmers to adopt soil-friendly production practices, to deal with what she calls a “catastrophic” loss in soil organic matter levels. The report recommends better soil carbon level monitoring and 10-year programs to financially encourage[...]
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The project may look simple from above ground, but underground many sensors and scales take complex soil measures.
Crops

Soil health sensor project largest in North America

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A new $2-million soil health research project aims to figure out the impact of different cropping systems on the environment. Research will also be conducted on crop productivity relating to soil health. The result should be new knowledge on productivity of traditional cropping systems versus those with cover crops. The project, at the new Soil[...]
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Six limiting factors in your soil that will make or break your operation
Crops, Forages

Six limiting factors in your soil that will make or break your operation

Without these six key ingredients, your soil — and your farm — could be in trouble

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Farms and grazing operations — organic or otherwise — are only as good as their worst resource, according to Oregon-based grazier Abe Collins. “Soil is our primary infrastructure on the farm,” said Collins, who spoke at the recent Organic Alberta conference. “Biologically, chemically, and physically, you need to be looking at the limiting factors in[...]
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Producers can create resilience in their operations by building healthier soils, says soil health expert Nicole Masters.
Crops, News

Healthy soil can boost your bottom line

Soil carbon is a bit like a credit card for your plants, says New Zealand soil expert

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Reading Time: 3 minutes The Canadian government says six tonnes a hectare is an acceptable level of soil loss each year. Well, that’s not acceptable to soil health expert Nicole Masters. “Soil is our greatest export,” said Masters, director of Integrity Soils in New Zealand. “We took out a lot of our soil resources when agriculture really intensified. You[...]
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Earthworm
Crops

Humble earthworms are a benefit to your soil

Earthworm activity can make your soil a better place

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Reading Time: 2 minutes If you want to make your soil better, you need to start with earthworms. Healthy soils have strong earthworm populations and you can gauge their numbers by the presence of middens, little piles of residue, says Quebec researcher Odette Menard. “When I see a lot of middens, I know it’s a healthy field. If I[...]
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Cutaway of Plant and Roots in Dirt
Crops, News

Soil health conference bringing in leading experts

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Ten leading experts will present current information on concepts for improving soil health at the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health in Edmonton on Dec. 8-10. Among the speakers are Gabe Brown, Jill Clapperton, and Martin Entz. The topics include building healthier soils through grazing, cover crops, soil health assessment, and ecological farm management. The[...]
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straw
Crops

Manage crop residue with next year in mind

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Reading Time: < 1 minute How you harvest, what you are using to harvest, and what you do with the residue will have a huge effect on what happens next spring. “Crop residue isn’t trash as it has a significant amount of fertilizer value,” said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “The straw has probably the lion’s share of this, as[...]
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Renowned soil scientist Jill Clapperton climbs into a pit to show some features of soil, during a hands-on workshop on soil health.
Crops

Soil scientist offers recipe for better soil health

More earthworm slime and protozoa excretions? You betcha!

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Reading Time: 3 minutes You can’t control Mother Nature, but you can have some control over the health of your soil. At a recent workshop, soil scientist Jill Clapperton outlined some visible indicators of soil health, and described a few things producers could do to improve their soil. “If you have healthy plants, you have an excellent indicator that[...]
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