Beneficial practices which conserve soil quality

Caring for our soil resources is becoming increasingly critical as the supply of dependable agricultural land decreases from competition by other uses, such as urban development. Healthy soils are key to producing good harvests of crops, and minimizes expenses such as fertilizer and pest control. If we let agricultural soils become degraded, there will be no new soil to take its place.

Although progress has been made in improving the health of some of our agricultural soils, soil degradation remains a serious concern today. PFRA has determined that more than 50% of annually cropped fields are exposed to erosion by wind, water and tillage each year on the Prairies. Extreme weather events, such as high winds, heavy rains, and consecutive years of drought can cause significant erosion damage and loss of soil productivity . New solutions are needed to further reduce soil degradation on the Prairies.

There are many practices that can be used to help conserve soil quality and reduce erosion. No one conservation practice is suited to all situations due to differences in soil type, topography, type of farming operation, and climate. The best management practices may vary from year to year but the principles behind these practices remain maintaining soil organic matter, managing surface runoff and protecting exposed soil surfaces.

Although soils on different farms may require widely different management approaches to control soil erosion and improve soil quality, there are a number of beneficial practices which are viable approaches for Prairie farmers.

How can soil quality be protected?

• Minimize or eliminate summer fallow
• Seed directly into the previous year's stubble without pre-seeding tillage. No-till increases soil organic matter, enhances water infiltration, conserves moisture and reduces runoff and soil erosion due to wind, water and tillage.
• Reduce tillage: replace one or more tillage operations with herbicide application to control weeds. Reduced tillage over successive years improves the physical and chemical properties of the soil, and at the same time helps restore organic matter – plant roots, microorganisms, insects and earthworms – which, when left undisturbed, work to stimulate and sustain plant growth.
• Extend crop rotations, particularly with the inclusion of legumes. The benefits include improved fertility, tilth, aggregate stability, moisture storage, and resistance to soil erosion and degradation, as well as reductions in insect, weed and disease problems. All of these factors contribute to increased productivity.
• Adopt permanent conservation practices such as grassed waterways, perennial grass barriers, and strip cropping.
• Manage manure not as a waste, but as an important source of organic matter and plant nutrients. Organic matter, and the organisms that eat it, can improve water holding capacity, nutrient availability, and can help protect against erosion. However, applying manure in the fall or over-application can lead to water and air pollution.
• Manage irrigation effectively, by reducing water losses from spray drift and over-application.
• Carefully manage fertilizer by applying according to the crops needs, during the time that the crop needs it and close to the root system so it can be utilized efficiently. Although fertilizer can increase the amount of organic matter in the soil, mis-management can also pollute air and water.
• Manage pesticides carefully, by following label instructions. Try to minimize pesticide use by using an integrated approach, which incorporates other pest control practices such as a varied crop rotation and biological control options.
• Maintain healthy grass cover on pastures to prevent soil erosion, by using practices such as rotational grazing and rest periods.
• Keep crop residues on soil surface as much as possible. Crop residues include roots, chaff, stems and leaves which are left after a crop is harvested. These residues improve several soil properties, such as organic matter replenishment, water infiltration, water storage and particle aggregation. Crop residues also contain nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and micronutrients.
• Seed forages to increase soil organic matter, reduce erosion and salinity, and recover nutrients that leached below the rooting depth of annual crops. Selection of forage species and management practices can be tailored to specific problems such as drought, excessive soil moisture, salinity, poor soil structure, low pH and other problems.
• Provide adequate wind barriers, such as shelterbelts, to reduce wind erosion. Shelterbelts have the added benefit of increasing crop yields by trapping more snow, particularly of less drought-tolerant crops such as canola and alfalfa.
• Plant cover crops late in summer to protect soil against late fall and early spring erosion. Cover crops store nutrients for the crops that follow them, keep weeds down, host beneficial insects and improve the structure and arability of the soil. Cover crops have the additional benefits of capturing snow over the winter to enhance moisture conditions in the spring.

The importance of maintaining and improving soil quality is not just a productivity or yield issue. The quality of our air and water resources are also at stake since they are so closely linked to soil quality.

Proper agricultural production and agroforestry practices can maintain and improve soil quality through: preventing wind and water erosion; decreasing salinization; increasing organic matter levels; improving soil structure and increasing soil fertility. Our soils must be managed for organic matter content first. Productivity and profit will follow. The challenge is to find and employ conservation practices best adapted to your farm. Find out how you can take action to preserve and improve soil quality. Browse our factsheets and articles below.

Related information

Grazing: a Natural Component of Grassland Ecozone Riparian Systems
Using Off-Stream Water Sources as a Beneficial Management Practice in Riparian Areas - A Literature Review
Economics of zero till
Economics of conservation fallow
Economics of shelterbelts
Emergency Control of Wind Erosion
Managing crop residue on the Prairies
Manitoba Soil Conservation Manual
Prairie soils: the case for conservation
Strip farming for wind erosion control
Tillage practices that reduce soil erosion

See also: PFRA Shelterbelt Centre publications
Planning Field Shelterbelts
Field Shelterbelt Facts
Design Field Shelterbelts to Prevent Wind Erosion