Root crops growing on mulched raised beds
The soils in
undisturbed forests have a nutritional advantage over farmed soils. No matter
how much biomass they produce and no matter how much they are washed by heavy
rains, these soils hold their weight and even get healthier with use. That is
not true of the condition of farm soils. It seems that farmers usually put their
soils on weight loss regimens and take the wrong action when they suffer from
nutritional disorders.
Soils need
minerals in their diets just like humans. Farmers seem to understand that. But,
like humans, in order to stay healthy, soils also need Carbohydrates; energy. When the
Carbohydrates in crop residues and weeds is withheld from the soil, the
essential soil microbes that depend on that energy, starve. The soil deteriorates
to become lifeless dirt. If the biomass is hauled off or burned or even if it
is composted, essential energy is lost.
There is a “new” system of farming that, in one way,
mimics forest soil management in which the soil is never opened, called no
till. But, although the biomass is left on the soil surface, the similarity
stops there. Because this type of farming is dependent on the use of toxic
chemicals that kill weeds and bacteria and all the organisms, including
earthworms, which are dependent on healthy bacterial communities in their
digestive tracts.
Forests have healthy soils with thriving, diverse
communities of microorganisms. Farm soils should have the same healthy soils,
but, they don’t. Even most organically farmed soils struggle to maintain their microbial
communities intact. Those soils that don’t struggle have organic matter being
imported from outside. When all of the organic residues are left on the soil
surface as mulch and allowed to decompose naturally, soils regain their health.
It is the soil, mulch interface is where most
decomposition takes place and, given a healthy community of earthworms, the
part that is decomposing is quickly ingested and carried into the soil. One of
the results of this is that there is little loss of energy and little emission
of greenhouse gasses from the biomass. The other result is that the soil
microbial community is well fed and able to supply all of the important
services that are needed by the plants.
Earthworms provide the only appropriate way of
incorporating organic matter into the soil and they work for free. There is no
turning involved. There is no need to transport heavy loads of compost or to
till it into the soil. It is less work for the producer, requires less energy,
drastically reduces atmospheric pollution and salvages the vast majority of the
energy in the biomass for the. It also feeds the soil a proper diet of minerals
and Carbs.
The
organic mulch protects for the soil from the erosive and compactive force of
rain, the erosive and drying force of the wind and from the drying and heating
effects of solar radiation. Under the mulch, the soil is cool, moist and
retains an open texture which allows for the free flow of air and water. This
cool moist environment provides the conditions that beneficial microorganisms
need and nothing needs to be purchased or imported.
The mulch also breaks up rain drops so that
they softly enter the soil instead of compacting and eroding it. It also
prevents the raindrops from causing the explosions of soil and water that
deposit fungal spores on the leaves of the plants. If you want to rid your
crops of anthracnose fruit rot; mulch. If you want to fertilize your crops;
mulch. If you want better soil drainage: mulch, etc. I think you see how to provide
good health to your soil.