The 5 Principles of Soil Health

Tony Richards is a conservation planner in Tremonton, UT.

[@swrtsolutionsinc.1092]

Crop plants maintain a "rhizosphere", or a concentrated area of microbial activity close to the root. The rhizosphere is the most active part of the soil ecosystem because it is where the most readily available food is, and where peak nutrient and water cycling occurs. Microbial food is exuded by crop roots to attract and feed microbes that in turn provide nutrients (and other compounds) to the plant at the root-soil interface where the plants can take them up. Since living roots provide the easiest source of food for soil microbes, growing long lived roots that feed the foundation species of the soil food web as much as possible during the growing season should be a goal of farmers seeking a productive and profitable crop. Roots associated with SWRT membranes have been shown to last all season long, contributing greatly to the improvement of soil quality because they have the nutrients and moisture they need.

[@liaquattalash3262]

Good explanation. But how a farmer will be keeping living roots in commercial orchards without digging soil...?? Also please can you explain how water cycle is high in rhizosphere. Thanks

[@dilpreetsingh737]

Thank you for sharing excellent information. From Punjab India.

[@hasssanie7609]

Excellent,well explained. Thank you.

[@johnwhitney1620]

nobody took any crop off the hedge row for years and it probably got fert to boot

[@davidpatrick1813]

I am a mechanic of many years ... not high end but have customers... don't trust people with health if they have a big stomach .........

[@k-c]

Weird assumption some people have about having or not having soil health expertise.

[@racebiketuner]

@@k-c As someone who has studied psychology for 37 years, I would argue that assumption is not unfounded. In my experience, it is more often the case than not.

[@scottschaeffer8920]

A good synopsis of everything Illinois farmers-don’t do.