In our last Groundwork we talked about importance of soil aggregation and tilth. I have recently been thinking about the below questions:

Why can we succeed with such low rates of nitrogen and phosphorus?
Why does a corn field feel air conditioned on hot summer days?
Why does the soil till so much easier after Residuce applications?
Why does the soil loosen up a foot deep when the top few inches improve?

After pondering on the above, the obvious has been revealed to me in new ways! When pore space improves due to biologically created soil aggregates, a chain of events is set in motion — a Fertility Chain is created!

Healthy Soil Composition

How many times have we seen in print that a healthy soil is:

5% organic matter
45% mineral
25% water
25% air

Reread the above: Healthy Soil: 25% water & 25% air (pore space) — this equals 50% Pore Space. How many of our soils really make that grade?

To construct more aggregates and boost your pore space we refer back to the 3 Pillars of Regenerative Farming:

Manage air and water
Manage crop residues
Manage crop fertility

When you walk in a healthy field you can feel it under foot. It is sponge-like. It is soft and resilient. It is weather-proofed. It has Tilth…

Real Results from the Field

Here is an illustration of the changes that can be made with proper management of your soil. A Texas customer did one application and just see the difference in his soil aggregation, structure and tilth! The application included: MT17 - 10 gal/ac, MVP - 5 gal/ac, OroRZ - 1 qt/ac, Seaweed - 1 qt/ac.

Another experience also comes to mind. Visiting a field in southern Minnesota many years ago, the farmer asked if the field needed to be deep ripped. His soil test showed 6% Organic Matter and a near perfect cation balance. Then we went in the field and stepped on the tile spade, and with very little effort it went the full 16 inches deep. The pore space was great, residue decomposition was good, plant rhizospheres were very active. Biologically created aggregates were present, functional, and under construction. Overall, the biological community was doing well. Does the field need to be deep ripped? Nope — save the diesel fuel and spend your time and energy on a problem field!

A statement I ran across recently said "the root is the reflected image of the soil." This leads to several questions: How are your roots growing? Do they grow down at the proper angle unrestricted of plow layers and compacted zones? Is there an active rhizosphere? Are the roots white (not brown)? Can the roots be our guide to Pore Space and Soil Health? We believe the answer is YES!

Products to Boost Your Community

Aggregates are constructed by your soil community of organisms. You can boost your community with our live microbial and carbon blends:

MST - Direct to seed treatment with a diverse blend of beneficial organisms
MT17 - Microbial to breakdown manure/green manure & improve soil structure/tilth
MVP - A diverse live microbial
Residuce WS - Accelerates breakdown of residues, building organic matter

Don't forget the food sources and carbon blends to fuel your beneficial organisms:

Conventional: