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Hoorman Soil Health Services

  Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, Ohio State Drainage Specialist recently shared some information. He compared the last 30 years of subsoil moisture conditions and confirmed that soil moisture levels down to 1 meter (roughly 3 feet) are only about 5-10% of average levels. Streams are very low especially in Southeast Ohio, but also Northwest and Central Ohio. In Northwest Ohio, the advantage of heavy clay soils higher in soil organic matter (SOM) helps retain moisture better than other areas.  Dr. Shedekar also shared that 70% of all crop losses come from water extremes. Usually, excess water is problem and accounts for 50% of all crop losses, while dry weather accounts for 20%. Improved drainage helps remove excess water but also improves soil aeration. Roots need access to oxygen to burn carbohydrates and sugars for energy.  Some farmers are now installing irrigation to help with dry conditions. Farmers first need a good source of water. Rivers and streams can be a source but you ...

  Currently, Ohio has experienced the third worst drought, only surpassed by 1930 and 1933. Fall is the driest time of year (August-November) and about 60% of Ohio is still in a severe to exceptional drought. That means that field capacity, the amount of soil water held in the soil after the excess water has drained away, is still very low for next year. After a rain, it generally takes 2-3 days for excess soil water to drain away. The small amount of precipitation (rain, snow) we currently received may help, but it will take considerable moisture to fill up our available soil water holding capacity reserve for growing crops next year.  In Nebraska, a graduate student (Mandeep Singh) studied how weeds handle drought conditions. He studied 89 journal articles with 1,196 paired observations over 30 years. The data was collected all over the world; mainly North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Here are his findings on how drought and water stress affects weed pr...

 There is a renewed interest in improving human health. About 95% of the food we eat, comes from the soil and human health is directly related to good soil health. Soil and plants also improve the air we breathe and the water we drink. Keeping soils healthy is an important goal. Unfortunately, worldwide; soil are degrading quite rapidly. The loss of topsoil due to erosion, loss of soil organic matter (SOM), and human changes to soil (compaction, tillage, development) makes our soil less healthy. Here are some ways soil health and human health are linked together.  Human health and Mother Nature are closely linked. The microbes in our gut and bodies are similar to the microbes in the soil. When Mother Nature finds a way to advance life and be successful, it often repeats itself in a slightly different way. For example, the thin layer of topsoil on our planet is very similar to skin on our bodies. Our lungs and the alveoli (air sacs) are designed and look very much like mycorrhi...

As our national elections close, a new Republican administration is taking over with different priorities, so expect some major changes in agricultural policies. The current administration’s priority was on climate smart agricultural policies that helped reduce greenhouse gasses. Expectations are that new agricultural priorities will center on expanding agricultural markets by increasing tariffs, increasing sustainability and/or soil health initiatives, and improving healthy food.  Foreign tariffs on USA agricultural goods average 62%, which reduces USA farm commodity market share. China tariffs reduce our sale of USA commodities by 75% while European tariffs reduce sales by 42%. In a free market place, the USA would have much higher export sales for agricultural commodities. While details are short, expect more trading negotiations because rural communities were the backbone to our incoming president’s election.  Europe has a long history of imposing high tariffs to protect t...