Five ways to promote HEALTHY SOIL

摘要

Soil has been called the "living skin" of planet Earth, an essential but fragile part of the biosphere. As such, it responds negatively to abuse and neglect, and positively to care. Attention to soil health (or soil quality) has waxed and waned over the years, but it's on the upswing now. The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission has rated soil health as a top priority for the past several years. And, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service is laimching a new Soil Health Initiative that focuses on the following principles for improving soil health: Miriimize soil disturbance. Keep the soil covered as much as possible. Diversify with crop rotation and cover crops. Try to provide living roots in the soil for asmuch of the year as possible. I find these very easy to understand, to figure out what to do, and to evaluate whether you are making progress. They are not absolutes; rather, they point in a direction and encourage continual movement in that direction.