Organic matter MATTERS: Improving soil organic matter helps prevent a variety of soil ailments

摘要

Managing soil organic matter is usually not a priority for most farmers who must worry about yield, pest management, labor, and other things that impact the bottom line. But practices that improve soil organic matter contribute more than any other resource to a farm's long-term productivity, says a U.S. Department of Agriculture soil scientist. Adding soil amendments, such as compost, crop residues, and farm or municipal wastes, not only builds soil organic matter, but can supply nutrients, help stabilize the soil, and reverse trends of soil compaction, erosion, and reduced water infiltration, according to USDA's Dr. Hal Collins, stationed at the Agricultural Research Service laboratory in Prosser, Washington.