CAUTION! This is seriously outside the box and possibly sensitive, but graveyards are great places to go – if you’re into soil.
As long as you’re not planning on staying indefinitely! 🙂
Think about it. The soil there should be really healthy.
Here’s why.
It is left undisturbed for relatively long periods. Traffic is restricted, mainly on a Sunday and for special events, and generally low volume – primarily limited to foot. And, everyone feels a bit funny walking over a grave don’t they?
Then you have the flora. The grass, hardy shrubs and trees.
Typically there is the odd Yew tree or two, abutting an ancient boundary or hedge or standing soldier-like on sentry on amongst the stone pieces. They are usually quite old and have co-evolved with soil itself, forming symbiotic relationships with the fauna that are too complex to comprehend, though will likely be significantly beneficial for fungi levels. The cover and the protection of the established green landscape and the shade afforded by the steeple tower, provide the first line of defence against climatic extremes.
Trees in grave yards can be old, solitary and often have co-evolved with the soil itself
Soil level is frequently elevated in the oldest of these traditional village settings. Contained within a wall, often many feet above other features in and around the site, like paths, gates and roadways. This is great for water drainage and maintaining optimal moisture content. I was led to believe (rightly or wrongly) that ‘coffins drifted underground’. Is this just an old wife’s tale or is the soil really so light, friable and free-flowing at this type of depth? I suppose it may be if it is occasionally being dug up and added to…
Then you’ve got the organic matter! Should be a pretty high %, shouldn’t it? We are made of soil, as we consume it, digest and absorb it in all its different forms. Eventually we are returned to it.
And head stones. Great supply of trace elements! As the granite or marble stone is gently eroded over time, years, centuries, the elements perculate through the soil, feeding it. Fuelling microbial interactions, nourishing plants and grasses.
If you’ve ever tested soil in a graveyard, I would love to hear your experience. Or, if you have ever pondered this question, and are strange like me, also reach out.
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For centuries ploughing has been the mainstay of farming however new thinking suggests it could be more damaging then we previously thought
Over the past few decades, farmers have been abandoning the plough in favour of no-till agriculture or conservation tillage, using equipment that only disturbs the soil to a minimal degree. No-till and conservation tillage are widely accepted to maintain or improve soil quality by preserving soil structure and moisture, increasing soil organic matter, and providing habitat for the soil microbiological communities.
Tillage is used as a method to enhance crop production, control weeds and prepare the seedbed. As with any management practice, tillage influences the soil environment and can have negative effects including soil erosion and degradation of the soil structure. These effect the habitat for the soil microorganisms and therefore often a loss of nutrients.
Whilst no-till soil is generally cooler and moister when compared to a soil under more intensive cultivation, accessibility to organic matter is generally greater when tillage is applied. This is due to organic residues being broken down, increasing the available surface area for microbial colonisation. Whilst this is of direct benefit, it is generally accepted that there is a greater microbial abundance in soils under a no-till regime and that these soils have a more favourable microclimate compared to conventional farming practices.
Tillage can harm the soil biomass and increase erosion
Until now, most of the studies linking tillage intensity and microbial activity have been performed at individual farm level. Most of these studies do find more soil microbes with no-till management, however the magnitude of biomass varies a lot due to variations in environmental factors, agronomic practices and differences between soil types across fields and farms. Where no-till is compared with tillage, the type of equipment and tillage depth also differs.
A recent study, by Zuber and Villamil at the University of Illinois, collected data from peer reviewed scientific studies on the effect of soil management practices on microbial biomass and activity. The data from 62 studies was collated into a database and the effect of the different management practices on soil properties across multiple experimental sites, locations and climactic regimes assessed.
The results of the study showed that microbial biomass is reduced under tillage compared to no-till possibly due to the more favourable environmental conditions under the no-till regime. There was however one exception to this, with microbial biomass not appearing to be diminished under chisel tillage systems.
Overall, the study suggests that since soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity can stand in as proxies for soil quality, farmers should consider moving toward no-till or conservation tillage systems – as helping the soil function better helps your crops grow better, and can also maintain high quality soil for sustainability purposes.
The original article, “Meta-analysis approach to assess effect of tillage on microbial biomass and enzyme activities,” is published in Soil Biology & Biochemistry.
Putting this in to practise…
Working closely with the team at SoilBioLab, I am only too aware that one of the challenges faced when we asked to advise clients, is the lack of (sample) information.
However, recently we experienced one of those rare occasions where we knew much more about the origin, than usual – early this year we undertook the microbiological analysis of samples from two different farms, at precisely the same time.
One farm had been organic for over 30 years, the other had been no-till for just over 3 years.
Notwithstanding the inherent variables that accompany a more robust comparison than this (full history, location, texture etc.) it was very interesting to observe full soil microbiology reports at the end of the process that looked almost identical – both farms with soil assessments that indicated very good levels of microorganisms. This ‘one-off’ scenario seems to support the findings by Zuber and Villamil and one can speculate that the effect of reducing/ceasing mechanical interventions to fields are as beneficial to microorganisms (like fungi), as a reduction of chemical treatments.
Organic no-till, the ultimate combination(?)
The reality, is that there is this bit in the middle, where we do not fully understand where the interactions between crop, soil chemistry, soil biology and physical structure start and end or where they might receive the largest benefit from our focussed intervention – we’re jumping from ‘A to F’ with wild statements like this.
Our advice, find out for yourself!
What testing or field work are you conducting, to ensure your future success?
We have developed trials and are involved in experimental projects with many different farmers and growers, so are well placed to help you to test and measure for yourself, the benefits of managing and exploiting the functions of soil life, in a cost effective manner. If you want to understand more about the ‘bit in the middle’ by adopting a more complete approach to soil and crop management, take action and contact us today.
Mycorrhizal fungi are often one of the first biological inoculants that professional growers begin experimenting with in order to increase crop performance in a more natural way. Let’s have a look at why and how this appears on a soil test report.
Mycorrhizal fungi are important and prolific organisms that can develop symbiotic relationships with the roots of more than 95% of all plants on the planet. This requires them to live in (endomycorrhizal) or on (ectomycorrhizal) the plant roots, extending their hyphae into the soil and thus producing phosphate, nitrogen, other nutrients and water available to the host plant. They extend the effective root area many hundreds of times so plants grow faster, larger and stronger without the need to apply as much fertiliser or water.
Test report showing an assessment of colonisation
In order to measure these beneficial organisms, careful preparations must be carried out to ensure that roots are not damaged and the fungi remain visible. Tip – if you require this particular analysis, you should capture fine roots at each location, to ensure that the extraction process is possible and measurements can be performed under microscope by the laboratory technicians. If you need guidance on this, a reputable, specialist laboratory like this one, can help you plan your collection technique and discuss with you the type of plant roots which need to be observed so you can be sure of what type of colonisation may be present when the assessment is carried out.
When determining the presence of Mycorrhizal fungi in samples of soil, we are in fact concentrating just on the fine root fibres present in the growing media. This is not a direct count, as this is typical for other fungi measurements. The figure that is reported is a percentage, correlating to the number of microscope fields that it was possible to detect the presence of either one of the types of Mycorrhizas.
A lot of producers work at increasing the presence of Mycorrhizal fungi to exploit the natural relationship with plants and get the most out of their particular growing environment. Many producers report superior quality crops as well as accelerated growth, particularly when young plants or seeds are inoculated with the spores. In any event, it is vital to monitor your soil data to make sure you are achieving worthwhile results when investing in a quality biological product.
Nematodes are the most prolific multi-cellular organisms on the planet and key to the correct function of soil and grow media with their nutrient cycling ability.
The ongoing challenge for growers is how to survive in an economically and environmentally challenging climate. The goal posts seem to keep changing and the biological clock is ticking.
