10 Research Soil health management systems CROSS-BORDER PROJECT COULD LEAD TO FARM SAVINGS Treena Hein ADOPTING A ‘SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM’ MAY SOUND DAUNTING, but many of you reading this are already implementing some of the practices — and a new study encompassing Canadian and U.S. farmers shows the economic benefits are clear. This study was conducted by the Soil Health Institute (SHI), a North American nonprofit institute based in North Carolina, in collaboration with General Mills. SHI analyzed 10 wheat farms in Kansas and North Dakota and five grain farms in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The average farm size was 1,600 acres in the U.S. and 3,851 in Canada. In the opinion of SHI soil scientist Dr. Jenny Bower, these studies are essential for providing a business case for the adoption of best soil management practices. “The Greenbelt Foundation, an organization with which we collaborate, found in their report ‘The Power of Soil’ that the number one consideration behind Ontario farmers’ decision to adopt soil health practices was their perceived benefits, costs, and risks,” says Bower. “Studies like this are essential to inform farmers’ perceptions of the economic outcomes of adopting soil health practices.” OUTCOMES For the Canadian farmers in the study growing small grains, using a soil health management system (SHMS) cut costs by an average of $37/ acre. Based on standardized prices, using a SHMS increased net farm income for these farmers by an average of $42/acre for small grains and by an average of $40/acre for corn, $10/acre for soybean, $74/acre for canola, and $79/acre for sugar beet. One farmer realized additional revenue of $46/ acre for grazing cover crops. TILLAGE AND COVER CROPS As the name suggests, a SHMS prioritizes the health of soils, mainly by reducing soil disturbance and keeping living roots in the ground. Conservation tillage is key. On average, the study farmers have been practicing no-till for over 15 years and cover cropping for over 11 years. Of the Canadian farms participating in the study, 96 per cent of the studied farmland was no-till, with the rest reduced till, and cover crops are planted on 61 per cent of all acreage. Note for comparison’s sake that the rate of no-till adoption for all of Canada is currently 61 per cent, with a rate of 30 per cent in Ontario, 29 per cent in Manitoba and 78 per cent in Saskatchewan. Among farms across Canada that have cover crops in use, 23 per cent of cropland is planted in cover crops (26 per cent in Ontario, six per cent in Manitoba, and 14 per cent in Saskatchewan). Two of the Canadian study farmers planted cover crops before small grains production, one with a barley, pea and fava bean mix before spring wheat and spring oats and the other with winter/cereal rye and clover before spring oats. Cover crop seed expenses averaged $11.93/acre for these farms. In this study, the researchers found that planting cover crops and reducing tillage may enhance weed suppression, leading to some cost savings through changing or eliminating some herbicide applications. In other circumstances, additional herbicide is used for weed management or cover crop termination. Savings in fertilizer and amendment costs due to using a SHMS were reported by three of the Canadian farmers, amounting to $28.66/acre when averaged across all five farms. CROP PRODUCTION AND FARM BENEFITS Staying with the Canadian farmers, increased crop resilience to extreme weather — an indirect economic benefit of using a SHMS — was reported by all. “Improved crop resilience is due to improved soil organic matter and soil structure,” explains Dr. Archie Flanders, THE SOIL HEALTH INSTITUTE HAS PARTNERED WITH ONTARIO’S GREENBELT FOUNDATION. (PHOTOS: GREENBELT FOUNDATION).
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