Soil is essential for life on land. Soil is composed of minerals (sand, clay and silt), air, water and organic matter. An ideal agricultural loam soil has approximately 45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air and 5% organic matter. Soil minerals build up due to the erosion or rocks and form a substrate into which plant roots can anchor themselves and which also provides a home for soil life.
Water and air are important components of soil for plants and other organisms that live in the soil. Water in the soil is absorbed by plant roots and creates a humid environment which is important for many soil organisms to survive in. Soil organisms and plant roots also require oxygen from the air in soil to respire and create energy for cellular processes.
Organic matter in the soil (or hummus) builds up from the decomposition of dead plants and animals. Before being decomposed, this provides a food source to support a diverse ecosystem of life within the soil. When organic matter is decomposed it helps absorb water, create extra air space and balance atmospheric carbon. A growing appreciation is emerging that building soil carbon (by increasing organic matter in soil) may be the best solution to combat rising atmospheric carbon associated with global warming. With the added benefit of improving soil properties to support agricultural production.
Soil is a complex habitat, teaming with life. The sediments that make up that habitat have their origins from the erosion of local rocks and create sand, silts and clays that are mixed with organic matter from the decomposition of living things and modified by the slime of living creatures to create soil aggregates that change the water holding, water draining, air circulation and nutrient holding properties of the soil. With the appropriate combination of shelter, plants to provide sugars through photosynthesis and sources of organic matter for decomposes, the soil can support a thriving and diverse food web that maintains a steady recycling of nutrients in the soil to provide sustainable growth of productive crops.
It is vitally important to grow crops in mineral and nutrient dense soils, for their own health and to transfer those essential nutrients to us when we consume them. Never in history have we been exposed to a diet so high in nutrient deficient food. There is an epidemic in western cultures where people are simultaneously obese and malnourished due to intensive agricultural production using chemical fertilizers that do not have all of these essential minerals we need grown in mineral impoverished soils.
A primary aim of permaculture designs must be to establish thriving soil ecosystems which are fed a rich and diverse source of organic matter to restore soil fertility and function.
In this module we will explore the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, the recycling of nutrients and their importance to plant growth, how pH effects mineral availability and explore some of the complex diversity of the biological interactions within a healthy soil. This will culimate in an appreciation of how we can work with these processes to create resilient food producing systems that improve the quality and volume of soil while providing a sustainable yield of resources.
Water and air are important components of soil for plants and other organisms that live in the soil. Water in the soil is absorbed by plant roots and creates a humid environment which is important for many soil organisms to survive in. Soil organisms and plant roots also require oxygen from the air in soil to respire and create energy for cellular processes.
Organic matter in the soil (or hummus) builds up from the decomposition of dead plants and animals. Before being decomposed, this provides a food source to support a diverse ecosystem of life within the soil. When organic matter is decomposed it helps absorb water, create extra air space and balance atmospheric carbon. A growing appreciation is emerging that building soil carbon (by increasing organic matter in soil) may be the best solution to combat rising atmospheric carbon associated with global warming. With the added benefit of improving soil properties to support agricultural production.
Soil is a complex habitat, teaming with life. The sediments that make up that habitat have their origins from the erosion of local rocks and create sand, silts and clays that are mixed with organic matter from the decomposition of living things and modified by the slime of living creatures to create soil aggregates that change the water holding, water draining, air circulation and nutrient holding properties of the soil. With the appropriate combination of shelter, plants to provide sugars through photosynthesis and sources of organic matter for decomposes, the soil can support a thriving and diverse food web that maintains a steady recycling of nutrients in the soil to provide sustainable growth of productive crops.
It is vitally important to grow crops in mineral and nutrient dense soils, for their own health and to transfer those essential nutrients to us when we consume them. Never in history have we been exposed to a diet so high in nutrient deficient food. There is an epidemic in western cultures where people are simultaneously obese and malnourished due to intensive agricultural production using chemical fertilizers that do not have all of these essential minerals we need grown in mineral impoverished soils.
A primary aim of permaculture designs must be to establish thriving soil ecosystems which are fed a rich and diverse source of organic matter to restore soil fertility and function.
In this module we will explore the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, the recycling of nutrients and their importance to plant growth, how pH effects mineral availability and explore some of the complex diversity of the biological interactions within a healthy soil. This will culimate in an appreciation of how we can work with these processes to create resilient food producing systems that improve the quality and volume of soil while providing a sustainable yield of resources.
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Building Soil Ebook
| pdc_2018_building_soil.pdf |
Online Resources |
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