Sustainable Agriculture Tips for Your Field

A list of the important aspects to sustainable farming.

You probably never thought of soil as having livestock, but it does. Here are just a few:

1. EARTHWORMS : Earthworm burrows enhance the soil through

  • Soil aeration
  • Water filtration
  • Reduced water runoff
  • Recharged groundwater
  • Increased water storage for dry spells

2.  ARTHROPODS (primarily decomposers):

  • Sow bugs
  • Millipedes
  • Centipedes
  • Slugs
  • Snails
  • Springtails

3.  BACTERIA

(One million organisms of various species are contained in every gram of soil):

Break down nutrients to make them available

4.  FUNGI (multiple species):

  • Break down organic matter
  • Release nutrients
  • Produce hormones and antibiotics
  • Trap parasitic nematodes
  • Increase water uptake
  • Provide disease suppression

5.  ACTINOMYCETES:

  • Decompose organic matter into humus
  • Send out antibiotics to fight root diseases
  • Release nutrients

6.  ALGAE (live in the upper ½ of the soil):

  • Produce their food through photosynthesis
  • Improve soil structure into water-stable aggregates

7.  PROTOZOA (free-living microbes):

Known for making nitrogen more available to plants

8.  NEMATODES:

Few are harmful, Very abundant,  Speed the rate of nutrient cycling

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