Transcript Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service On-Farm Soil Monitoring for Water Resource Protection Evaluating Field Practice Impact on Soil Health & Quality.

Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
On-Farm Soil Monitoring for
Water Resource Protection
Evaluating Field Practice Impact
on Soil Health & Quality
Conduct a Field Assessment First
Use the Purdue
Extension
publication “Field
Assessment for
Water Resource
Protection”.
Then, Monitor the Changes
You Make
Monitoring provides
feedback:
•Are you making
progress?
•Are the changes you
made creating positive
results?
Why Monitor Soils?
Soil quality and
health has direct
links with:
•Productivity
•Environmental
quality.
An On-Farm Soil Monitoring
Approach
•Farmer driven
•Easy to do
•Increases soil quality
knowledge
•Evaluates impact of
practices
•Leads to better decision
making
Two Fundamental Approaches to
Soil Monitoring
• Take measurements
annually to identify
trends
• Compare results with
a baseline condition
Monitoring Soil Quality
Indicators on the Farm
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Water Infiltration Rate
Earthworm Count
Soil Aggregate Stability
Soil Compaction Test
Plant & Residue Cover
The Monitoring Kit
• Easy to put together
• Items usually already
on hand
• Kit will fit in a five
gallon bucket, plus a
shovel
Preparing to Monitor
• Obtain a copy of the
publication, “OnFarm Soil Monitoring
for Water Resource
Protection, (WQ-43)”
Preparing to Monitor
• Spring and Fall are
best times to monitor
• Select sample sites
that are representative
of the entire field
OR, a problem spot you
are concerned about
Preparing to Monitor
• Make copies of the
record sheet
• Fill in cropping,
management, soil and
weather, and field
history information
on the record sheet
Water Infiltration Rate
•Infiltration rate
simulates how quickly it
takes soil to absorb rain
water.
•Shorter infiltration times
are better since less
runoff from the field will
occur.
Water Infiltration Rate Method
•Find a level spot.
•Carefully clear a work area by clipping any
vegetation at the surface.
•Drive a 6 inch diameter ring (irrigation pipe
or coffee can with both ends removed) into the
soil 3 inches deep.
•Line the ring with plastic wrap
•Pour in 1 pint of water (2 cups or 463 ml),
remove plastic wrap and track the amount of
time it takes for this water to infiltrate.
Earthworms
•Earthworms improve
infiltration and help
aerate the soil.
•Cover crops, no-till field
practices, and adding
animal manure to fields
all improve earthworm
populations.
Earthworm Counts
Dig a 1 foot
cubed hole,
gently placing
soil in a five
gallon bucket
10 or more
earthworms found
per hole indicates
a healthy soil
Search through
the soil for
earthworms
Soil Aggregate Stability
•Aggregate stability is the
ability of an aggregate to
resist disruption from
water.
•Soil with poor aggregate
stability can result in
water quality problems.
Soil Aggregate Stability Method
3 macro-aggregates
place in pint jar of water
gently swirl, observe
vigorously swirl, observe
Soil Aggregate Stability
These aggregates survived
vigorous swirling
A different soil dissolved
after gentle swirling
Soil Compaction
• Compacted soils result
in less water infiltration
and poorer plant root
development.
• Deep-rooting plants,
cover crops, and no-till
cropping practices all
help relieve compacted
soils.
Soil Compaction Method
Using a wire marking flag, or ¼” wire rod at 18” long,
penetrate the soil 12” deep noting degree of resistance
and depth of any compacted layers.
Plant & Residue Cover
•Plant and residue cover
protects the soil from
adverse factors such as
wind, rain, and direct
sunlight
•Fields with bare spots
or bare soil are at risk of
erosion and runoff
problems
Plant & Residue Cover Method
•Use a tape measure at least 25
feet long.
•Imagine a rain drop hitting the
surface exactly at each foot mark.
•Would the rain drop hit a live
plant, plant residue, or bare soil?
•Count the number of occurrences
of plant and plant residue
•Enter the percent plant cover on
the record sheet
Enter the
results
on the
record
sheet
Using the Results
•Monitor trends and changes in soil quality in
the same field over time
•Make side-by-side comparisons (within the
same soil types) of different management
systems
•Compare field results to an undisturbed
ecosystem
•Compare problem and non-problem areas
within a field
How to obtain materials
• Call toll free to
Purdue Extension
1-888-EXT-INFO and
ask for WQ-43.
• Click on ‘Field
Assessment’ at
www.ces.purdue.edu/
waterquality.
• Ask your County
Extension Educator
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
On-Farm Soil Monitoring Helps
You:
•Evaluate the impact of field
practices
•Increase your soil quality
knowledge
•Make better decisions about
field cropping practices