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  • From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Easy soil fertility test
  • Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:52:10 -0500 (CDT)

I usually look at my crops, and the weeds. If they look healthy, the
fertility is good. Not being sarcastic, just realistic.

Bill

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:14:22 -0500
>From: Nan Hildreth <NanHildreth AT riseup.net>
>Subject: [Market-farming] Easy soil fertility test
>To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
>
>How can you tell if your soil building is working? Do this quick
>and dirty soil fertility (biology) test.
>
>To summarize the below:
>
>Get a shovel and dig a two inch slice, count worms in slice.
>2 worms not dead soil
>4 or 5 worms fairly decent soil
>7 or 8 worms great soil will grow heavy feeder veggies
>20 worms especially fabulous soil
>If needs improvement, add organic matter and inoculate with soil
>biology by a compost tea.
>
>At 12:25 PM 10/29/2010, Philip Bogdonoff wrote to soil-age AT googlegroups.com
>
>>An 'optimally inaccurate indicator' (OII) is usually a quick and low-
>>cost method for estimating a trait you wish to measure.
>>
>>Here's one for soil fertility posted by "Honyocker" to the
>>greenwizards.org/ website recently launched by John Michael Greer):
>>
>>Soil Fertility
>>
>>Wed, 10/27/2010 - 10:26
>>
>>Honyocker
>>
>>I recently found a simple method of estimating soil fertility that
>>seems to be pretty accurate, at least in the fields and gardens where
>>I've tried it. The theory is that natural soil fertility depends on
>>activity of the soil bacteria, fungi, insects, etc. (biota) that work
>>the soil and release nutrients from the inorganic and organic
>>materials in the soil. It assumes that earthworms are the peak
>>organism in the soil biota and, if you have a sufficient quantity of
>>earthworms, the remainder of the soil biota is probably in good
>>condition.
>>
>>To estimate the number of earthworms, take a shovel and dig up one
>>shovelfull of soil. Then take the shovel blade and dig it in to the
>>top of the blade again about 2 inches back so that you end up with a
>>slice of soil 2 inches thick and the width and depth of the shovel
>>blade. Count the number of earthworms in the slice of soil. Then
>>repeat the process in a grid pattern around your garden or field and
>>calculate the average number of earthworms that are found in a slice
>>of soil. Take the average and multiply by 100,000 to get an estimate
>>of the number of earthworms per acre.
>>
>>In general, you need a minimum of 250,000 earthworms per acre to have
>>enough natural soil fertility to grow crops, although you probably
>>will still have shortages of some nutrients. 400,000 to 500,000 will
>>allow you to grow most crops that aren't heavy feeders. 700,000 to
>>800,000 is a good range to be in, but more is always better.
>>Organically managed, deep topsoils in the American Mid-West can have
>>in excess of 2,000,000 earthworms per acre.
>>
>>If you're short of earthworms, first try adding more organic material
>>to the soil by digging it or tilling it in. Also use organic mulches
>>around your plants. If that doesn't bring up the earthworm numbers,
>>trying adding organic compost or compost teas. In most cases, your
>>soil fertility can be increased by these methods.
>>
>># # #
>>
>>--
>>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>Groups "soil-age" group.
>>To post to this group, send email to soil-age AT googlegroups.com.
>>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
>>soil-age+unsubscribe AT googlegroups.com.
>>For more options, visit this group at
>>http://groups.google.com/group/soil-age?hl=en.
>
>Nan Hildreth, Houston 713-842-6643
>www.HoustonClimateProtection.org
>
>Make Soil, End Global Warming
>
>"We could end global warming if we restored the fertility in the
>soils in the state of California." Dr. Elaine Ingham, www.soilfoodweb.com
>
>"...global warming can be reversed by restoring biodiversity in the
>soils and in the ocean. ... There is enough land to sequester this
>carbon and it could be done in a decade or two. ... Now that the Oil
>Age is coming to an end, we are entering the Soil Age.
>" http://groups.google.com/group/soil-age
>
>"... a 1.6% increase in organic content of soils humans manage would
>restore atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to normal." says Allan
>Yeomans in
>http://www.youtube.com/user/AllanYeomans1#p/a/u/0/-o2N6vJDLpE Free
>download of his book http://www.yeomansplow.com.au/priority-one-contents.htm
>
>"Soil is the new frontier" Eaarth by Bill McKibben
>
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William H Shoemaker, UI-Crop Sciences
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610




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