permaculture

[Rich Blaha <rich@mossbackfarm.com>]

Hi Mike

These guys http://soilcarboncoalition.org/ have started the process 
measuring pasture carbon sequestration...their sidebar link on 
monitoring gives some good comprehensive methods for what you're trying 
to measure.

Good luck.  We're looking at doing some similar trials...I look forward 
to hearing how yours go

Cheers

Rich
www.mossbackfarm.com



On 3/14/2011 10:24 AM, permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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>     1. salmon-nettle soup with all native ingredients (paul wheaton)
>     2. Variables for Keyline System Trials (Michael Snow)
>     3. Bleeding Heartland:: ISU professor sounds alarm about future
>        of Leopold Center (Lawrence F. London, Jr.)
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> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:12:30 -0700
> From: Michael Snow<msnow@valley.net>
> To: permaculture<permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: [permaculture] Variables for Keyline System Trials
> Message-ID:<7CA24431-FA79-4061-B0CE-BDCB593B0297@valley.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Keyliners and Statisticians,
>
> As part of a grazers network in Maryland, we've acquired a yeoman's plow, 
> with three shanks, coulters, standard toolbar, roller, seedboxes.  We are in 
> a sensitive watershed, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and work in part to 
> encourage grass-based systems.
>
> We're designing a plan for evaluating it's use and effectiveness in improving 
> soil quality, productivity, and environmental quality.  This is an initial 
> trial - not intended to be a rigorous, long-term experiment in itself, but we 
> do expect it to be used to make initial observations which might translate 
> into more formal research.  That said, we'd like our trial to be tight and 
> this is my request for assistance.
>
> This year, four farms are involved, and University extension will 
> collaborate.  Two of these farms are organic dairies, one entirely 
> grass-based and utilizing mob grazing, the other largely grass-based with 
> some feed-crop production.  Of the other two sites, one is on Extension land, 
> the other is a beef grazing operation.
>
> Although we have some funding and that collaboration, we are interested in 
> monitoring perhaps 4-8 variables over three years, samples and tests largely 
> pulled by farmers.  Have any of you been involved in formal research of 
> keyline as a system?  Regardless, do you have any suggestions for building a 
> protocol for this project?  A tentative list we are trying to whittle down so 
> far includes:
>
>         Bulk density, porosity, aggregate stability, penetration resistance
>         Infiltration rate
>         N, P measurements and sediment load (to compare to Bay Program 
> baselines)
>         Soil testing: biological (eg, soil food web, though expensive), 
> chemical; Organic Matter; evaluating changes in the A horizon (depth, 
> transition to B horizon)
>         Forage productivity: forage testing, both biomass and quality through 
> fecal samples; percent cover and species diversity; brix
>         Milk production
>         Field moisture
>         The ever popular how'd-it-do test, subjective qualitative analysis
>
> Fields are divided to two, keeping soil class, texture, slope, and management 
> consistent.  They'll be evaluated side by side.
>
> We do hope to develop this protocol in fairly short order.  Your suggestions 
> are most welcome,
>
> Mike
>
> ------------------------------
>
> ******************************