Idaho Soil Health

Let's take a look over the fence.....

horse looking over a fence

Soil Health & Ecosystem Functions

Soil is the foundation of life. It gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Healthy soil does all this by performing five essential functions:

  • Sustains plant and animal life - The diversity and productivity of living things depends on soil.
  • Regulates water - Soil helps control where rain, snow melt, and irrigation water goes. Water and dissolved solutes flow over the land or into and through the soil.
  • Filters and buffers potential pollutants - The minerals and microbes in soil are responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal by-products and atmospheric deposits.
  • Cycles nutrients - Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled in the soil.
  • Physical stability and support - Soil structure provides a medium for plant roots. Soils also provide support for human structures and protection for archaeological treasures.
Healthy soil with good structure, many pores, worms, and organic matter
Healthy soil with good structure, many pores, worms, and organic matter

Coarse loamy soil under cover crop showing good structure, porosity, and worm content in SW Idaho.

What is soil health?

Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.

Unlock the secrets in the soil emblem. Letters look like soil.

 Unlock the Secrets here 

Understanding soil health means assessing and managing soil so that it functions optimally not only now but is not degraded for future use. By monitoring changes in soil health, a land manager can determine if a set of practices is sustainable. 

How do I promote healthy soil?

By incorporating as many  soil health principles  as you can!

Four principles of soil health circular emblem. Minimize disturbance while maximizing soil cover, diversity, and continuous living roots.

Four Soil Health Principles

In order to improve soil health, your management practices must protect and promote soil organisms. These are living creatures just like you and me. Soil organisms require food, water, and shelter. They live in the pore spaces in the upper part of the soil profile. Keep the soil covered so they don't cook or freeze depending on the season. Minimize tillage which is the equivalent of a tornado ripping through their home. Soil organisms need to eat and they like a diverse diet, who wants to eat the same thing everyday all day? Avoid monoculture, having a diverse crop rotation provides soil organisms with a healthy diverse diet. Don't leave the fields fallow that starves the microbes, plant a cover crop.

Bonus fifth pillar is integrating livestock

Cows grazing a cover crop and NRCS District Conservationist Steve Schuyler


Soil Food Web

Soil Food Web as amended by Shawn Nield

In the process of photosynthesis plants utilize water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce simple sugars and other carbon-based materials. Some of these come out through the plant roots and are utilized by the microbes in the soil. In return, the microbes help cycle important nutrients into the soil and back to the plant.

What should I take away from the soil food web diagram?

Soil microorganisms are the key component in agricultural operations that have historically been ignored. Many conventional practices that disturb the soil food web (chemical, physical, or biological disturbances) harm these vital soil critters.

Nematode as seen under an electron microscope

Nematode. Photo credit: USDA-ARS, Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville, MD USA

Did you know that 99% of nematodes are beneficial?

Soil microbes provide your plants with bio-available nutrients from the soil, delivering natural fertilizers to the roots. A well populated and diverse microbial community keeps pathogenic organisms in check, effectively suppressing spread, and improving plant health. These microbes excrete natural glues that are responsible for aggregation of sand, silt, and clay particles, building soil structure and reinforcing micro and macropore spaces, improving water infiltration and gas exchange. Improved soil structure also leads to erosion resistance and increases the soil's water holding capacity. Better infiltration and water holding capacity are vital for plants exposed to prolonged drought or water shortage.

Collage of electron microscope images of soil microorganisms

Soil MicrobesPhoto credit: USDA-ARS, Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville, MD USA

Soil organisms are the largest segment of your operation's labor force numbering in the billions. Take care of your employees and they will take care of your operation!


Take a Virtual Tour

*Points on map are relative to nearest town, not exact to protect privacy*


Idaho 5 for 5 flyer logo with images of soil health promoting practices in the corners, circle of soil soil health topics in the middle. The NRCS soil health principles emblem is the bullseye in the middle of the circle of topics.

Example Soil Health Discussion Topics

5 for 5

Soil Health Round Tables

Presenters were given 5 minutes and 5 slides to share their soil health research projects and practices across the state of Idaho. If you missed the live meetings, you can watch the recordings. Thank you to all the presenters for sharing your experiences! Next round recording coming soon!


"I Dig Healthy Soil" emblem with a shovel and ladybug on green background

I dig healthy soil

Conservation Practices

These practices support soil health

Practice 327 -  Conservation Cover 

Practice 340 -  Cover Crop 

Practice 484 -  Mulching 

Practice 528 -  Prescribed Grazing 

Soil Health Technical Note No. 450-04 The Basics of Addressing Resource Concerns with Conservation Practices within Integrated Soil Health Management Systems on Cropland

Snapshot of Soil Health Practices Applied in Idaho from 2005 to 2019

New National Practices:


Pile of seeds from several different plant species with a variety of color, shape, and sizes.

Seed mix

Cover Crops

Things to consider when planning:

•Site preparation

•Early weed control

•Timing and species (adequate growing season)

•Crop rotation/diversity

•Seed quality   (bin run, PLS, certified)

•Seeding method seed-soil contact (broadcast vs. drilling)

•Seed size/seeding depth

•Legume inoculation

•Moisture management (cover benefits, water use)

•Residue management (cash crop) before & after cover crop emergence

•Nutrient cycling (C:N ratio, residual N, living roots)

•Weed, insect & disease management

•Termination method/timing -Know how you are going to terminate before you plant; Herbicide carryover/label restrictions

•Economics-Yield impacts, cost of establishment, soil improvement

•Seeding Time frame

Cover crop periodic table

Idaho Cover Crop Periodic Table

Cover crop periodic table notes

Idaho Cover Crop Periodic Table, page 2

Species Selection

Things to consider:

Growth Cycle- Perennial, Biennial, Annual

Above ground- (erect, viney, spreading, single/multi-stemmed, height, leaf character)

Root architecture- (tap, fibrous, rhizomatous, depth)

Rate of growth- (also differs by growth stage i.e. seedling vigor)

Chemical composition- (allelopathy, C:N ratio, root exudates)

Tolerance to stress- (drainage, pH, shade, low fertility)

Time to flowering- (termination or self seeding issue)

Pest resistance or susceptibility 

Cow grazing cover crop with turnip

Pacific Northwest Cover Crop Selection Tool

This  Cover Crop Selection Tool  for Idaho, Oregon, and Washington is intended as a guide to help growers and conservation planners select cover crop species adapted to their climate, soils, and the desired goal of the cover crop. It was jointly developed by the Plant Material Centers in  Idaho ,  Oregon , and  Washington .

screenshot of the Pacific Northwest Cover Crop Selection Tool user interface

An example of what the tool looks like

Young-Mathews, A., P. Pavek, and D. Tilley. 2016. Pacific Northwest Cover Crop Selection Tool. West NTSC Plant Materials Technical Note No. 2. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Portland, OR.

Western Cover Crop Council

The Western Cover Crops Council is an organization of members that are interested in cover crops. All of our members live or work in a State or Territory within the  Western SARE  region. The mission of the Western Cover Crops Council is to facilitate and enhance communication and collaboration that promotes the successful adoption and integration of cover cropping into Western U.S. agricultural systems.

Aberdeen Plant Materials Center

The staff at Idaho's PMC are a great resource. They have a number of publications of interest on their website such as Technical Note No.69  Calibrating a Seed Drill For Cover Crop Mixtures , Technical Note No.4:  Evaluation of Cool Season Cover Crops in the Northwest Region , or the report entitled O ne Year Evaluation of Warm Season Cover Crops in the Intermountain West . The PMC is also currently working on a project to determine cover crop seeding rates for Idaho, report coming soon!


Economics

coins

Is shifting gears to promote soil health worth it?

Do you want to make your operation more resilient to extreme weather events?

Do you want to reduce your dependence on outside inputs?

Do you want to not only sustain but improve your operation to pass on to the next generation?

If you answered yes to the previous questions, then yes it is worth it.

$$$If you want to try to put a dollar amount on that change there are a few ways to try to define the monetary value.

“When we realized that we could use less passes across the field, then it all became economic. So, the economics were a huge part, especially because in farming it seems like margins are tighter and tighter every year.” ~Idaho Producer

Cowboy Math

cowboy math showing approximate savings for implementing soil health principles per acre

Potential savings per acre doing cowboy math

The Soil Health Division at NRCS has developed a new training module called "Social and Economic Considerations for Soil Health." This training presents some interesting back of the envelope calculations.

"Adopting a soil health conservation system is a long-term investment" NRCS Staff


snapshot of an EKG

"Just like soil degradation does not happen over night, improving soil health also takes time"

Monitoring

Much like monitoring your own health there are a variety of tests available from simple and cheap to complex and more costly. Perhaps you see your own medical professional once a year for an annual exam. You might choose to do an annual check-up on your operation using the Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment or a soil health card. Over time you can compare the results to establish a trend. Are your management decisions building the soil up or tearing it down?

Idaho Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Worksheet

Idaho Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Worksheet

Use the button above to download a pdf version of the assessment

Tach Note 450-06 Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Guide

The guide provides plenty of details on filling out the in-field assessment.

Examples of soil properties to measure and track

  • Soil organic matter => nutrient retention; soil fertility; soil structure; soil stability; and soil erosion
  • Physical: bulk density, infiltration, soil structure and macropores, soil depth, and water holding capacity => retention and transport of water and nutrients; habitat for soil microbes; estimate of crop productivity potential; compaction, plow pan, water movement; porosity; and workability
  • Chemical: electrical conductivity, reactive carbon, soil nitrate, soil pH, and extractable phosphorus and potassium => biological and chemical activity thresholds; plant and microbial activity thresholds; and plant available nutrients and potential for N and P loss
  • Biological: earthworms, microbial biomass C and N, particulate organic matter, potentially mineralizable N, soil enzymes, soil respiration, and total organic carbon => microbial catalytic potential and repository for C and N; soil productivity and N supplying potential; and microbial activity measure
Small soil pit looking at the upper foot of the profile

Making soil observations

Take a shovel to the field, you can learn a lot about your soil in the upper foot.


Soil Your Undies

Conservationist holding a pair of cotton briefs in an ag field with a hole dug to bury them in.

Steve Schuyler, Twin Falls District Conservationist getting ready to bury some briefs

This simple soil health test only requires a fresh pair of 100% cotton underwear and a shovel.

First plant your undies in the field your studying. Make sure to mark the spot so you can find them again.

Cotton briefs buried in ag field with just waistband showing and a marker

Briefs are buried with the waistband just above the surface and a site marker is added

Wait at least 60 days for the microbes to break down the organic matter (cotton). (In the Magic Valley they waited 8 weeks).

Harvest

Analysis - the healthier your soil the less underwear will be left (nothing but the elastic waist band is indicative of a healthy soil). Compare different fields and management.

Soil Your Undies Campaign Sites

*Points on map are relative to county not exact to protect privacy*


Programs

Will it work in my area?

Yes, in general the scientific principles behind the soil health initiative are universal. However, every operation is different with it's own unique set of challenges and natural resource concerns. The details of conservation practice implementation will vary by locale and operation. Need some help figuring it all out? Want to find out if your eligible for our  programs  and cost share benefits?

EQIP program logo with woman in ag field holding box of produce

Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP )

NOTE: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Contact your local NRCS office - with one located in most counties help is not far away!


Virtual Field Days

Check out what some Idaho producers are trying on their operations right now at these virtual field days. The videos are a collaboration between the University of Idaho and NRCS.


photo from above of a cover crop mix in an ag field, very lush and green

Cover crop mix

Soil Health Strategy

Purpose: The Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service recognizes that healthy functioning soil is the foundation for all working lands in Idaho. Investing in conservation practices to improve soil health enhances conservation and fosters agricultural sustainability.

Idaho NRCS works with landowners, partners, and communities to keep Idaho's working lands viable through resource conservation. To provide the best return on our nation ' s conservation investment, we are integrating soil health concepts into the delivery of technical and financial assistance using these goals:

1. Provide leadership in soil health across the state

2. Increase adoption of soil health practices throughout the state

3. Provide training to NRCS staff and partners

4. Inventory, share, and develop soil health technical resources

5. Use outreach and education to promote adoption of soil health practices

6. Capitalize on partnerships to expand use and technical knowledge of soil health


Contact Us

For more information on NRCS programs and services across the state of Idaho contact your local field office:

Or the folks at the state office:

Additional Soil Health Contacts

NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist, Nick Sirovatka at nick.sirovatka@usda.gov

University of Idaho Soil Health Instructor, Courtney Cosdon at ccosdon@uidaho.edu 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Other Idaho Soil Health related groups:

Soil Health Minute Newsletter:

Cover page of first edition of the new Soil Health Minute Newsletter

Cover page of first edition of the newsletter

YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDAHO SOIL HEALTH EMAIL LIST AND SOIL HEALTH MINUTE NEWSLETTER FOLLOWING THESE STEPS: 1. Copy and paste this address: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/subscriber/new? preferences=true#tab 2. Scroll to the bottom of the email and click “manage subscriptions” 3. Under “subscription topics”, scroll down to Idaho, expand and select “ID-State NRCS Soil Health”

Credits

Soil Food Web Section

Shawn Nield, Idaho State Soil Scientist

Soil Your Undies Campaign

University of Idaho staff

Storymap Designer & Originator

Shanna Bernal-Fields, Resource Soil Scientist

Coarse loamy soil under cover crop showing good structure, porosity, and worm content in SW Idaho.

Four Soil Health Principles

Nematode. Photo credit: USDA-ARS, Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville, MD USA

Soil MicrobesPhoto credit: USDA-ARS, Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville, MD USA

Example Soil Health Discussion Topics

I dig healthy soil

Seed mix

Idaho Cover Crop Periodic Table

Idaho Cover Crop Periodic Table, page 2

An example of what the tool looks like

Potential savings per acre doing cowboy math

Idaho Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Worksheet

The guide provides plenty of details on filling out the in-field assessment.

Making soil observations

Steve Schuyler, Twin Falls District Conservationist getting ready to bury some briefs

Briefs are buried with the waistband just above the surface and a site marker is added

Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP )

Cover crop mix

Cover page of first edition of the newsletter