Farm productivity depends on more than just yield. It’s built on the foundation of healthy, biologically active soil. By fostering strong microbial communities and reducing tillage, you can boost long-term productivity, improve soil health, and lower input costs for a more resilient operation.
Farming is a business. And like all businesses, there are short-term and long-term goals. Balanced soil microbiology is tied to farm productivity and a strong economic model on your farm.
The microbial communities and invertebrates in soil offer a wide range of environmental services that benefit soil health and crop productivity. Soil microbes play a key role in pest control, water cycle, decomposition and nutrient fixation, organic matter decomposition, and climate regulation, just to name a few.
When yield is your only metric, you underestimate the value of your farming practices and the long-term value of your farm. It’s easy to put a dollar figure on yield, but it’s more difficult to determine the economic value of critical microbial environmental services. Yet we all know long-term and short-term yield and profits depend on soil health.
Metrics for Long-Term Farm Productivity and Profitability
Yield has been the only farm productivity metric for quite some time, but it shouldn’t be. Soil health metrics link the entire farm ecosystem. Soil organic matter, pH, nutrient cycling, and soil density all correlate to higher yields.
Soil Organic Matter
When your soil is alive with strong beneficial microbial communities, your fields build topsoil at a faster rate. A healthy microcosm provides a wealth of environmental services.
Water Quality
This is not only about testing your irrigation water for salts. It’s also about measuring how well water percolates into your soil, how long it stays in your soil, and how available it is to plant roots. These benefits are functions of soil organic matter and microbial content.
Nutrient Cycling Efficiency
Microorganisms break down organic nutrients into plant-available forms. In a world of increasing input prices, you want your input dollars to go as far as possible. Soil microbes increase nutrient cycling efficiency exponentially.
Rethinking Tilling
A tilled field is a tidy field. None of your neighbors will complain that your fields are messy. So, isn’t tidy a good thing? Maybe in your tool shed. But let’s take a closer look at how tidying up your field impacts your bottom line.
Cultivation or tillage makes a field look nice and easy to plant into. It also destroys soil structure, kills soil microorganisms (the majority of which are beneficial), and causes erosion. What it leaves behind is bacteria, some of which are pathogens that can harm your farm productivity. Most cultivated land in the United States is bacteria dominant. It requires more inputs to achieve a yield than soils thriving microbiomes.
Beneficial soil bacteria are used as an additive to chemical fertilizers in an integrated plant nutrient management system. Beneficial bacteria are invaluable for crops to achieve their full genetic potential. There are five main functions of bacteria in soil:
- Supply nutrients to crops
- Stimulate plant growth
- Protect against plant pathogens
- Improve soil structure
- Store nutrients to decrease leaching
Plant-microbe-soil interactions are complex. Incorporating microbials in your farm management system decreases the need for inputs because everything works more efficiently.
Having your field soil tested for microbial count is the first big step in increasing soil fertility and ultimately higher farm productivity and nutritional value in your crops. There are several tests for soil biology, but we recommend the Haney and the PLFA (Phospholipid Fatty Acid) tests. They work well in tandem. You have to know where you are before you can start on the path to greater soil health.
The mentors at ST Biologicals can help you implement soil testing and other regenerative ag strategies at your operations. Get in touch with us today. We’re here to help you succeed. When soil speaks, we listen.
Farm Productivity FAQs
Why is soil biology important for farm profitability?
Soil microbes improve nutrient cycling, water retention, and pest control, helping crops reach their full potential while reducing the need for costly synthetic inputs.
What are some better metrics than yield for measuring farm productivity?
Soil organic matter, microbial activity, water quality, and nutrient cycling efficiency provide a more complete picture of long-term soil and farm health than yield alone.
How does tilling affect soil biology and farm profits?
Tillage destroys soil structure, kills beneficial microorganisms, and promotes erosion. As a result, you have higher input costs and reduced soil fertility over time.
How can I start improving soil health on my farm?
Begin with soil biology testing, such as the Haney or PLFA tests, and work with a mentor or consultant to integrate microbial amendments and regenerative practices into your management plan.
