Skincare for your Soil
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
The soil’s skin is the interface between the surface of the soil and the atmosphere. Caring for it , according to certified crop advisor Tom Kilcer, is critical for building soil health and structure…
“We talk about soil health and soil structure, but a lot of people ignore that thin layer where the two pieces meet. And, by ignoring it, it gets pounded with rain. It seals over so then air can’t move in.”
Water also has a problem absorbing and, at the end of the day, it can cause havoc with your soil health. So where are the parallels to skincare for you and your soil? Well, I’d say the similarities stop in the wording. Kilcer gave tips for caring for the former in a cotton system…
“The biggest piece would be looking into cover crops because that’s part of the cycle. When you take your cotton off, the time that it’s left there until you’re planting again, you could be growing another crop that improves the soil.
He says one cover crop has been doing very well for some farmers and, along with protecting soil health, is also adding another cash crop. Tom Kilcer will join us again in tomorrow’s program to share those details.
