1. Keep soil covered
In nature, bare soil is an anomaly. Cover is critical to protect soil from wind and water erosion, provide food and habitat for macro- and microorganisms, buffer soil temperature, cut down on evaporation and make the most out of scarce water resources. Grow living plants year round or protect the soil by applying mulch or keeping plant residue on the ground.
2. Minimize soil disturbance on cropland & minimize external inputs
Both physical and chemical disturbance can harm soil life, therefore synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides should be avoided as much as possible. Alternatively, compost boosts soil health, promoting stronger plants and resilience towards disease, and supporting soil microbes that feed directly on parasites.
Tillage destroys soil structure, including aggregates and pore spaces that allow water to infiltrate the soil, leading to erosion.
On rangeland however, carefully timed disturbance by herd animals can have a positive effect, helping to disperse seed, collect rainwater and fertilize the ground.
Diversity above ground is mirrored below. Each animal, plant, or insect plays a role in maintaining soil health. Together they provide a varied diet for soil microorganisms, break disease cycles and create habitat for wildlife and pollinators. Nature does not know monocultures! On rangeland, adaptive grazing* can restore species diversity on rangeland, enhancing ecosystem function and resilience.
4. Maintain living roots
Soil organisms cluster around roots, where they exchange nutrients with plants. Those living roots provide their basic food source: carbon. In turn, the soil microbiome fuels the plant nutrient cycle. To ensure roots in the ground year-round, plant perennials or multi-species cover crops, or encourage a variety of warm and cool season grasses through adaptive grazing*.
5. Integrate animals
A healthy ecosystem provides habitat for animals large and small. Ruminants can be used to graze cover crops, beneficial insects find food and shelter in hedgerows or pollinator strips, and earthworms thrive in healthy soil.
The grasslands of the arid Southwest once flourished under the impact of grazing and browsing animals. Today, New Mexico’s ranchers can play an important role in restoring rangelands by practicing adaptive stewardship. Adaptive grazing is essential for soil health: mimicking migratory herds of ungulates, animals are moved quickly through pastures, allowing adequate recovery time.
6. Know your context
Every place has its unique history, strengths and vulnerabilities. Understanding the context of the land –including farm or ranch history, goals and objectives, desired profits, production system, and markets– is central to being a good caretaker and will inform how best to apply the soil health principles.
*What is Adaptive Grazing (also called mob grazing, rest-rotation, high-intensity or holistic grazing)?
Adaptive grazing imitates historical grazing patterns of herd animals with livestock. Animals are moved quickly through pastures in a dense formation and adequate recovery time is ensured before the same area is grazed again. Adaptive grazing is never prescriptive –instead, grazing decisions are based on continuous observation and monitoring of available forage. This is essential for soil health on rangelands.
Sources:
https://www.nmhealthysoil.org/2020/03/10/from-dirt-to-soil-using-the-5-principles-of-soil-health/
https://soilhealthacademy.org/blog/adaptive-stewardship-what-does-it-really-mean/
More about the Soil Health Principles on the NM Healthy Soil Blog
How New Mexico farmers and ranchers apply these principles