Soil & SOM
Soil Organic Matter (SOM) is important for an efficient farming system, as it improves the soil's structure and increases the water holding capacity. Also, it helps to sequester carbon in the soil.
The application of compost brings organic material back to the soil which is a considerable benefit, given the fact that the loss of Soil Organic Matter (SOM) is a worldwide problem.
This loss is mainly caused by too intensive agricultural systems based on high chemical and mechanical inputs.
A high SOM content in agricultural soils provides farmers with some important benefits which are not only of financial nature.
Below a list with the most important advantages:
- Improvement of the soil’s structure: A higher amount of SOM leads to a better structure of the soil.
- Improved biological disease suppression capacity: Soils with a higher amount of SOM tend to have a more intensive biological activity. The soil’s food web (which is fed with organic material) is more active. An active soil life leads to an improved biological disease suppression capacity.
- Reduced erosion: A higher amount of SOM enables water to infiltrate into the soil more easily. This leads to less runoff of water on the soil surface and reduces erosion in mountain areas drastically.
- A higher efficiency of applied nutrients: Nutrients applied to fields with a high amount of SOM tend to be used more efficiently. This is caused by an increase in the soil’s Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC).
- Possible reduction in water use: In some areas, the amount of water used can be reduced in soils with a higher SOM content. This is induced by a higher soil water holding capacity (field capacity (FC) - wilting point (WP)). This benefit is very valuable, especially in areas that might be suffering of water scarcity in the future.
- Better resilience against unstable and severe weather conditions: Climate change leads to unstable weather and environmental conditions. A higher amount of SOM can help the soil to become more resilient against these new developments.
- Mitigation of climate change: SOM consists for a large part of carbon. By storing this carbon in soils in form of SOM, you prevent it from contributing to global warming.
Soil & More is taking part in several research projects focusing on SOM and more precisely on how soils can be enriched with SOM the most efficiently.
Further soil research topics include the mechanisms of storing and releasing carbon in soils and the effect of SOM on a farm’s total GHG balance.
Another topic of investigation is the measurement of above mentioned parameters in soils with different SOM content.
Soil & More explores the relations between the soil’s structure, texture and SOM. Goal is to define how the soil’s hydro-physical properties can be influenced in order to reduce the usage of irrigation water.