Most decisions are made in the day-to-day work of livestock farming, with the aim of soil fertility to improve and protect.
Limit soil disturbance
Limit mechanical, chemical and physical disturbance of the soil. Tillage operations disrupt the soil structure. It is in fact a breakdown of the “house” that nature builds to protect living organisms in the soil that create the natural soil fertility. The soil structure consists of aggregates and pores (openings through which water can infiltrate the soil). The result of tillage is soil erosion, wasting a precious natural resource.
Ground cover
Keep the soil covered at all times. This is an important step towards the recovery of the soil health. Bare soil is “abnormal” in nature – nature always wants to be “covered”. This protects the soil against wind and water erosion, while at the same time providing food and a habitat for macro- and micro-organisms.
It also prevents moisture evaporation and the germination of weed seeds.
Biodiversity
Strive for diversity of both plants and animals. Where in nature do you find monoculture? Only where man has placed them!
Als je uitkijkt over een stuk inheems grasland, is één van de eerste dingen die je opvalt de “biodiversiteit”. Grasses, clovers, flowers and herbs all live in harmony with each other. Think about what each of these plant species has to offer. Some have shallow roots and some have deep roots. Some are high carbon, some are low carbon. Each of them plays an important role in maintaining soil health.
Diversity improves ecosystem functions.
Living roots
Keep as many live roots in the soil as possible all year round. Take a walk in early spring and you'll see green plants making their way through the last of the snow. Follow the same path in late fall or early winter and you still see green, growing plants, which is a sign of living roots. The living roots nourish the soil biology by providing the basic nutrient source; Carbon. Biology, in turn, feeds the nutrient cycle that feeds the plants.
Integrate animals
Nature does not function well without animals. It's that simple. Integrating animals provides many benefits. The big advantage is that plant grazing stimulates the plants to pump more carbon into the soil. This stimulates the nutrient cycle by feeding the biology. Of course, it also has a major, positive impact on climate change by taking more carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil. And if you want a healthy, functioning ecosystem on your farm, you should not only provide a home and living environment for cows, sheep, pigs, horses, etc.
But also to pollinators, insects, earthworms and all microbiologists who control the functions of the ecosystem.
