Buy a subscription

Home Contact Sitemap login Checkout

Farming Smarter

Farming Smarter
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Who We Are
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
  • What We Do
    • What We Do
    • Agronomy Research
    • Custom Research
    • Field Tested
    • Knowledge & Network
  • What We Offer
    • What We Offer
    • Events
      • Events
      • Farmers Learning Series
      • Agronomist Learning Series
    • Research Projects
      • Research Projects
      • Agronomy Research Projects
      • Field Tested Projects
      • Custom Research Projects
    • Subscriptions
      • Subscriptions
      • FS Agronomy Subscription
      • FS Digital Subscription
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Smart Partner Program
    • Speakers
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved
    • Sponsorship
    • I want to help!
    • With On-farm Research
    • With Product Testing
    • With Small Plot Research
    • Jobs
    • Internship Opportunities
    • Volunteer!
    • Support Research!
  • Learning Resources
    • Learning Resources
    • Online Classroom (CEU)
    • News Articles
    • Videos
    • Magazine
    • Publications & Reports
      • Publications & Reports
      • Published Papers
      • Research Reports
    • Podcasts
    • 360 Videos
Print This Page

Alberta Soil Health Benchmarking

Alberta Soil Health Benchmark

Alberta Soil Health Benchmark

Provincial baseline for managing and improving the productive capacity, and sustainability, of our soils.

Project Abstract

There is an increasing interest in the link between soil health, plant health and ultimately food quality. Society is also concerned with carbon both in the air and soil. Since carbon and soil health are very closely connected, management practices that improve carbon sequestration will result in healthy soil and nutritious food products.

The status and functionality of soil should be measured not only by its chemical (fertility) properties but also for its physical and biological properties. In Canada, commercial soil testing labs have intensively evaluated the chemical components of soil. Chemical fertility recommendations are typically based on this knowledge. The role of soil biology, however, is not well understood and physical characteristics go unmonitored.

Evaluation of biological soil characteristics has only become available during the past few years in laboratories in the United States and more recently eastern Canada. The existing biological labs do not base analysis and recommendations on parameters specifically related to Alberta soils. CARA's Soil Health Lab, under the direction of Dr. Yamily Zavala, provides a unique service in evaluating soil health constraint indicators.

A biological and physical baseline developed within the province will provide a framework that can help define strategies for managing and improving the productive capacity, and sustainability, of our soils. A diverse micro-biological underground community may contribute to an overall healthier soil, including improved carbon sequestration. Improved aggregation stability will also contribute to enhanced carbon levels in the soil.

Healthy soils produce healthy plants resulting in a higher quality food product.

Project Details

Timeline 2019-2022
Principal Investigator: Yamily Zavala 
CARA (Chinook Applied Research Association)
Project Contact: Trevor Deering
Funded By:

CAP, Canada (49% yr. 1 & 30% yr. 2-4), CARA (38% yr. 1 & 22% yr. 2-4), Farming Smarter (13% each year)


Image 1: Trevor Deering with participants of the 2019 Farming Smarter Plot Hop conducting infiltration tests.

Project Objectives

Full breakdown of project objectives

Trailor Icon Improve the understanding of soil health parameters among Alberta producers
Trailor Icon Establish soil health benchmarks by quantifying the level of various soil health parameters at 200 sites across Alberta which encompass a broad range of soil types and management systems.
Trailor Icon Monitor how management practices affect soil health parameters during a 3-year time frame.

Methods

Full breakdown of project methods

Collaborators or Locations

Lethbridge, AB
Hill Spring, AB
Hilda, AB


The other partners sample other parts of Central and Northern Alberta. A map of locations and soil health is expected following the final CARA report.

Treatments

Trailor Icon

20 soil samples will be collected by each participating group in 2018, 2019, and 2020 for the benchmark portion; the project will allow for farmers to include additional samples in the benchmark inventory if they wish at their own expense. See Table 1 for Farming Smarter's sampling schedule

Trailor Icon No specific land use criteria will be used for site selection other than a willing and interested landowner who has good records of management history for the site; it is anticipated the 60 samples will be a cross-section of crop, forage, and native pasture under various management regimes
Trailor Icon CARA's Soil Health Sampling Protocol will be utilized in the collection of all samples
Trailor Icon

GPS coordinates will be recorded for each site

Trailor Icon

Site history will be documented

Trailor Icon

In addition to 20 new sites per year, sites will be re-visited 3 years after the benchmark and sampled again to monitor the impact of management activities



Measurements

Measurements

  • Parameters that will be analyzed:
    • Physical (on-site or at CARA Lab):
      • wet aggregation stability (Cornell University protocol)
      • compaction (penetrometer)
      • bulk density (by weight/volume measurement)
      • texture (Bouyoucos hydrometer method)
    • Biological (CARA Lab Food Soil Web protocol except as noted)
      • active carbon
      • C:N ratio (U of A)
      • soil microbial respiration
      • active & total bacteria
      • active & total fungi
      • nematode functional groups
      • protozoa functional groups
    • Chemical (commercial labs)
      • organic matter, pH, EC, etc.
      • N, P, K
      • Micronutrients


Results

Sign in or subscribe to view

Farming Smarter

211034 Hwy 512, Lethbridge County, AB
T1J 5N9 Canada

Quick Links

Who We Are

What We Do

What We Offer

Get Involved

Learning Resources

More

Staff Directory

Contact

Copyright © Farming Smarter 2023. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions