Also there’s an issue with soil microbes and soil exhaustion. It’s been a minute since I heard about it, but I had a friend at a government lab who was testing soil in various areas, and found a shockingly low number of crop cycles before the soil is depleted into a dead substance. So that’ll be neat because we sure won’t reckon with it in advance.
The movie Interstellar depicted dust storms caused by something called blight. I like to think it was due to the soils being so depleted of nutrients that crops would no longer grow causing the soil to essentially suffocate the planet.
The “dead substance” for soil doesn’t exist on the planet. There is always something going on.
First off there is no “normal” level of soil microbial activity. Every native soil varies dramatically in species composition and activity. The highest species activity is usually undisturbed native soil. This is due the varied plant species producing a vast complex of chemicals that effect the microbiome & lots of plant material being decomposed (mostly carbohydrates).
All types agriculture causes massive environmental damage without exceptions. Organic agriculture is overall the most damaging to the environment per Kg produced. Next is conventional farming non-irrigated. Then is irrigated production in arid environments. The least damaging is protected culture (greenhouses, screenhouses etc) because of the massive increase in production/acre.
In agriculture the soil microbial activity and species varies dramatically with different crops and soil types. The amount of microbial activity is mostly linked to available carbohydrates and fertility. Soil microbial activity is only weakly correlated to agricultural productivity. High microbial activity can compete with plants for nutrients. Low microbial activity is usually linked to nutrients being unavailable.
Also there’s an issue with soil microbes and soil exhaustion. It’s been a minute since I heard about it, but I had a friend at a government lab who was testing soil in various areas, and found a shockingly low number of crop cycles before the soil is depleted into a dead substance. So that’ll be neat because we sure won’t reckon with it in advance.
Is that what caused the dust bowl?
I always get sad when I see a new subdivision and they plow all the topsoil into a huge mound and do nothing with it.
That takes thousands of years to generate a few inches! It’s as precious as gold.
They’re not doing “nothing” with it. They typically sell it to a topsoil dealer so you can buy it back at a much higher price!
The movie Interstellar depicted dust storms caused by something called blight. I like to think it was due to the soils being so depleted of nutrients that crops would no longer grow causing the soil to essentially suffocate the planet.
The “dead substance” for soil doesn’t exist on the planet. There is always something going on.
First off there is no “normal” level of soil microbial activity. Every native soil varies dramatically in species composition and activity. The highest species activity is usually undisturbed native soil. This is due the varied plant species producing a vast complex of chemicals that effect the microbiome & lots of plant material being decomposed (mostly carbohydrates).
All types agriculture causes massive environmental damage without exceptions. Organic agriculture is overall the most damaging to the environment per Kg produced. Next is conventional farming non-irrigated. Then is irrigated production in arid environments. The least damaging is protected culture (greenhouses, screenhouses etc) because of the massive increase in production/acre.
In agriculture the soil microbial activity and species varies dramatically with different crops and soil types. The amount of microbial activity is mostly linked to available carbohydrates and fertility. Soil microbial activity is only weakly correlated to agricultural productivity. High microbial activity can compete with plants for nutrients. Low microbial activity is usually linked to nutrients being unavailable.