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SW Saskatchewan | After a lifetime of experience dry( and I mean DRY)land farming, I consider OM as valuable as a source of nitrogen, but as an aid to better crops by itself, I remain unconvinced.
A high OM soil, as freshly farmed native Prairie, suffers from being open and allowing too MUCH air penetration. And as the air comes in, it also leaves. But not at the 7% RH it entered at but carrying as much water as it can steal.
No till has been the savior for us, not for the OM in the soil, but the OM on the surface that prevents the "blow-outs" that Marv talks about. Plus the shading benefits, snow catching etc.
And if anyone in the dry prairies were successful in ever growing a crop of clover or whatever, I'm sure it would be most valuable as cattle feed!
Have a good one. | |
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