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Seymour, IL | I am much in the camp of AVP.... but with that said, much of what drives "mining the soil" has been around for much longer than I have been alive.
I know when I started in Extension in the early 80's, owners were concerned with their farms being 'mined'
from the Illinois cash farm lease:
Page 2, Fixed Cash Lease-Short Form – Farmdoc Form CL-SF 14-1201
SECTION 4. LESSEE-TENANT'S DUTIES IN OPERATING FARM
2. To maintain the soil pH at 6.0 or higher (not to exceed a pH of 6.8) and to maintain soil fertility levels. Lessee-Tenant will apply
limestone as appropriate to maintain this minimum pH level and will apply N, P, and K fertilizers at rates that, at a minimum, will
replace the net N, P, and K expected to be used by the crops to be grown. (See Section 5, Clause A, for provisions regarding
reimbursement of Lessee-Tenant for limestone.)
seems pretty straightforward.
I have studied soil health quite extensively, and while there are some great things it does, it does not create fertility on its own.
It mostly seems a new name to the "complex crop rotations" we studied in agronomy in the 70's.
I am all for an operation improving, an industry improving; but trying to rewrite the basic outlines of agronomy do not seem to be the best place to start.
cheers
bryon | |
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Can we agree on a definition of mining the soil?
