Healthy Soil: It's of Growing Significance

On an arctic winter morning in mid-January, I navigate my way through the sleepy Downtown Commons in Ithaca, New York, ascend a steep icy hill and arrive in front of a magnificent greenhouse structure located next to Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

I receive a warm welcome from Professor Michael A. Rutzke, PhD, who serves as director of the school’s Nutrient Lab. I also have the privilege of meeting Kristen Kurtz, manager of the Cornell Soil Health Laboratory, and Robert Schindelbeck, extension associate at the Department of Soil and Crop Science.

In addition to working at Cornell, Rutzke, Kurtz and Schindelbeck are skilled farmers who share an optimistic outlook on the role science is playing in soil health, sustainable farming and the future of agriculture. They explain how controlled growing environments like greenhouses, hoop houses and container gardens are helping scientists study the effects soil has on plants, animals, human beings and the environment—and also to monitor levels of nitrates, metals, vitamins and nutrients in plant life.

Kurtz and Schindelbeck continue to enlighten me with interesting facts about New York State’s farmers, who rank among the top five national producers of apples, carrots, onions, cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, peas and dairy products. They explain why it is better to eat in season and consume produce that has not been sitting on shelves for long periods. They also give me a copy of Cornell University’s Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health.

This insightful learning tool is available to farmers in New York State and around the world who are interested in learning about how healthy their soil is, and how well it’s functioning. Farmers may also submit a soil sample to the Cornell Soil Health Testing Laboratory for a modest fee.

Kurtz and Schindelbeck show me an example of how a Comprehensive Soil Health report looks after a soil sample has been tested. It resembles a color-coded lab report for routine blood work, and shows the sample’s physical, biological and chemical makeup. The report also features percentages of sand, silt and clay, plus the Type of Soil (Collamer Silt Loam) and Soil Textural Class (Silt Loam).

Three categories at the end of the report show the Value, Ratings and Constraints of this particular soil sample. The Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health manual explains how “measuring constraints in soil helps identify priorities for targeting management efforts.” An Overall Quality Score is also featured on the report, which indicates the soil’s overall health status.

Along with these test results, farmers receive suggestions for how to care for their soil. For example, if test results indicate that soil is low in pH, a short-term management suggestion may be to add lime or wood ash. Low pH levels may also mandate the need for long-term management practices, which can range from testing soil annually to adding “maintenance” lime or increasing organic matter. Cornell is also able to assign an extension associate like Schindelbeck to work with farmers on implementing sustainable management practices that are beneficial to their soil health, crops, land and the environment.