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Soil Management for Soil Health: Personal Career Experience

Join Jean Louis Daigle, a retired soil conservationist and engineer, as he shares his 40 years of experience in soil conservation and key observations on the family farm. Learn about the challenges and reflections on soil health pilot projects and strategies needed for long-term sustainability.

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Soil Management for Soil Health: Personal Career Experience

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  1. Haut de la Rivière Saint-Jean, Grand-Sault, N.-B. Soil Management and Conservation Strategies to address soil physical aspects of Soil Health : A personal career experience Jean Louis Daigle Retired Soil Conservationist & Engineer Digging into Soil Health Atlantic Conference Novembre 17 2016 Moncton, NB

  2. Context, challenges and reflections • My career experience as a soil conservationist (40 years) and key observations on the family farm • Change of attitudes and behaviors ! • Soil Health Pilot Project experience with PNB • What is needed and key messages ? • Strategies needed to achieve long term sustainability ?

  3. The Health of Our Soils – La santé de nos sols (1995) AAFC / AAC

  4. State of the NB St John River Basin • What is the State of our Soils ? • What are the public perceptions about agriculture? • What are the societal and economic benefits of BMPs and Soil Health ???

  5. 1980’s 1940’s A remote sensing Pilot project 1980 using infrared & historical photography source: Canada Centre Remote Sensing 2011

  6. Soil Physical Aspects & Soil Health Challenges • Soil erosion and sediment control • Soil degradation • Historical land use aspect • Soil drainage & compaction • Soil texture and aggregate stability • Landscape, topography and climate change

  7. Understanding Soil Texture & field variability & soil physical conditions • available water capacity • surface and subsurface hardness • aggregate stability

  8. Impact of cultural practices on soildegradation vs soilhealth Less O.M. amendments Excessive tillage Row cropping Monoculture Field operations in wet conditions Poor drainage Practices: Suite of BMPs Depletion of soilorganicmatter Breakdown soil structure Soil Compaction Degradation Soil Health Soilerosion Sustainability Impacts Loss of soilproductivity (yield & quality) Lost of Soilnutrients pesticides Water contamination

  9. Soil Erosion & Sedimentation Its impacts on soil health, soil physical conditions and the environment : • sediments • nutrients • pesticides • water quality

  10. Weather conditions Soil Health conditions High Intensity rainstorms • Dense, compact slowly permeable subsoils • Poorly structured surface soils • Shallow soil materials over bedrock NW NB - 40 mm intense Rainfall during 15 min

  11. Climate change and variability Ex. Black Brook Watershed Study- Grand Falls, NB

  12. 25 yrs storm events & frequency

  13. Soil Drainage & Degradation

  14. Soil Management & Compaction

  15. Soil Compaction & Tile Drainage

  16. Family Farm – DaigleAll land under soil conservations systemsand crop rotation Home farm Other farm blocs

  17. Family Farm Experience

  18. McCain’s Champion Grower in 2013in Grand Falls Region Soil Health and Potato Quality

  19. Key initiatives & pilot projects in NBwhich brought some awareness to Soil Health • NBSCIA initiative and workshop (2011) • NB Soil Health Working Group (AANB, NBSCIA, ECSWCC, AAFC & NBDA 2011-2012) – setting the stage.. And key directions…. • ECSWCC & Potatoes NB initiative with CAAP funding (2012-2013 for 18 months)

  20. Soil Health Pilot Project ’Soil Quality Project in Potato Production: A Systematic Approach to Addressing Soil Sustainability in Northwestern New Brunswick’ was funded by the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP) through the New Brunswick Agricultural Council (NBAC) Funding is gratefully acknowledged and participation of Potato Producers and Cooperators

  21. PNB – ECSWCC pilot projectactivities(mid-summer 2012 to Dec 2013) • Summer and fall 2012 • Selection of producercooperators & innovatorswith PNB • PNB sub-contractwith CCNB (ECSWCC) • Grain yield monitor data & intensive soilhealth tests (4 fields) • Winter and spring 2013 • Intensive soilhealth tests • Fall 2013 • Potato hand yieldsampling on same 6 fields & same location as the soil tests using GPS

  22. Extensive Soil Health field evaluation

  23. Soil Health - Santé des sols

  24. Soil Health scores Vs grain yields field management history

  25. Conferences and Workshops on soil management and soil health with Industry

  26. What is needed & key messages ? • Establishing better linkages between : • Environmental & Economical Sustainability and Soil Health • Use innovative and management tools where possible • Developing user-friendly Soil Health testing protocols, management and/or extension tools adapted to our Atlantic region, our soils, climate and commodities • Developing and adapting comprehensive Suites of BMPs including soil amendments to achieve targeted results

  27. What is needed & key messages? 4. Implement long term research and field scale adaptive research integrating economic aspects with on-farm research using complementary yield monitors and other innovative technologies where possible 5- Innovative cooperators are demanding continuity and longer commitments in adaptive research toward Soil Health due to economic factors and climate change & variability 6- Changing attitudes and behaviors since investments in Soil Health is a long term goal to generate economic benefits and sustainability

  28. Setting Priorities & Strategies for the next Growing Forward III • Establish long term policies to fully address soil health under the next agricultural policy framework • Promote and encourage the cooperation between policy makers, farm commodities, industry associations, and industry including food processors • Educational and awareness initiatives are still key components to bring the change of behaviors and encourage adoption of BMPs including public awareness

  29. Setting Priorities & Strategies for the next Growing Forward III • Ensure that adequate funding$$$ is committed for BMPs in future policy framework and not only innovative technologies 5. Promote comprehensive policies and programs to preserve and protect the agricultural land sustainability of our agroecosystems and our food quality

  30. Special Acknowledgments • Eastern Canada Soil and Water Conservation Centre (now under the CCNB College– GF) • Farm innovators and cooperators • Industry organisations (AANB, NBSCIA, PNB, etc) • Industry processors and agribusiness • Digging into Soil Health regional conference planning committee and SCCC

  31. Conclusion La santé et la productivité des sols et des agroécosystèmes font partie intégrante des besoins fondamentaux pour le développement de l’agriculture durable et la protection des terres et des ressources naturelles.

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