Dianne Westerlund, CARA
The Chinook Applied Research Association (CARA) is heading a provincial initiative funded by the Canada Agricultural Partnership (CAP) designed to generate a database of soil parameters related to physical, biological and chemical indicators. The Alberta Soil Health Benchmark study is led by CARA’s Soil Health and Crop Management Specialist Dr. Yamily Zavala. Dr. Zavala was instrumental in the development of CARA’s Soil Health Lab (CARASHLab), the first farmer-focused lab evaluating physical and biological soil qualities in western Canada. The lab utilizes protocols from Cornell University and the former Canadian SoilFoodWeb Lab.
Eleven of Alberta’s applied research and forage associations participate in the soil health Benchmark Study, working with farmers and ranchers in several soil zones throughout the province. Each group documents field history and management information and uses the same protocols when collecting soil samples. Samples are received and processed through CARA’s Soil Health Lab. Dr. Zavala supervises the analysis of biological and bio-physical characteristics, including soil respiration rate, texture and wet aggregation stability, the level of active carbon rate and total and potential biological biomass. Analyses of chemical components are currently contracted to A&L Labs and the University of Alberta’s soil lab determines the total organic carbon, carbon and nitrogen levels. All information is being summarized into a database which will help generate strategic management practices targeting specific regional soil constraints in the future. Monitoring (re-visiting) sample sites will help determine if those managements are working or not. Funding for the Benchmark project wrapped up in 2022, but further verification of management practices at over 200 of the original benchmark sites will be made through a new project supported by Results Driven Agricultural Research (RDAR).
The CARASHLab generates a comprehensive report for each site sampled, which is compiled and shared with the local association and landowners. The report captures a picture of the soil health and is a point of reference for comparison for future sampling or following management changes. It includes measurements of the individual soil indicators as well as a ranking of whether the measurement is an area of concern or constraint for overall soil productivity. Suggestions for mitigation or improvement of problem soil components may also be added to the soil health report card. Discussion of these report cards has been the focus of several extension activities held by participating producer associations.
Although not all samples collected to date have been processed or added to the data bank, Dr. Zavala has observed a few trends from samples in hand. Compaction and poor water infiltration are common concerns at many sites and are often associated with lower biological components. A great diversity of beneficial soil creatures has been observed including, protozoa functional groups, fungal hyphae and nematode-feeding groups as well as predatory species. Each soil sample evaluated has its own ‘biological signature’ with no two samples having the same biological ‘fingerprint’. The biology in some soils just needs to be ‘woken up’ whether from adding diversity to the forage mix or crop rotation, maintaining green growth longer during the growing season or adding biological amendments to the soil.
Specific strategic management practices and recommendations will be identified during the final phases of the Benchmark Study as well as the management verification project which is just beginning. The Benchmark Study is intended to be a working tool that helps managers better understand soil health, how various management practices impact it and which practice might contribute to improving land resilience. It is Dr. Zavala’s intention that it continues to grow and provide valuable information to producers into the future.
Note: 1525 soil samples, from 1138 fields managed by 434 farmers have been received to date under the Soil Health Benchmark Study. Data from the analyses of samples submitted by individual farmers, or as part of other studies, will also be included in the database.
PCBFA has sampled 77 fields across the Peace Country since 2019; some sites are revisited after a 3-year period to monitor changes to soil health with change in field management.
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