How to keep Indiana soil healthy for future generations
Editor's Note: The following is part of a class project originally initiated in the classroom of Ball State University professor Adam Kuban in fall 2021. Kuban continued the project this fall, challenging his students to find sustainability efforts in the Muncie area and pitch their ideas to Deanna Watson, editor of The Star Press, Journal & Courier and Pal-Item. Several such stories are being featured in November and December 2022.
The Earth’s population is increasing at a rapid rate. According to the 2020 World Population Data Sheet, by 2050, it is estimated that our population will reach just under 10 billion people.
As a result of this, food production alone will need to increase by at least 70% to keep up with the basic needs of this growing population, as depicted in a 2022 study published in the “Impact Investor.”
To meet this demand, those in the agriculture industry need to be informed about and implementing sustainable methods in agriculture, and there are some organizations in Indiana that are making this shift.
The goal of sustainability in agriculture, according to The Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program, “is to be able to meet society’s food needs in the present without compromising the ability for future generations to use the land to meet their own needs.” A major part in making sure our land will last for future generations is focusing on soil health now. No-till farming and using cover crops are two of the best ways to start on the path to sustainable agriculture, according to Andy Ertle, the executive director of the Soil and Water Conservation District for Southern Indiana.
It can be hard to break tradition, however, especially ones that started as early as the 18th century, but one tradition that soil conservationists are trying to stop is tilling in farming.
Tilling involves turning over the first 6-10 inches of topsoil to control weeds and prepare for seeding. However, Ertle explains that when you till the ground, you are slowly releasing a lot of the carbon gases out of the soil. Along with releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, tilling also exposes the soil to rain and wind, which causes erosion. When soil is turned over and exposed like this, the heat hardens it, turning it into a concrete-like consistency. This hardened “concrete” cannot hold any moisture so that, ultimately, crops struggle to grow.
“It takes about 500 to 1,000 years to make an inch of topsoil. So, if you're losing topsoil every year, (then) the land can’t be sustainable,” explained Ertle.
The sustainable alternative that is encouraged by soil conservationists today is called no-till farming. As described in “The Green Directory,” this uses equipment that essentially cuts a slot in the ground, drops in the seed and presses the slot closed. This way, there is still good soil-to-seed contact that also maintains the moisture of the ground, preventing erosion of the soil.
Another important step is the use of cover crops, which can be thought of as a type of living mulch because it is a crop used to slow erosion, improve soil health and control pests.
He further explained that, even though this method is healthier for the soil, making it more sustainable for the earth, it typically involves more planning and money, so farmers sometimes have a hard time switching from traditional tillage. The Midwest Cover Crop Initiative helps with this challenge by providing grants that give technical and financial support to farmers who increase their cover-crop usage.
More:Vegetarian burgers promote healthier option for Indiana businesses, customers
Although soil health is needed for fresh food production, a farmer in downtown Indianapolis has found a way to grow crops without any soil at all. His name is Mario Vitalis, founder of New Age Provisions, and he calls himself a “container farmer.”
Vitalis uses hydroponic farming, which is when plants are grown in water that has the nutrients they need from soil added into it. He grows his crops inside of a shipping container that uses blue-and-red lights that simulate the sunlight that plants need to absorb. This way, Vitalis can grow plants all year, and he does not have to use pesticides on his crops. This process uses 98% less water than traditional farming because the container can control and recycle the water.
“You can’t grow root vegetables in here – only leafy greens. This is just an alternative to traditional farming, but it cannot be a total replacement to it,” said Vitalis.
Companies like the Red-tail Conservatory, located in Muncie, Indiana, have found a way to restore and protect farmland that can no longer be used for growing crops due to erosion and invasive plants. They first break up the farm tiles that are stopping the water from their natural flow. They then prepare the soil by removing the old seeds and planting ones that are native to East Central Indiana. This turns the land into tall grass prairies so native species can then return and live on the land.
More:Health benefits of organic, all-natural, and grass-fed farming abound
“Our tall grass prairie – that was once a soybean field – has been in the works for 20 years, and this was the very first year we finally had a pair of nesting Osprey. That is such a success story because they only come when they have what they need to be supported from the habitat,” said Kelley Philips, the communications manager of the Red-tail Land Conservancy, when explaining how long it takes to fully restore the land.
Indiana farmers now lead the nation in protecting topsoil.
They have saved about 6.3 million tons of topsoil from erosion in the spring season as a result of no-till farming, according to research done in 2018 by The St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District. Indiana also remains a top state for planting cover crops – 1.5 million acres of cover crops to be exact, according to a 2021 survey by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. This can be compared to Ohio, which is another leading state for cover crops, whose farmers planted 718,000 acres the same year.
Although adoption of these methods has been increasing, Andy Ertle emphasized the importance of all farmers making no-till farming and cover crops mainstream.
“See, farmers love to smell that dirt. Roll it over and start the season. That's just the tradition, but now is the time (when) we need to start a new tradition, so our land is sustainable for our future generations,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Keeping Indiana soil healthy for future generations key to growth
