6. Adding
Carbon
to
Soil
Decomposi)on
Pathway
Photosynthesis
Biomass
produc)on
Decomposi)on
CO2
Organic
Ma;er
Organic
ma9er
–
Lose
CO2
Labile
=
not
stable
Humifica)on
Pathway
Photosynthesis
Transloca)on
to
roots
Transloca)on
to
soil/
microbes
Humus
Humus
–
Increase
C
Non
Labile
=
Stable
7. Principles
for
Soil
Regenera1on
1. Minimize
soil
disturbance
-‐
tillage
2. Keep
soil
covered
24/7
3. Living
roots
as
long
as
possible
4. Diversity
5. Integrate
livestock
6. Manage
Farmscape
for
other
ecological
services
-‐
pollinators,
wildlife,
community
8. Rockey
Farms
• Brendon
Rockey,
Rockey
Farms,
Center
Colorado
• speciality
potatoes,
cer1fied
potato
seed,
fresh
market
fingerlings,
• 2
year
rota1on,
mul1
species
green
manure,
center
pivot
irriga1on
• focus
on
quality,
reach
quality
get
quan1ty
• no
inorganic
fer1lizers,
no
pes1cides
• green
manures,
companion
cropping,
compost,
fish
based
fer1lizers,
biological
soil
amendments
• decreased
pest
and
disease
pressure,
water
savings,
decreased
soil
erosion,
lower
inputs,
higher
quality
and
more
profitability
• principles
apply
to
any
crop
14. Campanion
Crop
• Peas,
chickling
vetch,
and
buckwheat
• seed
6
"
with
potato
piece,
peas
get
out
of
ground
before
potato
• diverse
root
system
in
the
soil
feed
different
biology,
N
fixing,
more
flowers
to
a9ract
predators,
complimentary
vine
types
that
dont
compete
with
the
potatoes
(mycorrhizal
fungi
connec1ng
legumes
to
potatoes
• instead
of
looking
at
sterile
environment
with
only
one
crop,
looking
for
adding
some
more
diversity
• Peas
seed
itself
acer
potato
harvest.
19. Green
Manure
Cover
Crop
• Diversity
-‐
move
from
single
spp
-‐
sudan
grass,
to
mul1
10
spp
• cool
season
broadleaf
-‐
peas,
len1ls,
radish,
purple
top
turnip,
ethopian
cabbage
• cool
season
grasses
-‐
oats
• warm
season
broad
leaf
–
buckwheat,
safflower,
• warm
season
grass
-‐
sudan,
millet
• Legumes
–
peas,
len1ls
-‐
add
free
N,
reduce
fer1lizer
needs
• Buckwheat
-‐
mobilize
P,
flowers
a9ract
predator,
• Brassicas
-‐
radish
turnip,
cabbage
-‐
deep
1llage,
nitrogen
scavenger,
weed
suppression
-‐
reduce
1llage
prac1ces
• Sudan
grass
-‐
nematode
suppression,
subsoil
condi1oner
• mul1
spp
-‐
benefits
every
year
from
all
the
green
manure
• Change
not
very
diverse
&
boring
to
exci1ng
to
grow
new
plants
•
Incorporate
green
manure-‐
plow
need
to
break
down
residue
for
next
crop
• have
reduced
1llage,
one
deep
disturbance
every
other
year
33. AGROECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT
Increase
in
Natural
Enemies
Species
Diversity
Lower
Pest
Popula1on
Densi1es
Hedgerows
Shelterbelts
Windbreaks
Polyculture
Rota1ons
Cover
Crops
Habitat
Diversifica1on
Decrease
in
Natural
Enemies
Species
Diversity
Popula1on
Increase
of
Pest
Species
Organic
Soil
Management
Low
Soil
Disturbance
Tillage
Prac1ces
Cultural
Prac1ces
Pes1cides
Conven1onal
Tillage
Total
Weed
Removal
Monoculture
Chemical
Fer1liza1on
M.
A
Al1eri
/
Agriculture,
Ecosystems
&
Environment
74
(1999)
19-‐31
34. AGROECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT
Increase
in
Natural
Enemies
Species
Diversity
Lower
Pest
Popula1on
Densi1es
Hedgerows
Shelterbelts
Windbreaks
Polyculture
Rota1ons
Cover
Crops
Habitat
Diversifica1on
Decrease
in
Natural
Enemies
Species
Diversity
Popula1on
Increase
of
Pest
Species
Organic
Soil
Management
Low
Soil
Disturbance
Tillage
Prac1ces
Cultural
Prac1ces
Pes1cides
Conven1onal
Tillage
Total
Weed
Removal
Monoculture
Chemical
Fer1liza1on
GOOD
HABITS
POOR
HABITS
M.
A
Al1eri
/
Agriculture,
Ecosystems
&
Environment
74
(1999)
19-‐31
?Commitment
35. Thoughts
on
Change
• The
true
sign
of
intelligence
is
not
knowledge
but
imagina1on
• Look
deep
into
nature,
and
you
then
will
understand
everything
be9er
• We
cannot
solve
our
problems
with
the
same
thinking
we
used
when
we
created
them
Albert
Einstein
36. Brendon
Rockey’s
Advise
• Don’t avoid your problems, solve your
problems
• Encourage life in the soil in order to
support the complete system
• Focus more on quality and less on
quantity
• Eliminate expenses from your operation
and start investing in your soil
• Commit to break bad habits and form
good habits
