IOFGA Conference 25 years

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• IOFGA Conference - 25 years
• The Importance of Soil in Organic Farming
• 18 November 2007
• Charles Merf Merfield
• charles.merfield_at_teagasc.ie
• www.merfield.com

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The importance of soil?

• I have answer for you, but your not going to
  like it, said Deep Thought. The answer, to
  Life, The Universe and Everything is, 42!
• The problem is said Deep Thought you never
  really understood the question
• Douglas Adams (RIP)

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Soil the foundation of organics

• The founding principle of organics
• Soil Health Association (NZ 1941)
• Soil Association (UK 1946)
• The Soil and Health Foundation ? The Rodale
  Institute (USA 1947)
• IFOAMs Principle of Health (first principle)
• Organic Agriculture should sustain and enhance
  the health of soil, plant, animal and human as
  one and indivisible
• The organic mantra
• Healthy soil healthy food healthy people

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The importance of soil for us all

• Much of the non-organic world has woken up to the
  importance of soil
• Even if they fail to acknowledge our strident
  efforts over nearly a century
• The importance of soil for organics the
  importance of soil for the whole biosphere
• Organics is the agriculture of the 21 century
  onwards

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Soil science a misnomer?

• Soil science was really only soil chemistry and
  physics from its start the mid 1800s until late
  1980s
• Very difficult to study soil life
• Only 10 of soil microbes can be cultured
• Soil bacteria and fungi can equal 10 t/ha biomass
• 1km of ploughed soil contains 10 billion
  bacteria, 10,000 km of fungal growth and
  immeasurable levels of algae
• In an average arable field, the soil microbial
  biomass is equivalent to a stocking rate of 100
  sheep/ha
• Only 6 of soil life is categorised!

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The soil science bio-revolution

• We have only just entered the age of real soil
  science physics chemistry biology ecology
• DNA and other techniques causing a revolution
  serious in-roads into soil biology and ecology
  now possible
• X-ray micro-tomography nano-scale secondary
  ionisation mass spectrometry (nanoSIMS) and
  scanning laser spectroscopy high resolution
  environmental probes and analysers remote
  sensing using unmanned aerial vehicles and
  latest-generation satellites adopting visible-
  and microwave-based imaging molecular-level
  analysis of biological systems including
  genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and associated
  bioinformatics

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Soil bacterial communities from BHU (organic) and
LCF (non-organic) after DGGE (denaturing gradient
gel electrophoresis) separation of 16S rDNA
fragments. Each soil is represented by two lanes
corresponding to duplicate DNA extractions.
Arrows mark most prominent differences (Stark,
C.H. 2006)
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Our founders foresight

• Astounding foresight
• Prevailing science was reductionist
  physical-chemical
• They called for an systems based eco-biological
  approach
• Soil science has now caught up with the vision of
  our founders
• But it is now only at the Newtonian stage of
  physics there is a long, long, way yet to go

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The importance of soil

• Soil is the interface of the terrestrial
  biosphere
• Where the mantle rocks meet and mix with the
  atmosphere, water and biology
• the most critical parts of the carbon, water,
  nitrogen, oxygen and mineral cycles occur in
  soil, without it they function very differently
• It is where life on land begins and ends

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The importance of soil

• Soil is the fundamental resource of
  civilisation
• Soil is a non-renewable resource currently being
  unsustainably exploited
• History shows that civilisations that do not
  conserve their soils do not persist.
• (Horizons in soil research synthesis, UK Soils
  Research Advisory Committee, 2007)

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Soil ecosystem

• Soils are by far the most complex ecosystem with
  levels of biodiversity that far exceed any that
  prevail above ground
• If soils failed it would almost certainly spell
  the end of nearly all terrestrial life, not just
  human civilisation
• Considering our utter dependence, our
  understanding is heart stoppingly thin

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UK Soils Research Advisory Committee

• The primary missing link is the lack of a
  coherent theoretical/conceptual framework for
  soil behaviour that will serve to drive the
  challenging science needed and integrate extant
  and emergent research

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Soils many roles

• Soil produces the majority of our food
• Except that from water (seas, lakes, rivers,
  etc.)
• Even intensive non-soil farming systems
  ultimately depend on it
• Soil filters and stores water
• Supplies drinking water
• Mitigates floods
• Helps aquifers recharge
• Soils bioremediate
• Has huge but finite ability to breakdown or lock
  away the toxins we produce

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Soils many roles

• Soil has a critical part to play in the carbon
  cycle storing and releasing carbon, directly
  affecting global warming
• Biochar / agrichar carbon negative (web)
• Soil is the foundation for all terrestrial plant
  life and therefore the starting point of all
  above ground ecosystems
• Soil is critical for maintaining our landscapes
  social and cultural effects

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Organics and soil

• Soil is the heart and soul of organics
• As we chose to avoid chemical agriculture we are
  dependent on healthy soil
• We have had the high intellectual and moral
  ground for 80 years
• Science and society have now caught up with us

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Organics and soil - the future

• Science has come to agree with our view of soil,
  society is hopefully following
• Soil science is moving to a holistic approach
• Are we, the organic movement, listening to the
  results from the new science of soils?
• If science shows us better ways of achieving our
  Principles and Ethics should we not use them?

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Conclusion

• Never treat soils like dirt

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• IOFGA Conference - 25 years
• The Importance of Soil in Organic Farming
• 18 November 2007
• Charles Merf Merfield
• charles.merfield_at_teagasc.ie
• www.merfield.com