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Soil Fertility
Today and Tomorrow
Soil is a wonderful,
complicated, living system on which the entire world depends for
sustaining its current way of life. Most soils in North America
were more fertile before man began using them for crop
production than they are today. This natural soil fertility is a
direct result of the activity of soil microorganisms, including
bacteria, algae, and fungi. Without the activity of these tiny
animals there would be no soil organic matter. Without soil
organic matter nothing that even closely resembles our current
way of farming would be possible.
Current crop production methods, including mono culture and the
use of massive quantities of herbicides, pesticides, and
inorganic fertilizers have reduced the size and vigor of our
soils microbial population; thereby reducing their inherent
ability to sustain crop production. The use of these chemicals
has also had a negative impact on the quality of the environment
we all must live in. Many of todays cropping practices are
inhibiting natural microbial processes that can contribute to
soil fertility and increase yields. Recently, our understanding
of the role of micro-organisms in soil fertility and crop
production has increased dramatically. Scientific research is
now beginning to help us understand how alternate soil
management programs based on the use of plant food can
contribute to sustainable soil fertility.
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