# Soil Health.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Progressive Forage Grower.

Regards, Mike

http://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-production/management/soil-health-remember-to-manage-the-microbes


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## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

That was a interesting read thanks for posting.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

That is definitely what brought us out of the Stone Ages here.


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## reede (May 17, 2010)

So, the article mentions soil health testing, but does not mention a test by name. I've done the Solvita tests(SLAN and CO2 burst), and know of the Haney(sp?), what others are there, and where would you use them. As with everything else, at first it is just a number, and then if you learn how to use and apply it, it becomes a useful tool.

The SLAN test is for nitrogen available, and I learned that in a bermuda grass hay field, which had been fertilized with nitrogen regularly through the summer for hay production, that October was maybe not the best time to do that test, because you would see residual nitrogen that from fertilization practices. Basically you couldn't tell which nitrogen was coming from the soil microbes and which came from the applied fertilizer.

What are folks' experiences with these tests, and how have they helped you manage your forage?


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## RuttedField (Apr 24, 2016)

We seldom use synthetic fertilizers here because we have tons (literally) of liquid dairy cow manure and sheep manure.

Everything I read about soil heath makes the assumption that your soil has been tilled every year since 1800, you have used synthetic fertilizer since 1950, and never crop rotate.

Now I took 55 minutes of my life to watch a Gabe Brown video and a lot of it I can verify from our own farm experience, but what I have never been able to find an answer to is this: *what if soil tests show your soil is too high in organic matter?* Mine is at the threshold now. All I get for an answer is, "it can really be too high?"


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

RuttedField said:


> We seldom use synthetic fertilizers here because we have tons (literally) of liquid dairy cow manure and sheep manure.
> 
> Everything I read about soil heath makes the assumption that your soil has been tilled every year since 1800, you have used synthetic fertilizer since 1950, and never crop rotate.
> 
> Now I took 55 minutes of my life to watch a Gabe Brown video and a lot of it I can verify from our own farm experience, but what I have never been able to find an answer to is this: *what if soil tests show your soil is too high in organic matter?* Mine is at the threshold now. All I get for an answer is, "it can really be too high?"


It actually CAN be too high in OM, then it's called Peat. Miserable bitch to farm when it's wet.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I wish I had a few tractor trailer loads of peat.....


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> I wish I had a few tractor trailer loads of peat.....


I have a farm that has a field of peat. Good God does it yield, but that ground was mighty spongy last fall.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I watched a video once where the guy talks about the soil life. He said the goal for every farmer is to have such good soil life the fence posts rot out in five years. Not that you want to be replacing posts so often. But the soil will be so productive that you will beable to afford to.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I wonder what type of wood the posts are. Here we use locusts and they can last up to 20 years probably a lot longer. Some of the ones I am removing now, the pastures have not been used 17 years and I still have to use the loader to pull them out. I hope my soils are not that bad.


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## mayes (Nov 29, 2016)

Has anyone here used any of the fish "juice" or sea 90 ? The ads sound great but I can't find anyone who has used them .


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