Photo Credit: Kat Lawrence

Larry Oldham, a Mississippi State University soil specialist explains that a soil can be looked at as a living organism that must be kept healthy to make efficient use of inputs, such as fertiliser. ‘Soil health is the intersection of the physical, biological and chemical state of the soil. Healthy soil reduces the need for fertilizer and other inputs, reducing the cost of crop production’. Higher efficiencies can result in much more desirable gross margins for farmers. By analysing the physical, chemical and biological constraints of the soil, farmers have the opportunity to decrease inputs and increase outputs, just through an increase in efficiency.

Read the whole article here: http://msucares.com/news/print/agnews/an15/20150521.html