A podcast dedicated to exploring the silent crisis threatening the foundation of our existence: soil degradation. In each episode, we delve into the problems facing our soils around the world and, most importantly, the practical solutions that we can all implement.
From erosion and desertification to the loss of nutrients and biodiversity, our conversations with experts, farmers, and activists reveal the urgency to act now. You'll discover why the Save Soil movement is crucial for global food security, the climate crisis, and the health of our ecosystems.
But this isn't just a podcast about problems: it's a call to action. We share regenerative techniques, effective policies, and lifestyle changes that can transform the health of our soils. You'll learn practical solutions that you can implement in your garden, community, or through your power as a consumer and citizen.
Join us on this essential journey to understand and protect our planet's most precious and undervalued resource. Because when we save the soil, we save our future.
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A podcast dedicated to exploring the silent crisis threatening the foundation of our existence: soil degradation. In each episode, we delve into the problems facing our soils around the world and, most importantly, the practical solutions that we can all implement.
From erosion and desertification to the loss of nutrients and biodiversity, our conversations with experts, farmers, and activists reveal the urgency to act now. You'll discover why the Save Soil movement is crucial for global food security, the climate crisis, and the health of our ecosystems.
But this isn't just a podcast about problems: it's a call to action. We share regenerative techniques, effective policies, and lifestyle changes that can transform the health of our soils. You'll learn practical solutions that you can implement in your garden, community, or through your power as a consumer and citizen.
Join us on this essential journey to understand and protect our planet's most precious and undervalued resource. Because when we save the soil, we save our future.
Monoculture? Rotations that restore your agricultural soil
Save Soil
7 minutes 22 seconds
4 weeks ago
Monoculture? Rotations that restore your agricultural soil
Summary:
- The episode argues against monoculture and promotes crop rotations to restore soil health, boost yields, reduce costs, and improve climate resilience.
- Monoculture creates an “invisible rent” in the form of more pests, more inputs, and degraded soil; soil is a living ecosystem that needs diverse feeding.
- Sadhguru’s soil-healthy framework: raise organic matter from below 2% toward 3–6% with year-round living roots, agroforestry, and soil-friendly policies—emphasizing cover, diversity, and rewards.
- Step-by-step plan:
1) Quick diagnosis: assess soil structure (crumbly vs dusty), infiltration rate, and life signs (earthworms, fungi, smell).
2) Set a concrete goal to raise organic matter and stabilize yields over 2–4 seasons, with regular measurement.
3) Design a rotation that mixes families and functions (example for grains with no-till): Year 1 corn with rye/vetch cover; Year 2 wheat/barley with oats + fodder radish; Year 3 soybean/bean with clover; Year 4 oilseed (sunflower/canola) with multi-species cover.
4) Refined management: sow cover crops promptly after harvest; inoculate legumes; reduce nitrogen after legumes; use rolling or controlled grazing to manage cover biomass.
5) Monitor and adjust: track yields, weeds, costs; observe pest pressures; reassess organic matter and infiltration every two cycles.
- Benefits highlighted: healthier soil, reduced pest/disease cycles, improved water infiltration, and potential for carbon sequestration; some crops release disease-suppressive compounds; dense covers cool soil and protect microbiology.
- Additional practices: agroforestry as windbreaks and biodiversity corridors; consider strips of native trees for multiple benefits.
- Starter steps for readers: run a pilot plot, implement a four-year rotation with cover between cycles, and ensure soil is never bare.
- Common mistakes to avoid: confusing two species with true diversity, burying residues too deep, delaying cover-sowing.
- Progress indicators: reductions in nitrogen/herbicide use, more earthworms, better infiltration over two seasons signal success; otherwise adjust.
- Closing message: soil is a complex, constant factory; sustained root activity fuels soil health and resilience; crop rotation embodies regenerative agriculture by improving soil, sequestering carbon, stabilizing yields, and reducing costs.
- Call to action: start with a pilot, decide on first crop mix, document the plan, and set a date.
Remeber you can contact me at
andresdiaz@bestmanagement.org
Save Soil
A podcast dedicated to exploring the silent crisis threatening the foundation of our existence: soil degradation. In each episode, we delve into the problems facing our soils around the world and, most importantly, the practical solutions that we can all implement.
From erosion and desertification to the loss of nutrients and biodiversity, our conversations with experts, farmers, and activists reveal the urgency to act now. You'll discover why the Save Soil movement is crucial for global food security, the climate crisis, and the health of our ecosystems.
But this isn't just a podcast about problems: it's a call to action. We share regenerative techniques, effective policies, and lifestyle changes that can transform the health of our soils. You'll learn practical solutions that you can implement in your garden, community, or through your power as a consumer and citizen.
Join us on this essential journey to understand and protect our planet's most precious and undervalued resource. Because when we save the soil, we save our future.
