Join the Soil Enrichment Movement in Kansas City

               The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) is currently working toward a system of credits that would reward farmers for sequestering carbon in their soil.[1]  Many environmentalists are realizing that this soil enrichment is important, for three big reasons:

1. A robust biome of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa enables soil to clump around plant roots, which results in more spaces to contain water from rainfall.  In the hydrology cycle, that water transpires into the atmosphere, which removes heat from the soil.  Cloud formation and rainfall releases heat that radiates into space.  Making our soil more sponge-like will enhance this cycle, which would slow the rate of climate heating.[2]
2. When plants grow in healthy soil, they are able to interact well with those microorganisms, nourishing and being nourished by them at appropriate times.  The microorganisms extract minerals from the soil and make them available for uptake by the plant roots.[3]  That enables green plants to make do with less application of synthetic fertilizers.  Production of synthetic fertilizers uses fossil fuels, which is bad for our climate.
3. The soil’s microorganism biome helps the plants to make food more nutritious[4] – which can help human survival as global heating otherwise may disrupt agriculture production.

               Now, what can we individuals do, to nurture a social culture that understands soil and supports the USDA’s work for soil enrichment and carbon sequestration?  A range of activities is available:

1. There is growing interest in composting[5].  This creates organic material that can be mixed into soil, making it available as food for the bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.
2. Biostimulant material that kick-starts microorganism growth in soil can be created in “Bioreactors” designed by California State University (Chico) adjunct professor David Johnson and his wife Ms. Su.[6]  Each bioreactor costs about $50 to build.  Once loaded with leaves, the bioreactor is watered daily for a year while the microorganism content builds.  The distinctive feature of bioreactors is that they are highly aerobic – designed so air flow can reach into all parts of the leaf pile – which allows for growth of a complex and heterogenous community of microorganisms, including fungi which importantly aid the transfer of nutrients among microorganisms.   According to reports on Facebook[7] and elsewhere, users of this biostimulant have been experiencing better plant productivity.[8]  Even without precise scientific analysis of the output, this ‘do-it-yourself’ activity lends to enthusiasm for soil enrichment.

An informal coalition in Kansas City is working to build these bioreactors in our back yards and small farms.  You can learn more about this at tracygarden.org.   If you are interested in participating, you can register your interest there.  Or if you’d just like to stay informed on this developing matter, please notify jimturner301@gmail.com .