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Soil health and its management

This report sponsored by the Irish Organic Association takes a dive into the soil science revolution and what it means for farming and growing managing soil health. It covers the three soil healths: physical, chemical and biological and their management in depth. It finishes with an overview of the key DIY soil health tests.

Download report. View short (10 min) overview presentation of the report on YouTube.   Watch full (1 hr 40 mins) presentation of the full report on YouTube.

Phosphorous, soil and the environment

Strategies to improve the efficiency and decrease the negative environmental impacts from phosphorous fertiliser use. Written for and published by Our Land and Water – Toitū te Whenua, Toiora te Wai.

DIY soil health tests

FFC report on do it yourself (DIY) soil health tests for farmers, growers and gardeners.

Rotations and their impact on soil health.  Report number 03-2019.

A report analysing the importance of crop rotations in sustainable agriculture including impacts on soil health, nutrients esp. nitrogen and phosphorous and losses to the environment plus beneficial effects on pests, diseases and weeds.

The fundamentals of soil nutrient management, soil testing and fertiliser recommendations.  Report number 1-2015.

A report that picks apart the fundamentals of nutrient management, soil testing and nutrient recommendations.  It explains exactly what a nutrient is, the ‘real story’ of yield curves and why chemical soil testing is “A simulation, based on an approximation, informing an empirical estimate, wrapped up in a value judgment!”

Understanding biological / organic fertilisers using kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) as an example. Report number 2-2012.

This report looks at the issue of nutrients from biological sources and using soils with a wide range of nutrient content looks at the issues of what makes a ‘good’ fertiliser.

Treating food preparation ‘waste’ by Bokashi fermentation vs. composting for crop land application: A feasibility and scoping review. Report number 5-2012.

This report was written for the Gisborne District Council to provide an overview of the feasibility of the use of Bokashi fermented food ‘wastes’ such as domestic kitchen scraps, as an alternative to composting and the application of the resulting products to crop land.

Understanding biostimulants, biofertilisers and on-farm trials.  Report number 1-2016

This report aims to give you the guidance you need to work out which biostimulant and biofertiliser products have real potential to help you farm better and more profitably and those that should be treated with scepticism.