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The Benefits of Soil Health

What Are The Benefits of Healthy Soil?

Find out more about soil health here:

Soil consists of a range of different elements, including water, air, and rock. The inorganic materials within are what is utilised to classify the type of the soil – whether it is sandy, silty or clay. In addition to the inorganic materials, organic matter can also be found within soil. This acts as a binder, retains water, and allows air and water to move through it. However, the aspects that contribute most significantly to the health of soil are the living organisms within it. These organisms thrive off the organic matter and convert it into vitamins, nutrients and disease suppressing compounds.

Global Benefits

Healthy soil has a wide range of environmental and medicinal benefits. This contributes directly to human health, productivity of crop, water resources and the security of food. Which has resulted in many experts stating that the biodiversity of soil should be considered as globally important and especially fundamental to the UK’s farms.

The more commonly known environmental benefit of healthy soil is the increase in plant and crop health. When plants can find essential nutrients in the soil they will thrive, and their ability to do so can be enhanced by the soil. The organisms within the soil create movement which enables the roots to explore easily and to find the nutrients that the plants need. The organic matter within the soil also contributes by decomposing and releasing more nutrients into the soil. The resulting increase of growth can then have a knock-on effect on weeds, which struggle to establish themselves within a thriving crop.

 

soil health

Environmental Benefits

Healthy soil is also attributed to the regulation of greenhouse gasses and the climate. Soil has been confirmed as the second largest carbon pool on Earth. The healthier that the soil is, the more carbon it will store. As well as storing carbon, healthy soil contributes to the prevention of flooding by storing water. This allows it to drain away from the surface and purifying the water by absorbing any viruses and bacteria present. Particular types of pollutant can be cleaned or diluted through the application of soil, which decomposes any organic pollutants and converts them into nontoxic elements. This process can be improved through the introduction of earthworms. However, it does take a long time and will not work when heavy metals are present.

 

Medical Benefits

Last but most certainly not least, soil has also been utilised for medical purposes. Through the identification and observation of different fungi and bacteria within the soil, scientists have and continue to develop new medicines. One of the most notable medicines produced as a result of healthy soil was Penicillin. After the discovery of fungus growing in soil which was inhibiting the growth of staphylococcus bacteria.

 

 

The quality or health of your soil is vitally important for the growth of plants in your garden or crops. ProHort Ltd provides a range of soil tests and analysis to help you identify what nutrients and vitamins are present in your soil. Soil analysis can also advise on how you can improve your soil to encourage healthy growth. Why not get in touch to find out more?