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Designer soils can help gardens grow
Jeff Ishee
Got good soil in your garden? If not — just design your own. That's what U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are doing in West Virginia. Researchers at the agency's Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beaver, W.Va., are developing what they call "constructed" or "replacement" soils. Working in cooperation with scientists at Virginia Tech and other universities involved with the National Turfgrass Research Initiative, officials say the purpose of the program is to take waste products from the mining and agriculture industries and turn them into nutrient-rich topsoil for use in public parks, home gardens and sports fields.
The most promising mixture so far includes quarry byproducts and composted chicken litter. The quarry dust contains essential minerals, while the poultry litter has lots of carbon, nitrogen and beneficial bacteria. Chicken litter is a mixture of manure and bedding materials — usually sawdust or wood shavings. The litter is composted in a "digester," designed by West Virginia State University, to stabilize the mixture and remove odors and harmful microbes. Three years of testing have shown the composted poultry litter works as well as commercial fertilizer in establishing vegetation on the "constructed" soils.
These designer soils are being tailored for several purposes: to recycle local waste products and turn them into something natural and useful; to reduce compaction, rain runoff and erosion; and to remove or neutralize potential pollutants in garden or turf soils before they reach streams and storm drains. Scientists are doing this by including biochar in the soil mixture.
What is biochar? Think of it as "living charcoal." Without getting too technical, it's essentially just organic matter that is burned slowly with a restricted flow of oxygen. The fire is stopped when the material reaches the charcoal stage. Biochar is full of tiny crevices and holes that provide an ideal environment for soil microorganisms. Researchers say biochar alone added to poor soil has little benefit to plants, but when used in combination with compost, it can dramatically improve plant growth. It retains nutrients in the soil and also neutralizes most pesticides and chemicals.
The USDA and the numerous universities, professional organizations and others involved in this research are to be commended. It's hard to believe, but because of overdevelopment in some regions, there might come a day when we have a shortage of topsoil. It's good to know researchers are already addressing this issue. |
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