In 2014 Maria-Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation told a forum marking World Soil Day that we only have 60 years of farming left
As we learn more and as we witness the alarming rates of soil degradation and erosion across the globe it becomes clear that soil is more than dirt.
Without soil, there’s no food. Land plants cannot move to find better conditions, they rely fully on the soil to sustain growth, development and reproduction. Soil is often treated as an inert material, a foundation into which roots can grow and expand. It is used and abused by humans. We forget that it is the basis of all life on earth, and that it is an important store of carbon in a world facing a climate crisis.
All life on earth depends on the top 20cm of soil, and we are losing soil at an alarming rate
With non-optimal agricultural practices, you can lose several centimetres of soil in a single season. In optimum conditions and a mild climate, it takes between 200-400 years to form 1cm of new soil, and that’s if you don’t try to grow anything in it. In wet, tropical areas soil formation is faster; here you can create 1cm in a mere 200 years. That means we’re losing soil faster than it can be replaced.
Just because soil has nutrients in it, doesn’t mean those nutrients are available to the plants. To be available they need to be soluble. Soluble nutrients require organic matter to break down over a long time. To make a soil fertile takes around 3,000 years, so we really need to look after the soil we have.
Soil is an even richer environment that the one we see above the surface; there are millions of bacteria beneath our feet, many of which we know nothing about. Here at the John Innes Centre two researchers are digging into the world of soil.
We need to stop treating soil like dirt
Postdoctoral researcher Dr Maria C. Hernandez-Soriano and PhD Student Marco Fioratti are passionate about soil, and they think that we need to start treating soil with respect.
Dr Maria C. Hernandez-Soriano previously worked on carbon sequestration, understanding how carbon is stored in the soil and how to keep it there. She says, “Humans – despite their artistic pretensions, their sophistication, and their many accomplishments – owe their existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil, and the fact that it rains.”
She has moved her research into nitrogen, how plants control how much nitrogen is available within soil and how to make the most of the nitrogen that is there. Currently Maria is investigating how plants and soil bacteria communicate by producing and releasing chemical compounds in the rhizosphere and how this communication aids an efficient use of the nutrients available in the soil.
Dr Hernandez-Soriano has already identified a trait in ancient cultivars of wheat from the Watkins Collection held in the John Innes Centre Germplasm Resource Unit that allow plants to make more efficient use of the nitrogen in soil, which could be introduced into modern crops. This, and other potential traits can make plants more independent and better able to communicate with the soil, so they can thrive with less chemical fertilisers.
Alongside this, her work also looks at the rhizosphere, the soil directly in contact with the plant roots, and how plants communicate with that on a molecular level. The rhizosphere is the place where the plants absorb water and nutrients. It’s also where they release compounds that can control the activity of the organisms in the soil. Plants and microbes communicate in the rhizosphere and can help each other out.
Marco Fioratti is a soil ecologist, which means he studies what is going on below the surface of the soil. He is currently investigating how different agricultural practices, for example different tilling techniques or fertilisers affect the soil organisms and what the consequences are for soil health.
All processes in soil are mediated, catalysed or directly provided by soil fauna; from earthworms, down to bacteria. The trophic chain under the soil is as complex as the one above the soil and up into the atmosphere. By enhancing our understanding of this really complex trophic chain, we might one day be able to engineer soil communities by adopting suitable agricultural practices, so that we are enhancing, not degrading soil.
Soil organisms can do everything that traditional agricultural practices do. They can open up the soil, improve the structure, improve infiltration, improve resistance to erosion, balance pH and nutrients levels, make nutrients available to plants when the plant needs it. They can even provide weed and pest control.
Understanding how this all works is the first step. Once we understand it, we can think about how to engineer it and reduce our reliance on inorganic fertiliser and aggressive cultivation techniques, so there is an economic benefit and environmental benefits.
FAQs
The John Innes Centre (JIC), located in Norwich, Norfolk, England, is an independent centre for research and training in plant and microbial science founded in 1910.
What do we say that soil is the foundation of life? ›
Without soil, there's no food. Land plants cannot move to find better conditions, they rely fully on the soil to sustain growth, development and reproduction. Soil is often treated as an inert material, a foundation into which roots can grow and expand. It is used and abused by humans.
How is soil the foundation of life? ›
Soil helps produce our food and unearth life-saving medicines and vaccines. Soil also filters and purifies our water, reduces flooding, regulates the atmosphere and plays a crucial role in driving the carbon and nitrogen cycles. It is also key to tackling climate change as it captures and stores vast amounts of carbon.
Why is soil the root of life? ›
Soil carries out a range of functions and services without which human life would not be possible. It provides an environment for plants (including food crops and timber wood) to grow in, by anchoring roots and storing nutrients. It filters and cleans our water and helps prevent natural hazards such as flooding.
What does the John Innes Centre do? ›
We are an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science, genetics and microbiology. Our institute fosters a creative, curiosity-driven approach to fundamental questions in bio-science, with a view to translating that into societal benefits.
Which John Innes should I use? ›
John Innes No 2 Compost
For general potting of most house plants and vegetable plants into medium size pots or boxes. John Innes no2 contains double the amount of nutrients found in John Innes No 1 to suit established plants.
What is life in soil called? ›
Soil biology is the study of microbial and faunal activity and ecology in soil. Soil life, soil biota, soil fauna, or edaphon is a collective term that encompasses all organisms that spend a significant portion of their life cycle within a soil profile, or at the soil-litter interface.
Is the foundation for all life on Earth? ›
Carbon is the foundation of all life on Earth, required to form complex molecules like proteins and DNA. This element is also found in our atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2).
What is the spiritual quote of soil? ›
“To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.” — Xenophon, Oeconomicus, 400 B.C. “By sense of touch the feet assess the nature of the wilderness of earth beneath; yet human speech cannot express what feet can teach! Walking, walking, walking on the earth!
Why is soil considered the base to life? ›
Soil is not just “dirt” but the basis of all life. Healthy soil is alive with billions of microbes that feed all living things on our planet. Your body needs it to be healthy. It provides you with the sustenance you need to generate the energy for everything you do.
Compost – Improves Soil Health
Compost also improves the biological, chemical and structural health of soils. This helps both the plants that grow in that soil, as well as supporting the surrounding ecosystem of worms, bugs, microbes, and others.
What is the best soil in the US? ›
The Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin have some of the richest soil in the United States and a very favorable climate for agriculture (good supply of moisture and warm summer temperatures).
Why is soil called the foundation of life? ›
many micro organisms live inside the soil and is dependent on it. humans also depend upon soil for their survival because it is the basic necessity for agriculture etc. without soil it is impossible to stay alive on this earth. thus we can say that soil is called the foundation of life on earth.
Does life come from soil? ›
Soil is life
Soil ecosystems host 25% of our planet's biodiversity, regulate water and carbon cycles and provide 95% of the food we eat. We rely on soil, but we can't make it – at least not quickly. But there are plenty of other species that can.
How did soil first form on Earth? ›
Parent materials
Soil minerals form the basis of soil. They are produced from rocks (parent material) through the processes of weathering and natural erosion. Water, wind, temperature change, gravity, chemical interaction, living organisms and pressure differences all help break down parent material.
Where is the John Templeton Foundation located? ›
John Templeton Foundation
| Formation | 1987 |
|---|
| Founder | John Templeton |
| Headquarters | West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania |
| Fields | Scientific research Religious studies |
| Official language | English |
6 more rowsAny questions or comments about this Policy can be sent to the Foundation by visiting https://www.greenwall.org/contact or by addressing correspondence to The Greenwall Foundation, 650 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20001, attention: Privacy Policy.
Where is the Joseph Rowntree Foundation? ›
We have offices in York, London and Glasgow.
What is John Innes No. 3 used for? ›
Planting Out SylvaGrow John Innes No. 3 can be used as a planting medium for roses, shrubs, trees, herbaceous perennials and bedding plants in order to add valuable organic matter, loam and nutrients. Simply blend at one part to three parts of the back-fill soil.
