Fact Sheets
Making Sense of Soil Health
Analytical Indicators
Since 2023, Ontario farmers and advisors have been piloting OMAFA’s five-indicator approach to Soil Health Testing. This resource outlines that approach and highlights key differences between soil health testing and traditional soil fertility testing, including why laboratory processing times are longer for soil health results.
Standardizing Soil Health Testing
This resource outlines some of the challenges that must be addressed as jurisdictions move toward a standardized approach to soil health testing.
Soil Matters
Research and on-the-ground experience show that non–agronomic service providers often hesitate to discuss soil health with farmers. These resources aim to change that. By promoting informed dialogue about soil management, we seek to ensure the essential contribution farmers make through soil stewardship is recognized and supported across the broader service community.
Risk Management
When soil loses its life, a farm loses its future—and with it, the need for farm insurance. Learn more about how healthy soils provide a foundation for long-term resilience on the farm AND in farm insurance.
Support Investment
Learn 4 tips to engage with your farming clients and connect soil health conversations to broader corporate priorities in the agricultural finance sector.
Shared Goals
Healthy soils are a form of critical community infrastructure, linking farmers and municipalities as partners in sustainable development. This factsheet explains how efforts to sustain healthy soils for optimized agricultural production also align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Water Management
Curious about how farmers contribute to better water management by maintaining healthy soils? This factsheet highlights the off-farm value that healthy soils provide in the community. When municipal staff know this value, they can consider how their programs and policies support farmers who care for the soil.
Fun with Soil Microbiology
If you’ve seen Soils At Guelph out and about in the community, you may have seen the World Famous “Soil your Undies” experiment on display. This factsheet provides a “brief” explanation of what we can learn from burying 100% cotton underwear in the ground.
The "Soil Your Undies" Experiment
Learn about how soil management impacts the soil's health and function.
Economics & Soil Health
It is hard to put a universal dollar value on Soil Health. However, Towards a Business Case for Soil Health Report , estimated that Ontario farm net returns would increase by approximately $14.6 million dollars per year if an additional 10% of the agricultural land in Ontario were to be managed to support soil health.
The factsheets below highlight some of the report findings alongside farmer experience. Our video series features Ontario farmers talking about how soil health is good for their farm business.
Rotational Grazing Systems
The following fact sheet summarizes the key findings on the economics of rotational grazing.
How to Put a Value on Cover Cropping
The following fact sheet summarizes the key findings on the economics of growing cover crops.
Using Manure in Cropping Systems
The following fact sheet summarizes the key findings on the economics of adding manure to a cropping system.
Adding Wheat to a Corn-Soybean Rotation
The following fact sheet summarizes the key findings on the economics of implementing wheat in a corn-soybean rotation.
Reducing Tillage in Cropping Systems
The following fact sheet summarizes the key findings on the economics of reducing tillage.
Nitrogen Management for Maximum Benefits
The following fact sheet summarizes the key findings on the economics of nitrogen management.
Cover Crop Recipes
These publications are intended to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. With experience, farmers may fine-tune the use of cover crops for their systems.
Post Corn Silage, Going to Soybean: Introduce a Fall Rye Cover Crop
The following recipe provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop after corn silage harvest and before planting soybean as the next crop.
Wheat Going to Corn: Underseed Red Clover
The following recipe provides an introductory approach to underseeding a red clover cover crop into winter wheat prior to corn.
After Wheat, Going to Corn or Soybean: Use an Oat-Radish Mix
This recipe provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop mix of oats and radish after wheat harvest going to corn or soybean the next year.
After Processing Vegetables: Use an Oat-Radish Mix
This recipe provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop mix of oats and radish after an early harvested processing vegetable, such as snap beans, cucumbers, peas, or early tomatoes.
Crop Rotation Counts
These factsheets help to showcase four key finding from the 65 years of crop rotation research at the Elora Research Station and Ridgetown Campus. They show how crop rotation affects crop yield, crop resilience during dry years, nitrogen use efficiency and soil health. They were created by Soils At Guelph and Ontario Agrifood Innovation Alliance. Additional resources about the long term trials can be found here.
Higher Yield
Improve yield of corn and soybean by adding a small grain cereal (e.g., winter wheat) or a forage crop to your farm’s corn-soybean rotation.
More resilent during drought years
Prepare for drought years by adding a small grain cereal, such as winter wheat, to your farm’s corn-soybean rotation.
Improves soil nitrogen use efficiency
Reduce your dependence on nitrogen fertilizer for corn by adding a small grain cereal (e.g., winter wheat) to your farm’s corn-soybean rotation and underseed it to red clover.
Improves soil health
Improve soil quality by adding a small grain cereal (e.g., winter wheat) or a forage crop to your farm’s corn-soybean rotation.
Getting Wheat in Rotation
Digital soil mapping is a tool with a variety of on-farm uses. This factsheet summarizes how digital mapping and plant growth regulators can be used in precision agriculture to improve the bottom line when growing wheat in rotation. This research was lead by University of Guelph researchers with funding from the Ontario Agrifood Innovation Alliance.
Site-Specific Management of Plant Growth Regulator in Wheat
Growing wheat or other small grains in a crop rotation can make corn and soybeans more drought tolerant and stabilize yields. It also makes it easier to plant cover crops.
