Enhancing Marin’s Rangelands: Innovative Soil Amendment Strategies for Landowners
By Karisma Wilson,
October 11, 2024
Healthy soil is crucial for the success of Marin County’s farms and ranches. However, maintaining soil quality can be challenging, especially with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. This is where soil amendments come into play, offering landowners effective tools to improve their soil’s health and productivity.
Understanding Soil Amendments
While compost is a well-known soil improver, the use of mineral amendments like gypsum and agricultural lime is a newer approach in Marin’s rangelands.
Here’s how these amendments can help:
Gypsum:
• Loosens compacted soil, allowing better water and root penetration
• Improves soil structure, reducing erosion
• Helps clay soils drain more effectively
Agricultural Lime:
• Raises soil pH, making it less acidic
• Improves nutrient availability for plants
• Encourages beneficial soil microbe activity
Compost:
• Adds organic matter to the soil
• Improves water retention and nutrient cycling
• Supports diverse soil life
Marin’s Soil Challenges
Many areas in Marin County have shallow, acidic soils. This can limit plant diversity and affect forage quality for grazing animals. By using a combination of soil amendments, landowners can create more favorable conditions for a wider variety of plants to thrive.
Case Study: Hicks Canyon Ranch
In October 2023, the MALT-protected Hicks Canyon Ranch implemented a new soil improvement strategy on 65 acres of pasture that had been overgrazed and used for hay production. They applied gypsum and lime along with compost.
Results after one year:
• Soil pH increased by 0.5 units (becoming less acidic)
• Calcium levels in the soil increased
• Sodium levels decreased
• Overall organic matter in the soil increased
These changes indicate that the soil can now hold more water and nutrients, creating a healthier environment for plants and, by extension, grazing animals.
What This Means for Landowners
The positive results at Hicks Canyon Ranch show that strategic soil amendments can significantly improve rangeland soil quality in Marin County. If you’re considering similar improvements on your land, keep in mind:
1. Soil testing is important to determine what amendments your land needs
2. Combining mineral amendments (like gypsum and lime) with organic matter (compost) can have synergistic benefits
3. Improved soil can lead to better forage quality and quantity, potentially increasing grazing capacity
4. These practices can help your land become more resilient to drought and contribute to carbon sequestration
By adopting these soil management techniques, you can play a crucial role in enhancing both the agricultural productivity and ecological health of your land, contributing to the overall resilience of Marin County’s diverse landscapes.
If you’re interested in applying soil amendments to your land and have a MALT easement, contact Scott Dunbar (pictured above) at sdunbar@malt.org or (415) 663-1158 ext. 313.
Learn more about MALT’s Stewardship Assistance Program (SAP) and how MALT can support projects like these.