SASKATOON – The healthiest soil in Canada is found in the prairie provinces, says a report by Agriculture Canada’s research branch.
Nationwide, there has been a “small improvement” in the condition of most agricultural soils over the past decade, according to the 138-page report.
But the most positive trends are in the Prairies, where changes in farming techniques have reduced the risks of wind erosion, salinity and organic losses.
“In the prairie provinces a large area of soils are inherently of good quality and this region has generally suffered comparatively less soil degradation than other regions of the country,” said the report.
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The risk of wind erosion has been substantially reduced by a decline in summerfallow acreage and increased use of conservation tillage, permanent cover and shelterbelts.
Permanent cover and extended crop rotation have helped combat salinity problems, while conservation techniques have helped stabilize the level of organic matter.
“Further improvements are expected as more farmers adopt these methods,” the report said.
Picture less bright
The picture isn’t so positive in other parts of the country.
In British Columbia, for example, intense cropping and heavy use of chemicals and machinery is taking a severe toll on farmland and groundwater quality. Soil compaction is a problem in the Fraser Valley. Seventy-five percent of cultivated land is at high to severe risk of water erosion.
In areas of intense cropping like southern Ontario, organic matter is low and soil health will continue to decline if conservation practices are not adopted quickly, the report stated.
Groundwater contamination is another serious issue in parts of Ontario and Quebec, with one survey showing 15 percent of southern Ontario wells had nitrate levels above safe limits.
In Atlantic Canada, inherently poor soil and intensive farming have resulted in severe soil degradation in many areas. Row cropping and short rotations have also been a problem. However, organic matter levels have improved with longer rotations and forage cropping.
The report said declines in soil health occur rapidly, often most dramatically in the first 10 years following the breaking of virgin land. However, improving soil health is slow and more costly than maintaining already healthy soils.
