For farmers and those in the agriculture industry, knowing the quality and makeup of your soil is essential for structuring your crop to get optimal yields every season. At Norstar Agriculture, we know that healthy soil influences the nutrients available to crops, and multiple factors, including texture, acidity, and more, go into creating a viable ecosystem for plants. Alongside selling some of the most trusted soil amendments available on the market, our team of agronomists are here to help farmers better understand the land, they’re working with to secure results you can depend on, season after season. Below, we’ll take a closer look at how soil texture influences crop health. Read on to learn more!

What is Soil Texture, and Why Does It Matter?

Soil texture refers to the mixture of sand, silt and clay particles that make up your dirt. While you may not be able to recognize it from a simple glance, each landscape has a different mixture, and each ratio directly influences crucial aspects of your land, like how well it drains, retains water, delivers nutrients, and lets roots spread.

Sand contains the largest particles, and an overabundance can create soil that drains quickly but doesn’t hold onto moisture or nutrients well. Sandy soils can dry out fast, which is of particular concern for crops during hot, dry periods.

Silt contains medium-sized particles that do better with water retention. However, in high quantities, it can lead to more compacted soil that suffocates roots and stunts plant growth. 

Clay holds the smallest particles and helps make soil dense and sticky. While clay is good at holding water, it doesn’t drain particularly well and can often choke out roots and prevent nutrients from getting where they’re needed.

Most Albertan crops prefer loamy soil, which contains a balanced ratio of each type of component above. Farmers should routinely test their dirt to see how environmental factors and time, in general, have affected it. Knowing what you may have an overabundance of or a lack of allows you to introduce amendments like humic acid to help rebalance and restore optimal nutrient viability. 

Key Factors Affected by Soil Texture

As mentioned above, multiple factors influence soil texture, including water management, nutrient access, and root health. If your soil drains water too quickly or, conversely, holds it without proper runoff, you risk dried-out or drowned crops. Nutrients are essential for plant growth and resilience, informing key processes like photosynthesis and more. And, of course, root health is key to the overall vitality of your plants and how well your crops survive difficult growing seasons. 

Humic acid can help with all of the above challenges by creating: 

Better Water Retention and Drainage: Humic acid acts as a soil conditioner, keeping sandy soils moist for longer and helping to reduce compaction in clay so it can drain properly. Consistent moisture keeps plants happy and healthy, allowing them to thrive. 

Improved Nutrient Uptake: Humic acid binds to essential nutrients and helps plants absorb what they need to grow by breaking down barriers and making nutrient particles more readily available. This is great for farmers using fertilizers as well, as it allows for optimal benefit and minimal product wastage!

Healthier Soil Microbes: Soil ecosystems are critical for keeping crops strong and resilient, especially in the drought conditions that have recently challenged Alberta. Humic acid encourages beneficial microbes, which play a key role in breaking down organic material and making nutrients available. 

Boosted Root Growth: Humic acid helps roots dig deeper and reach more water beneath the surface, as well as absorb more nutrients by loosening up compact soil and improving aeration. Stronger roots make for hardier crops, even during tough weather conditions.

Boost Your Crops with Humic Acid From Norstar

As Canadian farmers contend with another long, hot growing season, Norstar Agriculture is here to help. Alongside a large inventory of fertilizing and plant nutrition supplies (including humic acid), we offer onsite agronomy evaluation, including soil testing and more. 

 Learn how we can help you grow by contacting our team today!