Boosting Soil Health with Polycrops and Biological Amendments
At our Wildwood site this year, Farming Forward is digging into how plant diversity and biological amendments can improve soil health in Grey Luvisol soils; known for their high clay content, compaction, and poor water infiltration.
This research project uses a diverse forage polycrop seeded into last year’s regrowth as a pasture rejuvenation approach. Alongside that, we're testing five biological amendments to see how they affect soil function and forage performance.
Why This Matters
Grey Luvisols dominate much of our region’s agricultural zones. Their heavy texture can limit root growth, water movement, and trafficability, especially when compacted. By combining a biologically active polycrop mix with targeted soil amendments, we’re aiming to enhance:
Weed suppression
Soil structure and compaction (bulk density)
Water infiltration and moisture retention
Forage yield and nutritional quality
What’s in the Ground
The Polycrop Mix
The seeded forage blend was selected for soil-building, grazing value, and biodiversity. It includes:
20% Italian Ryegrass
15% Japanese Millet
15%Persian Clover
15% Hairy Vetch
10% Crown Proso Millet
5% Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover
5% Chicory (coated)
5% Plantain
5% Sunflowers
3% Collards
3% Forage Turnips
This combination brings a balance of warm-season grasses, legumes, and broadleaf species—with deep taproots, nitrogen-fixing abilities, and flowering plants to support beneficial insects and soil microbes.
The Soil Treatments
We’re testing five biological treatments alongside an untreated control to explore different approaches to boosting microbial life and soil function:
TM Ag (Best Farming Systems): A mineral and microbial amendment designed to enhance nutrient cycling and root development.
Regenysis (Algae Product): A seaweed-based input aimed at improving microbial activity and plant stress tolerance.
pH Plus (Best Farming Systems): A soil conditioner designed to adjust soil pH and promote biological activity.
Eco Tea: A compost tea brewed for its living microbial content, used to reintroduce beneficial fungi and bacteria.
Johnson-Su Bioreactor Extract: A fungal-dominant compost extract made using the Johnson-Su bioreactor method, known for producing stable, high-quality biological inoculants.
Check (Control): No treatment applied, serving as a baseline for comparison.
Each treatment is applied across three replicates, creating a total of 18 blocks over roughly 15 acres.
Measuring Success
To assess performance, we’re collecting a full set of data throughout the season:
Spring & fall soil health sampling
Bulk density, compaction, and infiltration tests
Plant emergence and height measurements
Brix readings (mid-season and pre-harvest)
Feed quality and forage biomass yield
Results will help us understand how each treatment influences both above- and below-ground outcomes—from soil tilth to forage quality.
From the Ground Up
This project reflects our core belief at Farming Forward: the best agricultural innovations come from the ground up. That means real-world trials, farmer-led questions, and practical solutions rooted in experience.
We’re proud to support community-driven research and look forward to sharing findings with you through tours, newsletters, and follow-up reports. If you’ve got an idea you want to test on your land, we’d love to hear from you.
