Hypothetical image of prairie plant profile by Conservation Research Institute, Heidi Natura
Build Healthy Soil
Incorporating native plants in conventional agriculture, such as establishing prairie strips within row crops fields has many benefits, including restoring a diversity of soil microbes.
Read more about the interconnection between native plants and soil:
Prairie Soil Health: A Benchmark for Better Land Management, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 35, No. 3 & 4, 2014
Healing and Building Soil on Prairie Birthday Farm, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 29, No. 3, 2008
Mycorrhizal Fungi and Missouri Grasslands, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 38, No. 1, 2017
Invasive Plants Affect Soil Biology, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 39, No. 1, 2018
Invasive Species Control for Prairie and Native Grassland Conservation, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 39, No. 2, 2018
Microbial Community Structure in Missouri Prairie Soils, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 39, No. 3 & 4, 2018
Prairie Strips: Bringing biodiversity, improved water quality, and soil protection to agriculture, Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 35, No. 1, 2014
Microbe-rich soil has implications for human health, as illustrated in this Successful Farming article from 7/15/2020.
For information on best practices for site preparation for native plantings that protects soils, visit our Native Plant Gardening page.
