How can healthy soil build resilience to extreme weather?
Volatile and extreme weather conditions have become the new normal. In one season, heavy rain waterlogs fields and flushes soil into rivers; in the next, heatwaves bake the ground hard.
But, as Soil Farmer of the Year 2023 Stuart Johnson explains, while soil is often one of the victims of extreme weather, it also holds the key to resilience against both flood and drought.
Stuart farms beef, sheep and arable crops in Northumberland and is also a soil health mentor for Regenerate Outcomes.
Soil: Your primary resource
“Soil wasn’t something I worried about for most of my farming life,” says Stuart.
“After experimenting with strip tillage about 13 years ago, I began to see it as the primary resource on any farm, and both the fundamental cause - and ultimate solution - to so many of the issues we face.
Stuart assessing soil health on a Regenerate Outcomes member farm.
“Looking after your soil means looking after your bottom line, your crops and livestock, and ultimately yourself.
“As farmers, we can’t afford to see our primary resource washed or blown away. By improving soil health, we start to see real gains in resilience, profitability and time management.
It’s all about aggregation
"Problems caused by heavy rain or drought usually stem from poor water cycling. The soil either can’t absorb water fast enough in a downpour or can’t retain it during dry periods.
“The practices we can use to combat extreme weather work in many different ways, but what they all have in common is that they build soil aggregation.
"Aggregates, the ‘chocolate-cake-like’ clumps seen in healthy soil, are formed through interactions between roots, fungi and soil organisms which create natural glues that bind soil particles together.
Soil aggregation is key to resilience to extreme weather.
"A well-aggregated soil has small pores to hold water and larger pores to allow infiltration. The more aggregated the soil, the more effectively it cycles and stores water.
"Healthy aggregation takes time to build but can be damaged without care. It’s the foundation of soil function. Once you’ve got good aggregation, everything else starts to work properly; water movement, nutrient cycling, root growth and plant health.
From theory to practice: The Six Principles of Soil Health
"Healthy soil doesn’t depend on expensive inputs or technology. The process is about applying a few simple principles that work with natural systems rather than against them.
"At Regenerate Outcomes, farmers are mentored to apply the Six Principles of Soil Health to build functional, resilient soils. Each principle delivers multiple benefits, but all are essential to coping with extreme weather.
Know your context
"Before taking action, it’s vital to understand your own farming context. That includes soil type, topography, business goals, family situation and long-term aims.
“Everyone can benefit from improving soil health but not everyone will get there the same way. What works for an upland beef unit won’t be the same for lowland arable ground. It’s about being honest about what you can manage and what you’re trying to achieve.
"Your plan at the start might change five years later. The important thing is to be adaptive and make adjustments from real-time observations.
Minimise disturbance
"Disturbances such as ploughing, heavy tillage, synthetic fertilisers or chemicals, and even manures to a degree, can damage soil structure and biology.
“Ploughing breaks down aggregation, kills fungal networks that cycle nutrients, and destroys root structures.
Stuart mentoring on a farm in Northumberland.
“By minimising disturbance we preserve aggregation, allowing soil to absorb and retain moisture. Fungal networks also help move water and support microbial activity, keeping plants alive during dry spells.
“Sometimes tillage is needed. The key is to think carefully before doing it, and have a plan to rebuild soil health afterwards. Even small steps, like reducing depth or frequency, make a difference.
Keep the soil covered
"Keeping soil armoured, ideally with living plants, is one of the simplest and most effective steps.
“The leaves of grass and other plants act as a buffer when rain falls. They slow the impact of droplets, reduce compaction and allow gentler infiltration.
“In dry weather, that same cover shades the surface, cutting evaporation and protecting soil biology. Bare ground is what kills soil, both in heat and heavy rain.
Diversity drives resilience
"Diversity of life, from microbes to plants, insects and mammals, underpins resilience.
“We need diversity in rooting structures to break up compacted soils and improve infiltration. Different species provide varied root depths and nutrient access, producing a wider range of carbon exudates and supporting more biology.
“Everyone can benefit from improving soil health but not everyone will get there the same way. It’s about being honest about what you can manage and what you’re trying to achieve.”
“Above ground, different leaf shapes capture water and sunlight, driving photosynthesis, which is the engine of soil aggregation. Even adding one or two extra species into a ley or cover crop can start to shift how the soil behaves.
Keep living roots in the ground
"Living roots maintain the flow of carbon into the soil, fuelling microbial and fungal activity.
“Without living roots, aggregates can quickly break down and soil health declines. Ideally, these roots should come from a range of species to maximise function and resilience.
“The longer the soil sits idle, the more biology you lose. Keeping living roots year-round doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about keeping something growing whenever you can.
Integrate livestock
“When managed well, livestock supercharge nutrient cycling and soil aggregation.
“Manure from grazing animals arrives in the perfect form for soil organisms to use, and the act of grazing itself stimulates microbial activity.
“Even short-term grazing on arable ground or cover crops can make a big difference. Any farmer who wants to build soil resilience should look for ways to integrate livestock, directly or through collaboration.
Resilience is just the start
“One of the beauties of improving soil health is that it will bring multiple and compounding benefits for your farm. Resilience to extreme weather is just one of these with others including, less use of external inputs, cost cutting, healthier animals and plants, less disease and pest pressure and reduced vet and med bills.
“However, getting started can be daunting and it is much easier with some advice from farmers who have gone through the process themselves, made mistakes and seen the positive results.
Well managed livestock are key to improving soil health.
“The weather is going to do what the weather will do, but rebuilding soil health gives you something you can actually influence. The difference in how land responds to rain or drought is huge once you get structure and biology working again.
“The path to healthier soil isn’t complicated. It starts with observation, patience and a willingness to learn. The results come not just in the field but in the confidence that your system can handle whatever comes next.
“Regenerate Outcomes offers one-to-one mentoring in soil health from experienced regenerative farmers at no upfront cost to reduce the risks of adapting your system. This is the ideal first step to begin the process of learning and implementing changes to achieve your farming goals.”
Regenerate Outcomes works with
farmers to grow profits
We provide one-to-one mentoring to help you cut costs and improve crop and livestock performance.
At the same time, we baseline and measure soil carbon at no upfront cost to generate carbon credits which you can retain or sell for additional income.
Find out more by downloading our Programme Handbook.