Dr. Jill Clapperton, soil scientist, says that farmers need to focus on building diversity of organisms within soils. Poor soil biology produces poor crops in terms of both crop yields and nutrient content.
Most soil organisms are fed by the soil organic matter and when cover crops are used there are more actively growing roots throughout the entire growing season to keep producing soil organic matter. The more diverse mix of plants that are growing on top of the soil the more diversity in soil organisms. Earth worms are the easiest to recognize soil organisms and they are a sign of soil health.