Soil is a biological ecosystem on which any living organisms, their growth and vital functions depend. The future crop is determined by its composition and characteristics.
Fertility is the ability to grow healthy plants, providing them with the necessary nutrition, oxygen and water. On good lands, quality fruits ripen in significant quantities. What determines
soil fertility?Factors Affecting Crop
- The natural structure of the soil, due to the specifics of the climate zone.
- The presence of groundwater and the depth of their occurrence.
- Land pollution level.
This is not a complete list of what soil fertility depends on. There are artificial factors. Rational farming, agrotechnical processing, fertilizing - this is all that determines the fertility of the soil for growing agricultural products.
How to improve fertility
Black soil is considered the best soil. Its formation takes several hundred years, destruction is possible in 3-5 years. Over time, humus is washed out, the soil structure becomes clogged, most microorganisms die, and the flow of oxygen and water to plants deteriorates. How can soil fertility be improved?
The recovery process depends on the structure of the soil. Before improving soil fertility, you need to find out what it consists of. For example, peat, lime, ash, sawdust are introduced into clay lands . They will make the soil more loose and permeable, suitable for agriculture.
For peat and chernozem soils, regular application of organic fertilizers (manure, compost, bird droppings) will be sufficient. In addition to nitrogen, they contain beneficial microorganisms that can increase fertility several times in a short time.
How can soil fertility be improved? First of all, you need to check its acid-base reaction. Based on the results of the analyzes, take further action. For acidic clay soils, it is advisable to add slaked lime, dolomite flour in the autumn for digging. Alkaline earths, on the contrary, are acidified with gypsum.
If the arable layer is depleted as a result of long operation, then you need to give him a break.
Vacation for the soil
The most fertile land needs periodic rest. You can not grow one crop in one place for several years. This leads to soil depletion.
How can soil fertility and soil structure be improved at a minimum cost? For restoration, the land is sown with siderates, which will improve the structure and increase the content of nutrients. These green fertilizers are an ecological organic substance that promotes the accumulation of humus. By the nitrogen content, siderates are not inferior to manure. In addition, they improve the structure of the soil. And fast growth makes them competitors to weeds. Vika, peas, lupins, melilot, clover are sown as green fertilizers. As well as mustard, rapeseed, oil radish.
Fertility preservation
Natural processes are not constant. And the natural fertility of the soil as a result of use in agriculture is changing dynamically, increasing or decreasing. The latter indicator is extremely undesirable, as it characterizes one of the main reasons for the decrease in the efficiency of growing products. How can soil fertility be improved?
Natural fertility is inherent in any soil, since it is part of a particular ecosystem in specific conditions. But for growing agricultural products it is not enough. In addition, as a result of improper use, its structure is often violated. Restoring soil fertility is a necessary agrotechnical method in agriculture.
Consistent artificial improvement of arable land will make it possible to recoup costs and receive annual income from the sale of crops. The farmer's task is not only to maintain, but also to maintain soil fertility.
Gray podzolic soils
The most diverse crops grown in the forest-steppe are cultivated on these lands: corn, winter and spring wheat, potatoes, flax, sugar beets, etc.
Dark gray forest soils are closest to chernozems and have a greater degree of fertility than light gray soils. They are similar in agronomic properties to gray soils and require a special approach and fertilizer. Creating a powerful cultivated stratum and adding calcium to neutralize acidity is a common technique for all forest soils.
In light gray and gray lands, the humus layer is small and amounts to 15-25 cm. An illuvial horizon of brown color lies beneath it. It is saturated with aluminum and iron, which is toxic to plants. Therefore, the plowing should be shallow, and the cultivation of the illuvial horizon by the non-stocking method. In this case, the lower soils will not be brought to the surface, and fertility will not be affected. In order to deepen the arable layer, it is possible to gradually (2 cm per year) plow the illuvial horizon with the simultaneous introduction of organic matter, mineral fertilizers and calcium compounds (lime, chalk, dolomite flour). Good results can be obtained with grass sowing.
In dark gray forest soils, the upper fertile layer reaches 40 cm. And the upper part of the illuvial layer is saturated with humus. Therefore, deep plowing with the introduction of manure, mineral fertilizers and calcium in the form of gypsum and lime in a ratio of 1: 1 will be appropriate here.
Eroded soil
Weak, medium and heavily washed soils require special attention of farmers. They have an illuvial horizon already involved in the upper arable layer. For such lands rationally subsurface deep cultivation, liming, application of high doses of mineral and organic fertilizers, grass sowing.
In areas with eroded soils, measures are necessary to prevent further soil erosion. These include: terraced plowing, processing across the slope, etc.
Black soil forest-steppe
When growing crops on these lands, the main thing is to maintain soil fertility conditions. It is necessary to use their potential in an environmentally correct way. Processing should be carried out during the period of ripeness, with the annual alternation of deep plowing and small tillage loosening for various crops. This should be done to preserve the earthy-lumpy structure of chernozems and to eliminate (reduce) the loss of humus from mineralization. For example, in case of subsurface flat-cutting tillage for winter wheat, even without enough rainfall, it will take root well and give decent seedlings. But a high yield requires deep dump plowing and simultaneous application of manure.
Preservation of fertility of chernozems
Calcium-containing fertilizers are applied to such lands not to neutralize acid or alkali, but to fix clay and humus, form a granular-lumpy (water-resistant) structure, improve agrophysical properties, create a balanced soil solution, increase the microbiological activity of the soil and fertility in general.
The use of vermicompost has a high effect on crop yields on gray forest soils and chernozems. Much attention should be paid when using chernozems and measures for the accumulation and conservation of soil moisture.
Meadow land
They are highly fertile, saturated with humus, nutrients. Farm land use can be carried out on meadow-chernozem, meadow and meadow-bog soils. Demanding crops are successfully grown on them.
The main disadvantage of such lands is the proximity of groundwater, which often contains salt (mineralized). Therefore, the most important factor in increasing plant yields is the regulation of the water regime.
Methods of soil fertility regulation
Depending on the biological characteristics of plants and the nature of land use, there are techniques that allow you to get high yields and at the same time not to deplete the soil.
- Nutritional regulation - the application of mineral fertilizers.
- Comprehensive improvement of agrochemical, agrophysical, microbiological qualities - the use of organic fertilizers and grass cultivation.
- Air-water balance regulation - machining.
- Monitoring of agrophysical and chemical properties - the use of compounds containing calcium for liming or gypsum land.
The use of any soil should ensure the reproduction of the fertility required for the planned amount of environmentally friendly, cost-effective products per unit area.