2101 - Soil Cultivation and Management Flashcards
Primary Cultivation
First Part of Soil Preparation
- Elimination of Noxious and Perennial Weeds
(Digging out, Glysophate, Covering with Black Plastic, Cardboard) - Removing large stones/rocks
-Single or Double digging, forking, rotary cultivator
-incorporated WELL ROTTED ORGANIC MATTER
Secondary Cultivation
Refining the soil to produce a level consolidated bed with suitable tilth.
- Breaking down any soil Clods/Peds
- Raking level
- Consolidating (removing big air pockets)
- Final Leveling
- Tilth production (sufficiently fine for sowing intended seed)
Single Digging
Plot marked out into two equal strips, which are subdivided into trenches.
Soil Dug out, to single spits depth, from the first trench and placed on the ground at the end of the plot.
Well Rotted Organic Matter is added to the empty trench.
Soil from each subsequent trench is then turned into the empty trench before it. While adding WROM to each empty trench.
Working Methodically from one end to the other to ensure all the soil is cultivated.
Double Digging
Similar to Single Digging but forking in Organic Matter to a second spits depth.
Plot marked out into two equal strips, which are subdivided into trenches.
Soil Dug out, to single spits depth, from the first trench and placed on the ground at the end of the plot.
Well Rotted Organic Matter is added to the empty trench and dug or forked into the second spits depth.
Soil from each subsequent trench is then turned over into the empty trench before it. Adding and digging in organic matter each time.
Working Methodically from one end to the other to ensure all the soil is cultivated.
Difference between Single & Double digging
Which layer the organic matter is incorporated into.
Single - added underneath the first spit of soil, and perhaps mixed in.
Double - Added underneath the first spit, and dug or forked in to a second spits depth.
Other methods of Primary Cultivation
- light soils may be forked over before planting, this can include the addition of organic matter.
- rotary cultivators are good for large plots, but risk damaging the soil structure. (soil pan).
Time of Year
Autumn normally the best time for cultivation, as they are least likely to be in use for crops, yet still fairly workable.
Must not be wet.
Heavy soils can be turned in Autumn and exposed to frost over winter which helps break down clods.
Light soil can leach nutrients are better cultivated in Spring just before planting/sowing.
Sandy soils can lose their texture easily so work should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary.
Silt cultivated in dry weather can lead to loss of surface structure and promote capping.
Benefits of Cultivation
- provide a friable and easy to work soil enabling plant root to easily penetrate the soil
- promotes seed germination
- allows incorporation or organic matter
- ie soil conditioner, improves nutrients, and water holding capacity of the soil.
Drawback of Cultivation
- Can destroy the soil structure, particularly if undertaken when working a wet soil.
No-Dig management strategy
- Minimum disturbance of the soil
- Fertility and life eg. worms is built up by adding organic matter to the soil surface
- green manure are used to keep the ground covered, protecting from erosion and capping
- crops pulled or chopped, rather than dug out
No-Dig Benefits
- avoids damage to soil structure
- encourage soil organisms
- weed seeds not brought to surface
- Reduced moisture loss by mulching
- less work/time required
No-Dig Limitations
- Pests such as slugs may build up over time
- initial digging maybe be required, weed removal and poor initial soil structure
- Soil Structure will take time to develop, so may not be ideal for some root crops
- Not suitable for large-scale production
Green Manure example
Vicia faba
Fixes nitrogen into the soil, sown in autumn and overwinters before being dug in during spring.
