Module 2: Soil Health Demonstration Flashcards
What are the 4 cycles that need to be present on any farmland?
1 photo synthesis: plants convert sunshine into nutrients, liquid sunshine
2 water cycle: 60 % comes from ocean, 40% inland. If the water doesn’t infiltrate into earth because of soil erosion it can not be cycled. It needs to infiltrate to help the plants do their photosynthesis. The micro water cycle gets affected by ineffective water. Then plants give up humidity and the cycle starts again.
3 nutrient cycle: can only hapen with the above. Plants feed the root system which in turn feeds the plants, endless loop.
4 diversity & community All of the above can only happen in diversified climate and community.
Why do we not till?
Tillage destroys the earth surface and the organisms living beneath it. Those organisms and roots form aggregates that are like cottage cheese with holes in them that allow air, water and microbes to travel and aggregate. When these aggregates get destroyed the soil organic matter SOM gets destroyed which is needed for healthy plant growth. Also healthy soil has a lot of fungi, unhealthy soil bacteria takes over.
What is the detritus sphere?
The residue left behind when no tillage and continuous cover crops. Its the armor for the soil and the habitat for the earth worm and microbes.
r and k selection
2 different strategies for different species. R multiplies without caring for children, r have high rates of population growth. R produce large amounts of offspring without care, less chance to survive, unstable environments. Short life expectancies.
Example for R: salmon BACTERIA rabbits weeds grasses
What happens after tillage and oxidation?
The bacteria get unleashed and eat the glue that hold the aggregates in place. Nitrogen gets released and the weeds feed on those. Weeds are actually natures healers.
How does nature till?
She uses earthworms, plants, roots, microbes as her tillage instruments.
Why is overgrazing & over haying bad?
The very short plant left will not have enough energy to build the root aggregates needed for healthy soil. As above so below. Need to have a certain height & rest period of the plant matter above in order to produce healthy soil.
Types of earth?
Sand, silts and clay.
Slake test conventional earth, what happens?
No aggregates, water hits the earth, no pore space to absorb the water, water run off an clogging of the earth.
