Soil Management Flashcards
The continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans (USDA definition)
soil quality
The ability of soil to produce plants
soil productivity
Fresh sources that decompose rapidly, soil organisms, and stable material called humus
soil organic matter
The practice of growing crops without using deep tillage that completely turns the soil over and disturbs soil structure
no-till
Plants grown for their contribution to soil, water, and plant relationships, and also their potential benefit to management of pests, pathogens, and weeds (also called green manures)
cover crop
Fertilizers made through industrial processes or mined from deposits in the earth and purified, mixed, blended, or altered for ease of handling and application
chemical fertilizer
Fertilizers that came from previously living things. In scientific terms, it means carbon fixed biologically.
organic fertilizer
A fertilizer that has a legal definition. The USDA certified organic program determines that these materials can be used in certified production systems. There can be an overlap with some chemical (those that are mined) and some organic materials
USDA organic fertilizer
What soil functions can be used to indicate soil quality?
A. Regulating the flow of water
B. Supporting biodiversity
C. Serving as a filter and buffer for materials
D. Reservoir and site for cycling of nutrients
E. All of the above
E
Soil structure can impact
A. Biological diversity
B. Topography
C. The flow of water in soil
D. Climate
E. both A and C
E
List some ways that liming can improve soil fertility
Raise the soil pH, add calcium and magnesium, enhance beneficial microbial activity through the aggregating actions of calcium
True or False: All cover crops are either legumes or grasses
False
True or False: Productive soils are a result of more than just the plant nutrients they contain
True
A common grass cover crop that can usually establish even under cooler late fall conditions
cereal rye
A legume cover crop that can add N to the soil when it decomposes, can be slow to establish and is often combined with a grass
hairy vetch
A mineral component of soil that can be used as a conditioner and can actually reduce porosity if added in too small an amount to a clayey soil
sand
A material that is the result of biological breakdown of organic matter
compost
Residues from animals that can provide nutrients and organic matter but should be used cautiously in food production due to food safety hazards
manures
A cover crop that can reduce compaction due to large roots
forage radish
A shorter season cover crop that is often seeded in late spring or summer between a spring and fall crop, good for pollinators
buckwheat
What are some impacts of tillage in a garden soil or landscape bed?
reduces soil structure, brings weed seeds to the surface, increases microbial activity, aerates the soil, weed control, incorporates organic matter
________ fertilization is commonly used before planting, while __ is used after plants are in the ground
Broadcast, side dressing
Which of the following is NOT an example of an organic fertilizer?
A. Bloodmeal
B. Compost
C. Superphosphate
D. Bonemeal
C.
