PDC LESSON 4.15 SOIL – STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING SOIL

  

PERMA COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY

PDC LESSON 4.15 SOIL – STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING SOIL

  

·         Increasing soil depth by mounding, or raised beds and tank gardens

·         Avoiding soil tillage

·         Increasing the root depth

·         Increasing the porosity of the soil by the incorporation of organic matter

·         Avoid rapid drying and wetting of the soil

·        

Practices to avoid

• Compaction
• Clay contamination from sub-soil
• Powdering by excessive cultivation

Practices to use

• Capillary irrigation- where the water is drawn up from the roots
• Lime- reduces acidity therefore releases more nutrients into the soil
• Organic matter
• Re-aggresizing-a combination of root growth and the addition of organic matter will add to biological life
• Cover crops

When the soil is open, friable and full of organic matter then the moisture can be easily absorbed and kept there by the organic matter in the soil. Not much watering is needed if there is also a light mulch covering on top of the soil.

·         The soil should never be left bare as it is                                         vulnerable to erosion and weed invasion; 

·         put in a green manure crop.