Dora Soil Amendments

In view of the current situation of rapid population growth and increasingly scarce resources, it is necessary to use physical or chemical techniques to improve the soil to reach the optimum level. Through soil amendment, it will help to increase the quality and yield of agricultural production, and achieve sustainable development of agriculture.

In the process of soil amendment research, supplementing nutrients is a common soil amendment technology method. Organic compounds are an important part of the soil. The evaluation standard for soil quality is mainly based on the content of organic compounds.

Crop yield directly determines people’s living standards and agricultural economic growth. Therefore, to supplement soil nutrients is to increase the content of organic compounds in the soil. Only in this way can soil improvement be achieved, and the yield and quality of crops can be improved, which is also the fundamental purpose of soil improvement and plays an extremely important role in promoting the sustainable development of agricultural production.

The short-term solution is to fertilize the soil directly to meet the plant’s direct needs, make up for nutrient deficiencies, and avoid potential diseases or insects.

From a holistic perspective, the best option is to allow beneficial microbes to improve soil conditions in the fall and winter and release nutrients that can be taken up by crops for uptake in the spring. Therefore, the vitality of plants in spring is determined by the activity of soil microbial communities in autumn.

Soil Types

Most soils tend to be one of four types: sand, silt, clay, or loam (having a balance of sand, silt, and clay). Each soil type has its own characteristics.

1. Sandy Soil: It’s easy to detect. It has a tough texture, and when you squeeze a small amount of sandy soil into your hand, it easily collapses when you open your hand again. Sandy soil is full of sand. Sand is mainly small eroded rocks. Sand tends to have large grains, and the grains are solid and water and nutrients cannot be absorbed. As a result, water and nutrients tend to be depleted, and because sandy soils lack both water and nutrients, many plants have difficulty surviving in such soils.

2. Silt Soil: It consists mainly of medium-sized particles, is richer, better drained, and has more moisture than sandy soils, but is easily compacted. Because of its fineness, when it gets wet it turns into a smooth slurry that you can easily make into balls or other shapes; and when silt soil is very wet, it mixes seamlessly with water to form a fine, runny slurry.

3. Clay Soil: The clay particle is the finest of all soil particles, measuring less than 0.002 mm. It consists of microscopic and sub-microscopic particles derived from the chemical decomposition of rocks. Also known as heavy soils, these soils are more fertile because they bind nutrients to the clay minerals in the soil. But they also hold a high percentage of water due to the capillary attraction of the tiny spaces between a large number of clay particles.

4. Loam Soil: It’s a mixture of clay, sand, and silt, and benefits from the qualities of these three different textures that favor water retention, air circulation, drainage, and fertility. These soils are fertile, easy to use and provide good drainage.

Effect of Soil pH Value on Crop Growth

PH value is a measure of ion concentration in the soil. It will affect the absorption of mineral ions by plants, which will affect the osmotic pressure of plant roots, and may cause plants to lose water and wither. It will also affect the type and quantity of microorganisms in the soil.

Main effects of pH on plant growth:

Affects the activities of plant roots, which can only carry out normal metabolic activities, including respiration, ion exchange, and absorption of various nutrients, within a certain pH range. The pH range to which different plants are adapted varies. Generally, the pH value of plant roots is required to be between 5.4 and 6.3. Above or below this range, the activities of plant roots will be inhibited, and in serious cases, the root system may be necrotic, which may lead to the death of the whole plant.
Influences the effective release of nutrients in the cultivation substrate, which exists in many forms, such as compounds, ions, polymers, etc. Some elements in some forms cannot be absorbed and used by plant roots, such as calcium and magnesium ions if they are in a high pH environment, they form insoluble or slightly water-soluble compounds and cannot be absorbed effectively by plants.
Affect inter-root microbial activities, some microorganisms in the substrate are beneficial to plant growth, some are symbiotic with plants, beneficial microorganisms can help plants absorb nutrients, decompose organic matter, secrete organic acids to improve soil quality, etc. Microbial activities need to be carried out within a certain pH range.

More Ways to Improve Soil Condition

1. Reduce Reverse Tillage and Soil Transport

Excessive tillage is harmful to soil health in many ways. Tillage increases oxygen in the soil, stimulates microbial activity, and causes organic matter to decompose. Tillage also damages soil health by destroying soil aggregates and reducing organic matter content. Reverse tillage also reduces the cover of crop residues on the soil, making it more susceptible to erosion.

2. Add Organic Matters

Organic matter improves the structure of all types of soils. It allows the soil to retain moisture better and it improves drainage in heavy clay soils. Another role of organic matter is that it provides nutrients to the microorganisms and beneficial insects of the soil ecosystem. It creates a good environment for all these soil microorganisms and organisms that can promote plant health and growth.

Organic matter contains acids that make plant roots more permeable and improve their uptake of water and nutrients, and it dissolves minerals in the soil so that they can act on plant roots.

3. Use Cover Crops

Cover crops have many benefits for soil health. They reduce the risk of erosion by keeping the soil covered during the winter and other times when crops are not growing. The biomass produced by cover crops is often returned to the soil, thereby increasing organic matter levels. Legume crops can add nitrogen to the soil through nitrogen fixation.

4. Crop Rotation

Farmers use crop rotation as a method of maintaining soil fertility. Crops can be planted strategically to replenish nutrients that may have been reduced by previous crops, thus preventing nutrient depletion in the soil. Crop rotation also helps to control weeds and reduce crop-specific pest and disease problems.

5. Reducing Soil Compaction

Consciously reducing soil damage caused by heavy or repetitive agricultural machinery running on land Reducing tire pressure is a measure farmers take to maintain healthy soils. Farmers also reduce soil compaction by housing livestock in barns during the winter. In addition, farmers try to ensure that there are multiple access points to the farmland to reduce soil compaction near the access points.

6. Scientific Nutrient Management

Careful planning of the timing, application methods and amounts of substrates, composts and other fertilizers will enable you to meet the nutrient needs of your crops and minimize nutrient overload. Over-fertilization can increase pest and disease problems. Increased levels of soluble nitrogen in plants can reduce their resistance to pests, leading to higher pest densities and crop damage.

7. Soil Microbial Management

Large numbers of beneficial soil microorganisms improve nutrient and water utilization and help suppress disease-causing pathogens.

The more beneficial microorganisms a soil can have, the fewer pests there will be. This is because good microorganisms feed on harmful microorganisms, such as nematodes and certain soil diseases. Beneficial microorganisms also release nutrients into the soil when they die and decompose. Therefore, the more beneficial microorganisms in the soil, the more nutrients in the soil.

8. Add Perlite

Perlite can absorb up to 2-3 times its own volume. Mixed with soil, it can form voids to improve air permeability. Water retention and breathability. Water retention and air permeability.