soil fertility management technique

8/10/2019 Soil Fertility Management Technique

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SoilFertilityManagementTechnique


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Componentsofsoilfertilitymanagement

1.Green

manure 2.

Compost 3.

Bio

Charcoal

5.OGP4.Botanicalcakes 7.Croprotation6.Mulching


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1.Greenmanure Green manure can be defined as

the practice of turning fresh

green plant tissues green

biomass from 10 to 20 tonnes

per acre in 45 days into the soil

to develop the soils physical

structure, increasing soil fertility

and organic matter content.

Greenmanure(greenbiomass)

Sorghum+Cowpea

Daincha

Sunhemp

Cowpea


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1. During the fallow season, grow

different green manure plants on thevegetable beds2. It is essential to keep a high Carbon

nitrogen ratio in our choice of greenmanure pump plants, a cover crop

combination.3. The concept is to mix one plant with a

high Carbon contentand one which isaleguminous plant.

4. Leguminous green manure cropsadds nitrogen essential for plant

growth, to the soil by fixingatmospheric nitrogen in the roots.5. Fiber crops add bio mass, roots,

carbon and lignin to the soil,which will decay and produce thelife giving substance known ashumus.

Cowpearootzone

Daincharootzone


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SunhempSeed highcarbonandhighnitrogen Gr.M

MixingSunhempandCowpeaseeds

beforesowing

CowpeaSeed leguminousnitrogenfixingGr.M

Cultivatinggreenmanure(Gr.M)

inraisedbed.

Sunhemp

and

cow

pea


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Makearaisedbedbyusingthesoilfromthe pathinbetween2raisedbeds.

Raisebedoptimaldimensionare:10minlengthorwhatisconvenient,0.8m

to1minbreathand5 10cminheightbeforegreenmanuresowing.


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CoverthesownGr.Mseedsby

turninggentlythesurfaceofthebed

Gr.Mseedstobesownby

providingoptimumspacing


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Or,coverthe

sown

Gr.M

seeds

with

soilfromthepathOr,

cover

the

sown

Gr.M

seeds

while

raking


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Afterhaving

covered

the

seeds

with

soil,

Waterthe

sown

green

manure

seeds

orwaitfortherainifplanned in a rainyseason


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Germinated

green

manure

crop

growth

after

a

week


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Green

manure

at

20

Days

after

Sowing(Days)Green

manure

at

30

Daysafter

Sowing


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Green

manure

crop

growth

at

35

daysafter

sowing


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Greenmanurecropgrowthat40daysaftersowing

d


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Greenmanure crop growthatthetimeofincorporation45 50days

A d


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CuttheGr.M atthebaseleavingthe

rootsinsidethesoil.

Chopthecutgreenmanureforquick

andeasydecomposition


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A d


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Coverthegreenmanure(greenbiomass)withthesoilfromthepath to

activatedecomposition.

A d


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After 3 weeks the bio mass

decomposition has transformed

the original soil (red) into a

blackish, sweet smelling, fertilesoil.

The original poor soil had

become well structured and

inhabited by an impressive

population of earth worms.

A d


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Sorghum andcowpea,indigo,sunhemp

Ann d n


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Cuttingandincorporationofgreenmanure

sorghumand sunhemp

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AddingOGP andcoveringwithsoilfromthe

pathtoactivatedecomposition.

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Sorghum&IndigoIndigo

Fewothercombinationsofgreenmanurecrop atthetime

ofincorporation

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Sorghum&Sunhemp

Sunhemp

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It also increases organic matter content,

earthworms occurrence and beneficial

microorganisms in the soil.

It increasessoil fertilityand improves soil

structure and helps prevent soil erosion.

It increases the soils available nitrogen and

promotesmoisture retention.

It brings deep minerals to the surface and

break up soil hardpans.

It improves water,root and air penetration

in the soil and suppresses the weed

growth.

It is economical and easy to grow.

MultiplebenefitsofGreenmanure

Green manure crops generate10 to 20 tonnes per acre of green bio mass in45

days, depending on soil and climatic conditions.

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2.Compost

Compost is the residue created from the

decomposition and recombiningof various

forms of plant and animal life such as leaves,

grass, wood, garbage, natural fiber, bones or

any natural bio mass materials. This compost is

obtained through composting process.

Composting is the controlled decomposition or

breakdown of organic matterby a large number

of mixed populations of microorganisms in a

warm, moist, aerated environment. It is aprocess of transformation of raw organic

materials into biologically stable humus

substances, suitable asplant nutrients.

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Compostapplicationtechnique

Preparepitsinthevegetableraisedbed,3dayspriorto composting

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Add2handfullor about1kgofcompostineachpitat3differentlevel. In

total3kg

or

3

doublehand

full

of

compost

are required.

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Level1Addfirst1handfullor

1kgofcompostinthepit.

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Mixwellthecompostandpit

soilbyhandhoeorspadeor

throughhand

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Level2 Add asecondhandfullor1kgofcompostinthepit

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Mixthecompostandthesoilin

thepitwelleitherbyspade,

hoe orviahand.

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Level3 Addlastandfinal a

handfullor1kgofcompostin

thetoplayer.

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Mixthecompostandthetop

layer soilwell

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Mixwellandmakeaheapandallowthepit tosettle forafew

days,iftimepermits,beforesowingortransplanting

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1. Compostcontainsplantnutrients

2. Compostimprovesthephysicalconditionofsoils

3. Compostincreasesthewaterholdingcapacityofsoil

4. Compostenhancesplantrootpenetration

5. Compostpreventssoilerosion

6. Compostconcentratesfarm residues

7. Compost promotes soil health andplantproductivity

8. Compost helps to combat plantspathogens and weed seeds

9. Compost releases nutrients slowly

Multiplebenefitofcompost

Annadana3 Bio Charcoal


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Soil & Seed Savers3.BioCharcoal Biocharcoal is biomass (wood,

branches, trimmings,) that is convertedinto charcoal through a process of

pyrolysis: heating in the absence of

oxygen, and prevents burning of the

biomass (which happens in open fires)

Biocharcoal is nothing but carbon

having a structure made of millions of

tiny air sac pores. This air sac poresincrease the totalinternal surfacearea of

the charcoal up to 300 2,000 sq.m per

gram.

The biocharcoal acts as afoodbankand

stores precious nutrients, moisture and

microorganisms in its structure. It is

durable and remains for years actingfurther as aregulator.

FreshBioCharcoal

Tinyairsacporousinbiocharcoal


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Addbiocharcoalintothe

OGP

mixture

Allowthismixturetosoakfor1dayprior

to

pit

preparation

and

stir

well

periodically.

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TaketheinoculatedbiocharcoalfromtheOGPmixture

Theinoculatedbiocharcoalisreadyforapplication.

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Applyonehandfull(100gms)of

enriched

bio

charcoal

in

a

prepared

pit

Enrichedbiocharcoalkeptready

for

pit

application

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Equallyspreadtheinoculatedbiocharcoalinthepitafterapplicationof

compost

and

botanical

cakes

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Mixthe

bio

charcoal

with

other

inputs

like

compost

and

botanical

cakes

along

withsoilandmakeaheap.

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Multiplebenefitofbio charcoal

1. Theextremelyhighabsorptionandretentionofnutrients bytheairsacpresent

inthebiocharcoal.

2. Theextremelyhighpersistenceofbiocharcoal(stability)

3. Biocharcoal,highlyincreasesthesoilmicrobialfunctionsandsoilwater

holdingcapacity.

4. Whenaddedtothesoilitcansignificantlyimproveyieldimmediately

especiallywheninoculatedwithOrganicGrowthPromotersandBioPlant

extracts.

5. Thecarbon,whenrecycledintothesoil,providesastablelongtermremovalof

carbon(dioxide)fromtheatmosphere.

Soilswithbiocharcoaladditionsaretypicallymorefertile,produce

moreandhealthycropsoveralongerperiodoftime.

l & d

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4 B t i l k


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Soil & Seed Savers4.Botanicalcakes

After the extraction of oil from certain

oilseeds, the pith / residue obtained is

called a botanical cake.

Botanical cakes is a good source of organic

nitrogen.

Botanical cakes have pesticide property

and disease control.

The cake obtained from groundnut,

sesame,neem and pongamseeds is used as

organic manure and bio pesticide.

Neem cake and pongam cake applications

act as both manure and pest control, since

they have biopesticide, insect repellant

andanti feeding properties.

Neemcake

Pongamcake

S il & S d S

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Botanicalcakeapplicationtechnique

ReadyNeemcakeforapplication Apply100gramsNeemcakeper

pit

S il & S d S

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Neemcakeaddedalongwith

compostandbiocharcoal,

duringthepitmixture

preparation

Addtheneemcakeintopit

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Mixwellalltheingredients(compost+biocharcoal+neemcake+

soil),and

make

aheap

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5 O i h


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5.Organicgrowthpromoters

OGP are plantbio

stimulantsthat promoteplant growth and development.

The importance of OGP lies in their ability

topromote hormonal activityin plants. Plant hormones are chemical

communicators, or agents, which help

regulate a plants development and itsresponse to its surrounding environment.

OGP also promotes antioxidant production

in plants. They are used insmall concentration, thus

being economical, but to be applied 46

times during a plant life cycle foroptimum

results.

Panchagavya

Efficientmicroorganism

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OGPapplicationtechnique

PreparedOGP:panchagavyaand

efficientmicroorganism

Panchagavya

Efficientmicroorganism

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AddOGP,300mlof

panchagavyaand50mlof

efficientmicroorganisminto

therosecan

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Addwater

InoculateOGPinthe

preparedpitheap

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InoculateOGP,immediatelyafteraddingpitmixture(compost,bio

charcoaland

botanical

cakes)

in

the

pit

3days

prior

sowing

or

transplanting,iftimepermits.

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Multiple benefit of OGP


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o & a rsMultiplebenefitofOGP

Spraying organic growth promoters

enhances the production of a bigger anddenser canopy, activates biological efficiency,enabling production of maximummetabolites and photosynthesis.

The trunk produces side shoots, the stemgrowth stocky, leaves growth bigger, theplant growth healthier and is capable ofsupporting maximum fruits to maturity.

The rooting is profuse and dense,spreading and growing into deeper sub soillayers. This helps maximize intake of

nutrients and water and subsequentlyincreases the yield.

The organic growth promoter forms a thinoily film on the leaves and stems, thus

reducing evaporation and enhancingdrought hardiness.

Amirthakaraisal

Fishextract

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Afteraweekthepreparedpitsarereadyfortransplanting

Transplantingseedlings

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Digaholemanuallyinthepreparedpitsbeforetransplanting

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Carefullytransplanttheseedlingintothepreparedpitand

compactthesoilsurroundingit


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Transplanted

field

into

the

prepared

raised

beds

and

pits

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Thepreparedheaphas

tosettledowntothe

groundlevel.Healthy

seedlingsarereadyfor

transplanting

Transplanted

seedlinginthe

preparedpit

Healthygrowth

andhighyieldis

ensured.

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6 Mulching


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6.Mulching Mulch is simply a protective layer

of biomass material that is spread

on top of the soil. This protective

layer is biodegradable.

It prevents evaporation and

regulates soil temperaturewhich is

favourable for root development.

A variety of materials are used as

mulch: organic residues, grass

clippings, leaves, hay, straw, roof

clips, shredded bark, coconut fibre.

Many of these materials also act as

indirect composting system.

Mulching

enriches

and

protects

the

soil,

providing

a

better

growing

environment.

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Organic mulch is usually appliedtowards thebeginningof the growingseason, and may be reapplied asnecessary.

Organic mulch like straw and hay, are

cut into clips and spread by handaround emerged plants. This mulch isusually piled up two to three inchesor more. They settle and decompose

during the season. Mulches made from grass,

straw, hay and coconut fibre,are generally lighter and easier

to use, with the addedadvantages of being biodegradable. They also retainmoisture and control weed to acertain extend.

Grassclipmulchinginwatermelon

Roofclipsmulchinginwatermelon

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Selectgrasses,weeds(without

seeds),freegrowingplantsfor

mulching

Harvestthose

plants.

Mulching

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Choppedclipsofbiomass

mulcharereadyformulching

Transferthemulching

materialstowardthegarden

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Mulchingdone

in

bhendi

plants

Coverproperlyallthesoil

surfacearoundthecrops

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Mulchingdone

in

capsicum

plants

Mulchingdoneincornplants

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MultiplebenefitsofMulching

Mulchingadjustsandregulatetemperature.Ithelpsthesoiltostaycool

duringhotandsummerconditions andretainsheatduringthecoolseason.

Itcontrolsweedgrowthbyblockingthesunlightandgermination.

Itretains waterbyslowingdownevaporation.

Itaddsorganicmatterand nutrientstothesoilthroughthegradual

breakdown

of

the

mulch

material. Itcontrolssoilerosionby protectingsoilfromrain.

Mulchesslowlydecompose,theyprovideorganicmatterwhichhelpskeep

thesoil

loose,

improves

root

growth,

increases

the

infiltration

of

water,

and

waterholdingcapacityofthesoil.

Organicmatterisasourceofplantnutrientsandprovidesanideal

environmentfor

earthworms

and

other

beneficial

soil

organisms.

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Crop rotation is the practice of growing alternatively different types of crops

(different species) in the same area in sequential seasons for various benefits. A component of polyculture and biodiversity.

Growing the same crops in the same site year after year can encourage a build

up of pests & diseases in the soil. Crops should be moved to a different area ofland each year, and not returned to the original site for several years.

Vegetables also have various mineral needs and continuous cropping of one

particular crop can lead to the imbalance levels of nutrients in the soil. When crops are rotated, it prevents the build up of pests and diseases in the soil

and aid the vegetables in their nutrient needs.

For vegetable crops a 3 to 4 year rotation is usually recommended as a

minimum.

It is a fact that the vegetables growth and yield is better in a soil when a different

crop has been grown prior, than in a soil that has been used with repeated crops.

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Green


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ExampleofCroprotationfora3year

periodin

the

same

pieceofland

manure(Sept Oct)

1st year

Tomato/

Brinjal(Nov April)

1st year

Cucumber/watermelon

(May Aug)2nd year

Corn/Beans(Nov April)

2ndyear

Greenmanure

(Sept Oct)2nd year

Squash/Gourds

(May Aug)1st year

Bhendi/

Amaranth(May Aug)

Capsicum/Chilly

(Nov April)3rd ear

Greenmanure

(Sep Oct)3rd year

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Multiple Uses of Crop rotation


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Multiple Uses of Crop rotation

Itavoids the build up of pathogens and peststhat often occurs when one

species is continuously cropped.

It also seeks to balance the fertility demands of various crops to avoid

excessive depletion of the same soil nutrients.

A traditional component of crop rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen

through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals / millets /

vegetables and other crops.

It can also improve soil structure and fertility byalternating deeprooted

and shallowrooted plants.

Crop rotation also helps a variety of natural predators to survive on the

farm.

Controls soil erosion

Mitigates the risk of weather changes

Finally increases yields and net profits.

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Reapresultsbythispracticeof

sustainable,high

yielding,fertilitymanagementsystem.

Takecareofthesoilandtheplantswilltakecareofyou.

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For further enquiries contact us at :


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Forfurtherenquiries,contactusat:

AnnadanaSeedBank

AurovilleBotanicalGarden

Auroville,Villupuramdist,Tamilnadu 605101.

Email:[email protected]

Phone:04132622667

Formoreinformationlogontoourwebsitewww.annadana.com

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