Soil Fertilizers and Soil Conservation

Notes

Fertilizers boost yields but cause problems Fertilizer- substances that contain essential nutrients Inorganic fertilizers- the remains or wastes of organisms +manure, crop residues, fresh vegetation +compost: produced by decomposition of organic matter Soils display great variety •topsoil is vital for agriculture *but unsalable practices •soil scientist classify soils using color, texture, and pH +Loom: soil with an even mixture of pore and particle sizes Sand (biggest) Silt Clay (smallest) Parties sizes, not minerals The dirty rule Sand will fall off of hand Silt will rub off of hand Clay will need to be washed off The soil conservation service •the us congress passed the soil conservation act of 1935, creating the soil conservation service (SCS) •the scs works with farmers to develop conservation plans for farms Protecting soil Crop rotation- alternating the crops grown from one season or year to the next Contour farming – plowing fuse sideways across a hillside, perpendicular to its slope, to prevent gullies Terracing- good for hilly areas, way to farm Intercropping- different plants every row, confuses bugs, blocks winds (smaller area of crop) Shelterbelts or wind breaks- prote...