Erosion
Another common name for erosion.
What is degradation?
Tilling ___ the soil, or gets it ready to plant crops.
What is cultivates?
This term refers to the ability of soil to function as a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.
What is soil health?
Crops with this life cycle are cultivated and live longer than two years, without needing to be replanted.
What is perennial?
This refers to the soil's alkalinity or acidity, which influences the availability of nutrients to plants. The majority of crops prefer a ___ range of 6.5 to 7.5
What is pH?
One part of erosion is the ____ of rock.
What is weathering?
This type of tillage leaves the soil mostly untouched.
What is no-till farming?
Healthy soil can hold more of this making it more resistant to drought.
What is water?
The process of watering crops in controlled amounts, especially used for soils with low water holding capacity.
What is irrigation?
The top two types of fertilizers
What are manure and compost?
This is the biggest cause of natural erosion.
What is water?
Minimal tillage is usually desirable because intensive tillage tends to break down ____ structure.
What is soil?
These are crops planted between the main crops to protect the soil, improve its health, and increase its organic matter.
What are cover crops?
This is left of a crop after harvest and can help conserve soil moisture.
What is crop residue?
The main macronutrients in soils are nitrogen, phosphorus and ___.
What is Potassium?
One of the main effects of erosion.
What is the reduced quality of soil?
These systems in the soil allow for better infiltration— something that tilling removes.
What are root systems?
Keeping plant roots in the ground as much as possible throughout the year helps keep the soil healthy. This is called maximizing the presence of what?
What are living roots?
The speed of which water enters the soil.
What is infiltration rate?
This crop fixes its own Nitrogen (N) but requires Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) fertility.
What is Alfalfa?
Heavier rain, hot weather, wildfires, and droughts are all examples of how this impacts erosion.
What is climate change?
Large tillers, despite their intention, do this to the soil which leads to less water infiltration.
What is compaction?
This practice improves the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem or field. By increasing this variation, it can also improve soil health.
What is biodiversity?
This is a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that can form symbiotic relationships with soybeans to help improve chlorophyll production.
What is rhizobium?
Some fertilizers, with organic matter like manure, can create an imbalance in the soil with too much of this nutrient.
What is Nitrogen?