Soil Fertility
What do the 3 numbers on a bag of fertilizer mean?
They give the percentages of soluble Nitrogen, Phosphorus (as phosphate), and Potassium (as potash)
There are 3 cover crops that can be planted in October in the upper Midwest. Name 2 of them
Winter rye, hairy vetch, Camelina
What is the purpose of the tubes in the Johnson Su compost?
They form air channels to bring air into the pile to keep is aerobic.
If a nutrient is mobile within the plant, where do deficiency symptoms show first?
Older leaves
What are two advantages and one disadvantage of soil blocks?
Advantages: Roots are air pruned, no container is needed
Disadvantages: Takes more time to make blocks, roots grow from one block to another
What nutrient deficiency causes the leaves to develop a purple color?
Phosphorus
What are 6 benefits of cover crops?
Fix nitrogen; increase organic matter; increase nutrient availability; prevent erosion; improve soil structure; decrease soil compaction; suppress weeds; attract beneficial insects; promote soil microbiology; sequester carbon.
What are the benefits of composting manure instead of applying it to the soil without composting?
Composting stabilizes the manure so nutrients are less likely to leach out or wash away or cause an excess. It grows a diverse community of microorganisms that benefit the soil. It reduces human and plant pathogens.
Why is it valuable for small farmers in the tropics to have cover crops that are drought tolerant?
The can be grown during the dry season to enrich the soil when they won't interfere with their food crops and they can provide fodder for livestock at a time when little fodder is available.
What are the advantages of direct seeding?
It is fast, there is no transplant shock, no root disturbance
What nutrient deficiency causes older leaves or whole plants to be pale green or yellow?
Nitrogen
What are the benefits of a fall planted cover crop that will winter-kill?
It will cover the soil and feed soil microbes in the fall. After it dies, it will form a mulch that protects the soil over winter. An early spring crop can be planted without needing to terminate the cover crop.
How much Johnson Su compost did David Johnson apply per acre?
2 pounds
What are characteristics of a compost pile with high C:N?
It will heat up slowly and decompose slowly. It will promote growth of fungi.
What are the advantages of transplanting?
Head start on season, Head start on weeds, Uniform stand, Uniform harvest, Less time in field, No need to thin, Easier to provide ideal conditions for germination
When the bottom of a tomato fruit turns black, what nutrient deficiency causes it, what is it called, and what can be done to prevent it?
Calcium, blossom end rot, provide regular water to the plant.
When is a good time to plant a cover crop that you want to have growing WITH a cash crop?
4 to 5 weeks after planting or transplanting the cash crop
What characteristic of his compost did David Johnson find to most closely correlate with growth of plants?
Fungal to bacteria ratio
What are the two components of soil that are most responsible for holding mineral nutrients?
Clay and organic matter
Why is growing a cover crop between rows of cash crop more successful in the tropics than in temperate regions?
The sun is directly overhead so the cash crop does not shade the cover crop as much.
What are the 6 elements that a crop plant needs in large quantities that come from the soil?
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur
What are 3 ways to terminate a cover crop?
Tillage, occultation (black tarp that blocks light), solarization (clear tarp that causes high heat), crimping, mowing, livestock grazing
How did David Johnson apply his compost to the field?
He injected an extract of the compost into the furrow when planting the crop. It should be in the soil where it is in contact with the seed and roots.
What are 3 reasons to turn a compost pile?
Cool it down, mix ingredients, break up clumps, aerate the pile, move the outside of the pile to the inside, dry out a wet pile
"Curving back on myself, I create again and again" is a Vedic expression that describes how the unified field creates the universe from within itself. Relate this expression to the Ley farming that Eliot describes for supplying fertility for a farm.
In ley farming, land is rotated between perennial pasture and annual crops. The perennial pasture and livestock enrich the soil and increases its fertility. That fertility then provides what the annual crops need. Fertility for the farm is supplied from within the farm.