Soil Fertility 1
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)
If a nutrient is mobile within the plant, where do deficiency symptoms show first?
Older leaves
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.
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.
What nutrient deficiency causes the leaves to develop a purple conlor?
Phosphorus
Why do you have to be careful with how much of a concentrated trace element is added to the soil?
Too little leads to deficiency. Too much is toxic. There is a narrow range in which there is sufficient amount. Because the quantities need are so small, it is easy to exceed what is sufficient and create toxicity.
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 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.
What nutrient deficiency causes older leaves or whole plants to be pale green or yellow?
Nitrogen
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.
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
How much Johnson Su compost did David Johnson apply per acre?
2 pounds
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?
Calciium, blossom end rot, provide regular water to the plant.
What are the two components of soil that are most responsible for holding mineral nutrients?
Clay and organic matter
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.
What characteristic of his compost did David Johnson find to most closely correlate with growth of plants?
Fungal to bacteria ratio
What is the difference between compost tea and compost extract?
Compost extract is the soluble nutrients and microorganisms removed from compost into water. Compost tea is "brewed" by bubbling air through it for some time, often 24 hours, with nutrients added along with compost. This allows the microorganisms to multiply.
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 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
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 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.
"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.