www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops cover-crops Ch 10. Cover Crops ...benefits (Figure 10.1). Organic matter. Grass cover crops are more likely than legumes to increase soil organic matter. The more surface residue and roots provided to the soil, the better...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops diversifying-cropping-systems Ch 11. Diversifying Cropping Systems ...amount of organic residues returned because more fertile soils grow higher-yielding crops, with more residues aboveground and belowground. Therefore, when soils have become depleted of organic matter due to simple...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops analyzing-your-soil-and-crop Ch 21. Analyzing Your Soil and Crop ...in different laboratories, it’s best to make sure the same method was used. Unfortunately, despite its importance, organic matter assessment is still poorly standardized and lab-to-lab variability remains high. It...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops management-of-nitrogen-and-phosphorus Ch 19. Management of Nitrogen and Phosphorus ...and P sources are typically sufficient to meet the crop’s demand, but not always. Since most plant-available P in soils is relatively strongly adsorbed by organic matter and clay minerals,...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops integrating-crops-and-livestock Ch 12. Integrating Crops and Livestock ...organic matter by about 0.3%. However, much of the manure will decompose during the year, so the net effect on soil organic matter will be less. Figure 12.1. Example of...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops ch-9-managing-for-high-quality-soils-and-focusing-on-organic-matter-management Ch 9. Managing for High-Quality Soils and Focusing on Organic Matter Management ...create not only better water infiltration but also generally healthy soils. Organic Matter Management on Different Types of Farms Animal-based farms. It is certainly easier to maintain soil organic matter...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops putting-it-all-together Ch 24. Putting It All Together ...shallow-rooted cover crops, bio-drilling cover crops, fresh organic matter Shallow-rooted cover/rotation crops, avoiding traffic on wet soils, controlled traffic, physical decompaction— loosening High subsurface density Targeted deep tillage (zone building,...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops minimizing-tillage Ch 16. Minimizing Tillage ...in preventing soil erosion and building both organic matter and overall soil health. No-till systems have been used successfully on many soils in different climates. The surface residue protects against...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops compaction Ch 15. Addressing Compaction ...compaction but minimize soil disturbance Use cover crops or rotation crops that can break up compacted soils Add organic matter Use better load distribution with equipment Use controlled traffic Don’t...
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops soil-health-plant-health-and-pests Ch 8. Soil Health, Plant Health and Pests ...and physical properties promote healthy soils. Healthy soils occur when their biological, chemical and physical conditions are all optimal (Figure 8.1), enabling high yields of crops and other important soil...