Soil and Fertility Management

Soil analysis should include analysis of Mg, K and P, as well as pH levels.

Calcium levels have decreased over the last 25 years and are now below the optimum of1600 ppm. Calcium is crucial to soil heath and all soil should be analysed for calcium periodically.

Organic matter in soil is also important for soil health and fertility, and this affects the ability of soils to retain moisture and nutrients, as well as being a source of nutrients such as nitrogen.

Nitrogen in soil makes is important for healthy crops.  Soil samples for Nitrogen are measured at 30, 60 and 90 cm depths throughout the soil.

Manure and slurries should be analysed to measure:
 N, P, K, S content
pH
Mg, Cu and Zn
DM
percentage of solids in slurries

Cereals and grass are  analysed to measure percentage nitrogen in  plant tissue.

The Nitrogen to sulphur ratio is an important measurement for deciding if sulphur is needed to be added.

Recommended Book:

Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Agriculture

James F Power and Rajendra Prasad 
CRC Press  1997                 

Sustainability of agricultural systems is a major global concern due to population growth and a number of environmental factors. This book addresses the key to the development of sustainable agriculture-management of soil fertility. Combining data from temperate and tropical regions, it presents a complete picture of how various soils can best be managed under widely different environmental conditions. Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Agriculture is an excellent reference for environmental and agricultural professionals as well as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students preparing for a career in agriculture or soil fertility management.

Contents

• Introduction
• Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Goals
• Factors Determining Sustainability
• Soil Fertility
• Essential Plant Nutrients
• Criteria for Essentiality
• Basis for Classification of Nutrients as Primary, Secondary, and Micronutrients
• Primary Nutrients, Secondary Nutrients, and Micronutrients
• Functions of Essential Nutrients in Plants
• Soil the Sustainer
• Soil Organic Matter
• Soil Water
• Soil Air
• Soil Mineral Matter
• Soil Colloids
• Soil Living Organisms
• Soil Colloids
• Clay Minerals
• Oxide Minerals
• Organic Matter

• Humus, Its Structure and Properties
• C:N Ratio
• Factors Affecting the Organic-Matter Content of Soils
• Soil Acidity
• Acids
• The pH Concept
• Determination of Soil pH
• Active and Potential Acidity
• Buffering Capacity
• Nature of Soil Acidity
• Factors Affecting Soil Acidity
• Soil pH and Crop Production
• Lime Requirement
• Liming Materials
• Fineness of Limestone
• Soil Salinity and Sodicity
• Coverage and Special Features
• Criteria for Determining Salinity/Sodicity
• Classification
• Reclamation and Management of Saline Soils
• Crop Production on Saline Soils
• Reclamation and Management of Sodic Soils
• Crop Production on Sodic Soils
• Nitrogen
• Soil Organic N
• Mineralization of Soil Organic Nitrogen
• Factors Affecting Nitrification
• Nitrogen Immobilization
• Ammonium Fixation (Nonexchangable Ammonium)
• NH4 vs. NO3- Nutrition of Plants
• Biological Nitrogen Fixation
• Nitrogen Fertilizers or Industrial Nitrogen Fixation
• Efficient Nitrogen Management
• Increasing N Use Efficiency
• Nitrogen Availability Indices
• Nitrogen-Deficiency Symptoms
• Phosphorus
• Soil Phosphorus
• Phosphate Retention or Fixation in Soil
• Factors Affecting the Retention of Phosphorus by Soil
• Phosphate Fertilizer Reaction Products in Soil
• Intensity (I) and Quantity (Q) Factors in Phosphorus Availability
• Soil Testing for Phosphorus
• Phosphorus-Deficiency Symptoms in Plants
• Phosphate Fertilizers
• Efficient Phosphate Management

• Potassium
• Forms of Soil Potassium
• Quantity/Intensity Relationships
• Potassium Fixation
• Leaching of Potassium
• Potassium Fertilizers
• Efficient Use of Potassium Fertilizers
• Sulfur
• Sulfur in Soils
• Sulfur and Its Oxidation
• Oxidation of Pyrites
• Assessing S Needs of Soil
• Sulfur Deficiency Symptoms in Plants
• Sulfur Needs of Crops
• Sulfur Fertilization
• Calcium and Magnesium
• Calcium and Magnesium in Soil
• Factors Affecting the Availability of Calcium and Magnesium in Soils
• Leaching of Calcium and Magnesium
• Determining Available Calcium and Magnesium
• Calcium and Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
• Calcium and Magnesium Amendments
• Iron and Manganese
• Amounts and Forms of Iron and Manganese
• Soil Solution Iron and Manganese
• Factors Affecting Iron and Manganese Availability
• Soil Tests for Iron and Manganese
• Deficiency Symptoms of Iron and Manganese
• Toxicity Symptoms of Iron and Manganese
• Iron and Manganese Fertilizers
• Copper and Zinc
• Amounts in Soil
• Forms of Copper and Zinc in Soils
• Factors Affecting the Availability of Copper and Zinc
• Soil Tests for Copper and Zinc
• Deficiency Symptoms in Plants
• Copper and Zinc Fertilizers
• Boron and Molybdenum
• Boron
• Molybdenum
• Chlorine
• Chlorine in Soils
• Addition of Chlorine to Soils
• Testing Soils for Chlorine Deficiency
• Chlorine Deficiency Symptoms
• Chlorine Toxicity Symptoms
• Interactions with Other Nutrients
• Chlorides and Plant Diseases
• Crop Responses to Chloride Fertilization
• Chloride Fertilizers
• Beneficial Elements
• Sodium
• Silicon
• Cobalt
• Nickel
• Aluminum
• Vanadium, Lanthanum, and Cerium
• Nutrient Interactions
• Interactions
• Interactions of Primary Macronutrients
• Interactions of Micronutrients
• Organic Manures
• Crop Residues
• Animal Manures
• Composting
• Organic Farming
• Integrated Nutrient Management
• Cropping Systems, Soil Fertility, and Fertilizer Use
• Legumes in Crop Rotations
• Intercropping Systems
• Intensive Cropping Systems and Soil Fertility
• Fertilizer Application in Cropping Systems

back to top of page