Horticulture Lecture 5: Post-Planting Practices
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Questions and Answers

What is one of the benefits of organic fertilization?

  • Increase the soil's compactness
  • Reduce the plant's nutritional needs
  • Provide the plant with its nutritional needs (correct)
  • Decrease the soil's water holding capacity

    • What happens to sandy soil when organic fertilization is used?

  • It becomes less fertile
  • It becomes more compact
  • It increases its water holding capacity (correct)
  • It decreases its aeration

    • What is a result of using organic fertilization on clay soils?

  • Segregations of clay particles, increasing aeration (correct)
  • Reduced water holding capacity
  • Decreased aeration
  • Increased compactness

    • What is humus a result of?

    <p>The breakdown of organic fertilizers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a benefit of humus in soil?

    <p>It increases the soil's water holding capacity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is green manure an example of?

    <p>Organic matter used as fertilizer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What determines the components of animal manure?

    <p>The type of animal and its feeding</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of humus in soil?

    <p>It makes the soil darker and increases its absorbance of sunlight</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the preferred size of the feedstock to be grinded?

    <p>Particles dimensions do not exceed 5 cm length and 1 cm diameter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of aeration in composting?

    <p>To supply oxygen to microbes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to microbial diversity when temperatures exceed 71°C?

    <p>Microbial diversity decreases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the optimum moisture percentage for composting?

    <p>45-60%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why are smaller piles preferred in composting?

    <p>They allow for greater air flow</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the minimum oxygen percentage required for microbial growth?

    <p>5%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the curing and maturation stage in composting?

    <p>To eliminate inhibitors to seed germination</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long does it take for compost to be ready to use in a well-managed pile?

    <p>3-5 months</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of fertilization in horticulture?

    <p>To enhance plant growth and productivity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the minimum number of elements required for plant life?

    <p>16</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a micronutrient?

    <p>Iron</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the element that plants require in large quantities?

    <p>Macronutrient</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of fertilizer is industrially produced?

    <p>Chemical fertilizer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary source of carbon for plants?

    <p>Atmosphere</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Fertilization primarily aims to:

    <p>Adjust the growing plant's nutritional status</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a macronutrient?

    <p>Iron</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main source of energy for decomposers in the composting process?

    <p>Carbon</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the ideal Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio (C:N) for composting?

    <p>25:1 - 35:1</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of a high Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio (C:N) in composting?

    <p>Slower composting process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where does the decomposition of organic materials occur in composting?

    <p>On the surface of the feedstock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of microorganisms in composting?

    <p>To consume feedstocks and produce heat, accelerating the composting process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is composting?

    <p>The process of biological decomposition of organic materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of organic matter used in composting?

    <p>It is derived from living organisms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of controlling the composting process?

    <p>To optimize the decomposition of organic materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of growing green manure crops?

    <p>To enhance soil fertility by fixing nitrogen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using green manure crops?

    <p>To increase soil compactness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of Alfalfa meal?

    <p>It is a leguminous plant</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary nutrient that fish bone meal is rich in?

    <p>Phosphorus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main advantage of planting clover into an established farm?

    <p>To provide mulch, fertilizer, and beneficial insect habitat</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe specific plant or crop varieties that are grown and turned into the soil?

    <p>Green manure</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the benefit of using Soybean Meal as an organic fertilizer?

    <p>It is a leguminous plant, fixing nitrogen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main advantage of using green manure crops in farming?

    <p>To improve soil fertility and overall quality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Fertilization

    • Fertilization is an essential agricultural practice to supply growing plants with nutrients, enhancing growth and productivity.
    • Fertilizers are natural or synthetic substances containing one or more recognized plant nutrients, applied to the soil or plant to adjust the growing plant's nutritional status.

    Types of Fertilizers

    • Organic fertilizers
    • Chemical (synthetic) fertilizers
    • Bio-fertilizers

    Elements Needed for Plant Life

    • Plants need at least 16 elements, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
    • Plants obtain carbon from the atmosphere and hydrogen and oxygen from water, while other nutrients are taken up from the soil.

    Macronutrients and Micronutrients

    • Macronutrients: elements needed in large quantities, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
    • Micronutrients: elements needed in small quantities, including iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, and molybdenum.

    Organic Fertilization

    • Benefits of organic fertilization:
      • Provides plants with nutritional needs
      • Enhances soil properties, such as increasing water holding capacity in sandy soils and improving aeration in clay soils
      • Forms humus, which increases water holding capacity, provides slow-releasing nutrients, and enhances soil aeration and drainage

    Types of Organic Fertilization

    • Manure: organic matter, mostly derived from animal feces, except in the case of green manure, which can be used as organic fertilizer in agriculture.
    • Compost: the product of controlled biological decomposition of organic materials, usually of plant origin.

    Composting Process

    • Microorganisms are used to decompose organic materials, consuming feedstocks to obtain energy and nutrients, and producing heat that accelerates the composting process.
    • Key variables for controlling the composting process:
      • Type of organic matter (feedstock) used
      • Carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N)
      • Pile moisture
      • Pile aeration
      • Pile size
      • Temperature
      • Time

    Green Manure

    • A term used to describe specific plant or crop varieties that are grown and turned into the soil to improve its overall quality.
    • Mainly belongs to Fabaceae family (legumes), such as clover.
    • Nitrogen fixed by these cover crops (legumes) helps increase soil fertility.

    Other Common Organic Fertilizers

    • Alfalfa meal (a fertilizer of plant origin, leguminous plant)
    • Soybean meal (a fertilizer of plant origin, leguminous plant)
    • Fish meal and fish bone meal (natural by-product of the fish industry, rich in phosphorus, especially the fish bone meal)

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    Description

    This lecture covers post-planting horticultural practices, focusing on fertilization as an essential agricultural practice to enhance plant growth and productivity.

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