Soil Improvement Techniques and Cropping Methods

Study Notes

Soil Improvement Techniques

Black soils can have improved infiltration and water storage with vertical mulches.
Mulches involve digging trenches across slopes, placing straw/crop residue at intervals.
Pruned plant material in coffee gardens is placed in contour trenches between rows or around plants in concentric circles yearly.

Dense Growing Crops

Dense growing crops like cowpea and moong maximize soil cover.
Bidi tobacco cultivation significantly reduces soil and water.
A cover crop, typically grown during the monsoon season before tobacco planting, mitigates soil loss.
Intercropping maize with arhar/urd does not reduce water/soil loss.

Strip Cropping

Strip cropping involves growing two or more crops simultaneously in strips wide enough for independent cultivation.
The strips are narrow enough to enable agronomic interaction between the crops.
Strip cropping is another form of crop rotation; the process involves alternate strips of various crops.
All tillage and management practices are performed across/along the slope or contour.
Strip cropping manages runoff erosion and maintains soil fertility.
It is available in four different types.

Contour Strip Cropping

This involves growing soil-exposing/erosion-permitting crops in strips, alternating with soil-protecting/erosion-resisting crops on contours.
This reduces slope length, controls runoff, improves water absorption, and is crucial.

Field Strip Cropping

Planting crops in parallel strips across uniform slopes (not exact contours) is considered field strip cropping.
It manages land slope and works well for soils with regular slopes and high infiltration rates.

Description

Explore effective soil improvement techniques and the benefits of dense growing crops and strip cropping. This quiz covers practices that enhance soil health, reduce erosion, and optimize crop yields. Test your knowledge on the various methods discussed and their applications in sustainable agriculture.