Design components arable cropping: growing a healthy crop - Choosing crops as farm components - Soil properties and design

16 important questions on Design components arable cropping: growing a healthy crop - Choosing crops as farm components - Soil properties and design

What doe soil properties determine?

Which crops can be grown, which yield levels are attainable, how nitrogen losses are to be minimised and how target tield are to be guaranteed

What are soil properties?

- Mineral (inorganic) nitrogen retention capacity
- Susceptibility for deterioration of soil structure
- Susceptibility for denitrifcation
- Heterogenity within and between field

By what is nitrate retention capacity of soils determined?

By its water retention capacity and thus by soil depth, soil texture, and organic matter content
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What is important with soils with a low nitrate retention capacity (sandy or shallow soils)?

Synchronization of release of nitrogen to uptake by crops is important to prevent losses

By what is a well-developed soil structe characterized?

Continious, hetergeneious and coherent pore system

What is the effect of a high concentration of oxygen in the soil?

Supports the ativity of roots and soil organisms

What crops improve soil structure?

Growing alfalfa, grass clover and cerals plus under-sown clover

What crops detoroiate soil structure?

Growing crops that have to be harvested in autumn

What has a strong influence on soil compaction?

Choice of equipment and timing of operations

To what is denitrification of soil related?

To nitrate content, water content, structure and the amount of easily decomposible material

What kind of conditions favour denitrification?

Anaerobic conditions

How can you reduces anaerobia?

Lowering ground water table
Avoiding stagnation of water
Sealing of soil surface
Soil compaction

When is less nitrogen fixed?

If mineral nitrogen content is high, for example in former urine spots

When is more nitrogen fixed?

When the availabillity of nitrogen is low

What happens on spots where water retention is low?

Less nitrogen is fixed by clover in dry summers and thus fewer residues are added to soil where nitrate retention capacity of soil is low

What plays a major role in nitrogen management?

Legumes and mixtures of grass-clover, mitigate consequences of heterogeneity in soil on productivy of crops and loss of nitrigen

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