SOIL MANAGEMENT BAG103

An introduction to soil management for agriculture

Simple soil treatments can turn struggling farms into profitable properties. Soil management is not always the answer, but without the study and knowledge gained through courses such as this, it's difficult to know how much of a factor your soil management actually is.

This is a general soil management course involving: introduction to soils, nutrition, soil physics, chemistry, testing, problems, land degradation, soil management in farms and crops. The eight lessons include a special project on soil management for a site of your choosing.

An introduction to Soil Management for Agriculture

For farmers, technicians and students of agriculture
Learn to better manage farm soils
Improve farm productivity and sustainability

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

There are 8 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction: Soils And Soil Classification

Soil health and Agricultural soils
What is soil health?
Soil Composition and Formation
Classifying Soil Groups and Soil Landscapes
Soil Horizons
Key Properties of Selected Soil Groups
Parent Materials
Classifying Soils According to Hydrological Properties
Soil hydrology Groups: Uniform Coarse-textured Soils, Permeability Contrast Soils; Cracking Clays; Medium to Fine Textured soils

2. Properties of Soils and Plant Nutrition

Understanding Soils
Mineral and Rock
How Soils Develop Naturally
Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Geo-chemical Weathering Processes
Pedo-chemical Weathering
Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
Organic Carbon
Soil Colour
Texture and its Effect on Plant Growth
Structure and its Effect on Plant Growth
Consistence and its Effect on Plant Growth
Depth of Profile and how it Relates to Plant Growth
PH and Plant Growth
Porosity and Plant Growth
Plant Nutrition and Nutrient Toxicity

3. Soil Testing Methods

Tilth and Organic Matter
Soil Sampling for Chemical Analysis
General Principles of Soil Analysis
Tools for Field Sampling and Soil Investigation
Digging a Sample Pit or Hole
Finding Out about your Soil
Settlement Activity
Soil Structure Activity
Recording Soil Colour
Testing Consistence
Describing Texture
Test for Free Carbonates
Soil pH Testing
Stability of Clods to Wetting (Slaking and Dispersion)
Bulk Density Testing
Measurement of Organic Matter Content of Soil
Measuring Salinity
Measuring Water Content
Fertiliser Solubility
Affect of Lime on Soil
Laboratory Testing of Soils

4. Land Degradation and Other Soil Problems

Soil Structure Decline
Water Repellence
Erosion
Hard-Layers in Soils
Transient Bonding; Compaction; Cementation; and Natural Rigidity
Sub-Soil Compaction: Compression, shearing and smearing
Soil Acidification
Alkalinity and Sodicity
Water-logging
Salinity
Chemical Residues

5. Soil Management on Farms

Conservation Farming
No-Tillage (Zero tillage)
Minimum Tillage
Trap Cropping
Cover Crops and Green Manure Cropping
Alley Farming (AF)
Contour Farming and Strip Farming
Controlled Traffic Farming
Stubble Management
Establishing Water and Nutrient Management Plans
Soil Conservation Earthworks
Integrated Pest Management
Direct Drilling in Pasture Establishment
Soil Management in Orchards
Soil Management in Market Gardens

6. Crops: Soil and Nutrient Requirements (Part A)

Wheat
Oat
Barley

7. Crops: Soil and Nutrient Requirements (Part B)

Narrow-Leafed Lupins
Canola
Faba Beans
Grapes

8. PBL Soil project - Soil Investigation and Report

Aim is to:

evaluate a range of soils for a given situation
determine soil problems or limitations that exist for a given land use
decide on suitable soil management strategies for the selected land
prepare and present a report

Duration: 100 hours

WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE

Define terms related to the production and management of agricultural soil, such as - manure, micorrhyzae, ameliorant, pore space, micro-nutrient, denitrification, ammonium fixation, chemo autrophic organisms, colloids, buffering capacity, leaching, compaction.
Create compost
Discuss ways that human activity can destroy soil structure;
Explain how pH affects nutrient availability;
Explain the function of different nutrients in soils/growing media, such at nitrogen and phosphorus;
Analyse a soil test report in order to evaluate the soil for horticultural or agricultural use;
Describe appropriate soil testing methods for different situations;
Compare the use of organic and inorganic fertilisers in different situations;
Develop a detailed nutritional management plan for a particular crop, following organic principles;
Identify suitable earth moving equipment for different tasks, and the conditions of use;
Explain various methods for assessing drainage at a site;
Evaluate the use of earthworks to refurbish or improve a specific site;
Research Environmental Protection Agency (or equivalent) recommendations for cleaning up chemical spills and for disposing of old household chemicals and their containers;
Discuss advantages and problems of importing soil from elsewhere for crop production;
Explain appropriate methods of stabilising an unstable or erosion-prone slope;
Remove a soil profile, describe the different soil layers, and compare the effects of different soil treatments on the soil profile;
Report on prevention and control methods for soil degradation, and development of sustainable soil management practices in a case study.

What Can Go Wrong with Farm Soils?

A number of major soil related problems can occur. Some are inherent in the nature of the soil itself and other are man-made. Some problems include:

Physical factors that affect water infiltration

Water-logging
Water repellence
Soil structure decline

Physical factors that affect soils

Wind erosion
Water erosion
Hard-layers in soils
Subsurface compaction
Soil factors related to eutrophication

Soil Chemical Factors that affect plant growth

Acidity
Alkalinity and sodicity
Salinity
Chemical residues in soils

Decline in Soil Structure is a phenomenon of surface soil, caused mainly by excessive tillage
Degraded soils typically have reduced infiltration, increased runoff, are more compact, require more tractor power and in many areas can only be cultivated within a narrow moisture range. The true extent of the problem is difficult to assess as structural decline is often gradual. Mainly medium and fine-textured soils are susceptible. Surface soils with a clayey sand or coarser texture (<8-10% clay) have minimal secondary structure and are generally not susceptible.
Various hard layers occur in soils, but they do not always indicate structural decline

Study this course to learn about other potential problems, how to deal with them, and much more.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

ENROL TODAY!

Just go to the top of this page for pricing and enrolment options. If you have any questions you can contact us now, by:
Phone (UK) 01384 44272, (International) +44 (0) 1384 442752, or

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