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DOCUMENT RESUME AUTHOR Soils, Crops and Fertilizer Use. a What, How and Why Pests DOCUMENT RESUME ED 241 778 CE 038 582 AUTHOR Leonard, Dave TITLE Soils, Crops and Fertilizer Use. A What, How and Why Guide. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Reprint R-8. INSTITUTION Peace Corps, Washington, DC. Information Collection and Exchange Div. PUB DATE Feb 80 NOTE 171p. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use Guides (For Teachers) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Agricultural Education; *Agricultural Production; Agricultural Safety; *Agricultural Skills; *Agricultural Supplies; Agriculture; Agronomy; Botany; Entomology; *Fertilizers; *Field Crops; Grains (Food); Guidelines; Harvesting; Land Use; Pests; Plant Growth; Plant Pathology; Postsecondary Education; *Soil Conservation; Soil Science; Vocational Education; Voluntary Agencies; Volunteers; Volunteer Training; Weeds ABSTRACT This manual, prepared for use by Peace Corps volunteers in developing countries,; has been designed as an on-the-job reference for soil management and fertilizer use at the small farmer level. It provides information on yield-boosting techniques, especially in the areas of soil conservation, organic and chemical fertilizer use, and the safe and appropriate use of agricultural chemicals. The text is written in a "how to" format, in as nontechnical language as possible, and takes a problem-solving approach to soil, management and fertilizer use. Organized into nine sections, the text covers the following topics: soil basics, spotting and fixing soil physical problems, seedbed preparation, soil fertility basics, determining fertilizer needs, how to use organic fertilizers and soil conditioners, chemical fertilizers, liming soils, and salinity and alkalinity problems. An appendix to the manual provides conversion tables, composition of common fertilizers, information on soil moisture content, erosion control approaches, and hunger signs in common crops. (KC) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** IMPORMATICN OOLLECTION &'DiCEIANIGE Peace Corps' Information Collection & Exchange (ICE) was established so that the strategies and technologies devel- oped by Peace Corps Volunteers, their co-workers, and their counterparts could be made available to the wide range of development organizations and individual workers who might find them useful. Training guides, curricula, lesson plans, project reports, manuals and other Peace COrps-generated materials developed in the field are collected and reviewed. Some are reprinted "as is"; others provide a source of field based information for the production of manuals or for re- search in particular program areas.Materials that you sub- mit to the Information Collection & Exchange thus become part of the Peace COrps' larger contribution to development. Information about ICE publications and services is available through: Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Office of Programming & Training Coordination 806 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20525 ( 202) 254-7386 fAdd your experience to the ICE Resvgoe Center. Send ma- terials that you've prepared so that we can share them with others workin the development field.Your tech- nical insights sir as the basis for the generation of ICE manuals, reprints and resource packets, and also ensure that ICE is providing the most updated, innovative problem-solving techniques and information available to you and your fellow development workers. Peace Corps3 n SOILS, CROPS AND FERTILIZER USE A WHAT, HOW AND WHY GUIDE by DAVE LEONARD Pace Corps Information gal:action and Exchange ReprintR78 First EditionDecember 1967 Second EditionJune 1969 1 Reprinted February 1970 March 1976 December 1977 Third EditionFebruary 1980 Reprinted September 1981 Author's Foreword Agriculture cmension work r=equires more than good intentions and rapport with farmers. The real challenge is usually establishing credibility in the agriculture skills area. Agriculture at the small farmer level in a developing country is a complex endeavor. Farmers have 'nue, they can teach you when it comes to land preparation, planting, harvesting, using tools, and other manual skills. Likewise, there are many yieldboosting skills you can show them, especially in the areas of soil conservation, organic and chemical fertilizer'Use, and the safe and appropriate use of agricultural chemicals. This manual has been designed as an on-the-job reference for soil management and fertilizer use; hopefully, it will help you along that sometimes bumpy road to credibility. I would._!ike to give a special thanks to Susan Cass for the illustrations V.n this manual. David Leonard Please Note: Any suggestions for revisions or additions are welcome. Write to Information Eollection and Exchange, OPTC Peace Corps 806 ConnecticutAvenue Washington, D.C. 20525 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Emu 2AFT I: STARTIN6 PROM SCRATCH 1. 7 Sc NO important Soil Basics What is Soil, Anyway? 1, Why do Soils Vary so MUch? 1-2, Topsoil vs. Subsoil 2, Sand, Silt$ and Clay 2.4i Soil Organic Matter 4.6, More on Soil Micro-organisms 7.. PART II: SOIL PHYSICAL PROBLEMS 8- 29 V Mow to Spot 'em and,Fix 'en Getting to Know your Area's Soils 8, Some Common Soil Physical Problems 9, HOW TO SPOT AND TREAT SOIL PHYSICAL PROBLEMS 9 -29: What About Soil Color? 9, Soil Texture 9-13, Soil Tilth 13 -14, Soil water Hold. ing Capacity 15.16, How Much Water do Plants Need? How Often? 17 -18, Soil Drainage 18-19, Soil Depth 19 -20, Slope and Erosion Control 20-29. PART III: SEEDBED PREPARATION 31 - 36 Getting Crops Off to a Good Start The What and Why of Tillage 30, Same Common Tillage Equipment 30-31, -The--Abuses of Tillage.and.HOw to Avoid Them 32Making the Right Seedbed for the Soil, crops, and Climate 32-33, How to Double dig 34, How to Cope with Soil Crusting 34, How to Make up a Seed- box Soil Mix 35. EMI_IMI_AlftlE IMPORTANT SOIL FERTILITY BASICS, 37 50 How Plants Grow 36, Available vs. Unavailable Forms of Nutrients 37, The Nutrient Holding Ability of a Soil 37, Soil pH and How it Affects Crop Growth 39- 42i IMPORTANT PACTS ON THE PLANT NUTRIENTSA3 -49: Macro- vs. Micronutrients 439-Nitrogen 44-45, Phos- phorus 45.46, Potassium 46-47, Calcium 47, Magnesium 47, Sulfur 47-48, The Micronutrients 48.49 PART Vs DETERMINING FERTILIZER NEEDS SI - S7 SOIL' TESTING 51-54: Soil TestS Vary in Accuracy 51 -52, What about Portable Soil Test Kitt? 52, How to.Take a Soil Sample 52 -54, Plant Tissue Teats 54, Fertili. sec Trials 55, Spotting Visual Hunger Signs 56, An Educated ."Guestimatea 56. T HOW TO USE CIRCA= PER S AND SOIL CONDITIONERS 58 70 0 The Chemical vs. Organic Controversy 5759, ORGANIC FERTILIZERS & SOIL CONDITIONERS 59..69: Manure 59.61 (Continued) SI paaes. Compost 61-64 ,:ther Organic 'Fertilizers & Soil Improvers 65.6Cv Green Manure Crops 66, Mulching 67, Earthworms :38-69. PART VII: CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS 71 - 136' I. Some nmEntrt Odds & Encla Types of C4emical Fertilizers 7071, How to Read 7 a Fertilizer Label 71-72, What's Chemical Fertili- zer Made Out of 2 72 -73, Nitrogen Fertilizers 73-74, ?hosphorus Fertilizers 74-75, Potassium Fertilizers 75, Calcium and 'Magnesium 75, Supplying Sulfur 76, Micronutrient Fertilizers 76, How Some Fertilizers Affect Soil pH and What to Do abaut it 76.77. II. 119LtaA C.mar_y_jLeca Nitrogen 78.79, Phosphorus 79.80, Potassium 80-811, Sulfur 81, Calcium & Magnesium 81, Micronutrients 31-82, General nicronutrient Rates 82, Fertilizer Application Methods Compared 83.87:'3roadcasting 83, Localized Placement (Band, Hole, Half-circle) 84-85, Using a Liquid "Starter" Solution 85, Foliar Applica. ,11114,4 tions 85 -.86, Application through the Irrigation Water 86, Some Specisl Advice for Furrow Irrigated Soils 86, How to Avoid Fertilizer Burn 86-87. III. liallAM211_12Amlal What's the Most Profitable Rate of Fertilizer for a Small Farmer? 88.90. IV. EgatUrsuft 1ixer Practices: How to S_Pot_teM and Fix 'am 91.93 V. Getting the Most Out of Fertilizers Factors that Affect the Response You'll Get 51-95, Use the "Package" Approadhi 95 VI. Coping with Fertilizer Math Converting Fertilizer Recommendations from an N, F205, K20 Basis to Actual Kind and Amount of Fertilizer(s) Needed 96.98, Choosing the Most Economical.Fertilizer 98-99, Mixing D;fferent Fertilizers 99.6200, Calculating How Much Fertilizer is Noodad per Are per Length of Row, or per Plant 102-107, Converting Fertilizer Dosages from a Weight to a Volume Basis 107 VII. Fe i Gui elfin r S ecif c C 108-235 Corn 108.112, Grain & Forage Sorghums1.12.11-1 Rice 113- 116, Field Beans 116-117, Soybeans 117119, Peanuts 119- 120, Cassava (Manioc, Yuca) 120-121,Sweetpotatais 121, Potatoes 122-123, Vegetables 123-126,Pa5tures 126131, Coffee 131433, Bananas 133-135. 7(Continued) 4.6 pules PART VIII: LIMING SOILS 137 - 143 How Acid Soils Harm Crop Growth 136, Recommended Soil pH's for Common Crops 136, How to Tell if Lim- ing is Needed 137, Types of Liming Materials and their Neutralizing Values 137-1389 Fineness of Liming Ma- terials is Importantt 138-1399 Purity 139, How Soil Exchange Capacity Affects the Amount of Lime Needed 139-1409 "Tropical" vs.' "Temperate" Soils 140, "Guesti- V mating" the Amount of Lime Needed 140.:X419 How and When to Lime 141-:129 Don't Overlimei'142., PART IX: SALINITY AND ALKALINITY PROBLEMS 144 150 Saline, Saline-Sodic, and Sodic Soils 143 -144, How Salinity and Alkalinity Harm Crop Growth 144, Lab Diagnosis of Salinity and Alkalinity 144 -145, Mleasur- ing Irrigation Water Quality 145, Relative Tolerance of Crops to Salinity 146, Relative Crop Tolerance to Boron 147, How to Manage and Reclaim Saline and Sodic Soils 147-149. Appendix 1. Some Handy Conversions IS1 2. Composition of Common Fertilizers 152 3. Determining Soil Moisture Content by Feel or Appearance 1S3- 4, Spacing GUide for Contour Ditches or Other Erosion Barriers 1.54 -155 5. Hunger Signs in Common Crops 156 - 160 .4 O PART I STARTING FROM SCRATCH Some Important Soil Basics WHAT IS SOIL ANYWAY? Most soils evolve slowly over centuries from the weather- ing of underlying rock material and decomposing plant matter.
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