Agri Kit Q&A - Hardened Soil
Soil salinity is one of the most severe environmental causes limiting the productivity of crops production.
Two major factors contribute to salinity in field. They are:
Chemical salts (leftover fertilizer) accumulated in soil
Extra salt compounds in irrigating water
Where are the "chemical salts" coming from?
The chemical fertilizer typically contains three primary macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K);
secondary macronutrients: calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg);
and micronutrients (trace minerals): boron (B), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Zine (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and selenium (Se).
Fertilizer products from different manufacturers have some variations.
Fertilizer is needed in order to support plant growing.
But long-term use of chemical fertilizer will inevitably cause the leftover portion to form a "hardened chemical salts" or "chemical salts spot" in soil.
These chemical salts include leftover chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and minerals mixed in soil. Due to their electrical charges, they perform like low-quality cement,
coated with soil, and cause surrounded soil to be hardened.
Hardened chemical salt locks the nutrients inside. Through time, its size keeps increasing.
It blocks the pathways for water and air.
The hardened chemical salt is slow and difficult to dissolve in water again.
Additionally it occupies a physical space that blocks plant's root growing. Plants growing on hardened soil have smaller roots.
They are easy to be blown down by seasonal strong wind.
Hardened chemical salts - the consequence of long-term overuse of chemical fertilizer in cultivation
Limited fresh water resource
According to United States Geological Survey (USGS),
fresh water requirements for food production will continuously increase to meet demands of the projected 50% increase in global population from around 6 billion in 2000 to around 9 billion in 2050.
Irrigating water containing salts compounds becomes routine at some regions, due to water in aquifer is depleted,
and seawater intrusion presents virtually all of coastal aquifers.
The consequence is the amounts of salt compounds introduced into crop field.
Coupling effect by chemical salts and saline water
Coupling these two major factors – hardened chemical salts in soil and salt compounds in irrigating water, the crop field deteriorates at faster rate.
The salt compounds from irrigating water block plants taking nutrients, thus the applied fertilizer deposits more in soil,
increases the size of hardened chemical salts around root's area, and restricts plants roots development.
Adding more chemical fertilizer usually is the first response from field operators in hoping to restore plant growing to expected rate, but this response actually is counter-productive.
The total area of chemical salts layer expands even faster and more soil is hardened.
Solution
Various soil amendments and environmental engineering practices are developing for reducing hardened soil in crop field.
Agri Kit is an innovated tool to help you managing water and soil better.
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