Posted by fixerupper on July 14, 2016 at 10:35:02 from (100.42.83.79):
In Reply to: Worn out soil posted by Danny Prosser on July 14, 2016 at 09:55:59:
Our top soil was formed through thousands of years of dead plant matter working into the ground without tillage. It can not be built back up to where it was in our lifetime but we can help it out. Adding organic matter does help but like Paul said the nitrogen will be used up in the decomposition process. Through the years we have buried a few farm building sites on this farm. Some of the burial was done right, with the topsoil pushed back over the top of the trench and some was not done right where the soil from down below with no organic matter ended up on top of the trench. This heavy slimy yellow clay soil from down deep didn't grow much at all for crops so as an experiment I layered it heavy with manure and seeded alfalfa. Three years later the alfalfa winter killed so I plowed it up and put a crop in. The crop planted over the trenches looked just as good as the other crops. It did not yield as well but at least it looked good. My assumption is the manure added some organic material and the alfalfa roots went down deep, opening the soil and fixing nitrogen. When the alfalfa roots decomposed voids were left in the soil where the roots used to be. Come to think of it, some of the farmers who use cover crops here in NWIA use what they call a tillage turnip in the cover crop mix. A tillage turnup grows like crazy and sends a big old tap root into the ground. When the turnip dies it leaves a hole in the ground where the root used to be and the decayed root helps to add organic matter. Just a few thoughts.
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