Nutrient Management Research Database
General Information
Research Title
Nutrient cycling and maintaining soil fertility in fruit and vegetable crop systems
Research Specifications
Crop:
Soil Type:
Country: United States
Year:
Authors
Summary/Abstract from Original Source
This source provides comprehensive coverage of maintaining soil fertility in fruit and vegetable cropping systems. Included are two main sections: nutrient cycling and maintaining soil fertility.
The nutrient cycling section serves as a primer on soil science in order to have a in-depth understanding of now nutrients behave in the soil. Subsections include:
- Essential plant nutrients
- Sources of plant nutrients in the soil
- Losses of plant nutrients from the soil
- Nutrient pool in the soil
- Cation Exchange Capacity
- Organic Matter
- Nutrient Cycles
- Biological Transformations of nitrogen
- Nutrient balance and nutrient budget
- Whole-farm nutrient budgets
The section on main crop fertility details a number of management decisions that help keep soil productive. Subsections include:
- Crop rotations
- Soil and water conservation practices
- Cover crops and green manures
- Manure management
- Compost and other soil amendments
- Healthy, vigorous root systems
- Soil acidity and liming
- Fertilizer applications
- Soil testing
- Plant analysis