Soil Management Soil test Manage nutrients & pH Add organic matter Alleviate soil compaction Water appropriately Mulch
{"Image DocumentName": "Soil Management Soil test Manage nutrients & pH Add organic matter", "Image ImageDescription": "Alleviate soil compaction. Water appropriately. Mulch. Image \u2013 Charlotte Glen. Healthy soil encourages healthy, unstressed plants. Soil test - Proper pH and fertilization are important. Nutrients. The chemical aspects of soils \u2013 pH, salt content, availability of nutrients, etc. - can affect crop health and pest susceptibility. (Debbie Roos) Increasing soluble nitrogen levels in plants can decrease resistance and increase pest numbers and crop damage. Using slow release nutrients sources makes plants less susceptible to insect pests. Study in CA found organically fertilized broccoli fewer flea beetles and cabbage aphids than conventionally fertilized broccoli. Organic Matter -helps manage pest above and below the ground. Compost improves structure, moisture holding capacity, nutrient content, and beneficial organisms (Debbie Roos) However, un-composted organic matter can encourage pests. (Steve Bambara) Compaction: A soil\u2019s physical condition \u2013 its level of compaction, water-holding capacity, and drainage \u2013 all affect soil and plant health. How can you manage soil compaction? Manually Loosen soil (till, rip) Select plants to root out and break up soil. Approximately 75% of insect pests spend part of their life cycle in the soil. Healthy soils contain many natural enemies of insect pests, including insect predators, pathogenic fungi and insect parasitic nematodes (Debbie Roos) Healthy soils high in organic matter and with a biologically diverse food web support plant health and nutrition better than soils low in organic matter and species diversity. Healthy plants are less susceptible to pest damage (Debbie Roos) Mulch \u2013 prevent erosion, protect from extreme moisture and temperature, breaks down over time to provide organic matter.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}