I need MAJOR help PLEASE??

Question

can u help me with this question???

In no-tilling farming, farmers leave the remains of corn stalks and other crops on the field after harvest. How could this method of farming help to improve soil fertility and decrease erosion?

Answer 1

The crop residue left on the field as a mulch keeps the rain drops from directly hitting the soil and breaking it up where it can be lost with any run off water. The residue also slows up any runoff so that water infiltrates the soil better. As far as improving fertility, no till residue decomposes much slower than if it was turned under with a plow, but eventually it will decompose and restore the nutrients to the soil. The farmer usually will shred the crop residue with a rotary mower to help it break down faster and cover the ground better. The main advantage of no till farming is preventing soil erosion, both wind and water, and controlling water run off from the land.

Answer 2

Think about it - you leave the remains to decompose and return any nutrients they contain to the soil, thus improving the soil (those plants worked all season to sequester the sun's energy, but the farmer takes most of it when he harvests the crop. By leaving the rest of the plant, some of that energy makes it into the soil).

By not tilling up the soil, the root systems of the crops remain intact in the soil and hold it together, preventing erosion. The roots also eventually decompose and add additional nutrient matter to the soil as well.

Answer 3

There's a lot of good info ( and some not) above but there's more to it than just the crop residue.

Plowing does more than just kill weeds and turn the soil.

If you look at the physics of plowing it's easy to understand but soil compaction is an unavoidable result. One of the major causes of the dust bowl was 'plow pan' or "hardpan' -- a layer of compacted soil resulting from years of plowing to the same depth.

The hard pan prevented moisture from penetrating deeply into the ground and also restricted root development. Changing to minimum till allows the "freeze-thaw" cycle to loosen any compaction and allow free movement of moisture and air into and out of the root zone.

If mold is a problem in the residue, as noted above, then the residue is being compacted somehow and is a problem that needs to be addressed.

No-til does use more chemicals in the form of herbicides but the reduction in other inputs, such as fuel for plowing, means it is a positive change, especially with the improved biocides that biodegrade.

Answer 4

Ask AND CHECK OUT, from Mnistry of Agriculture, Govt.of Indiai, Delhi or check on the web.

Answer 5

The answer to this is quite simple. The reason why farmers do that is to decrease soil erosion. Farmers leave the left over corn and other crop remains there so that when the crop decomposes the crop will trun into OM. OM is Organic Matter. OM is vital in crop growing because farmers survive on the crops to help support their family with the money they recieve from the crops. OM gives the soils nutrients that crops need in order to grow. Plus, farmers now are starting to also use a process called crop-rotating. Crop-rotating is planting crops in a different location. The reason why is because crops take different nutrients and in different quanities. Over time, the nutrient will return to normal and the same crop that was planted a while back in that section will now grow there again. The crops that stay in their spot after the growing season act as many things. Here are a few examples: wind breakers, conservation tilling, cover crops, and even crops that help prevent water causion soil erosion. There is a WHOLE lot more to this, but these are the basics. Hope this reply helps!

Answer 6

Leaving the remains of the trash on the surface reduces the potential erosion of the soil. The remains of the plant material, in our area, typically corn stalks or soybean residue, will break down slower than if the topsoil were turned by moldboard plows or chisel plows. Earthworm populations do increase in no-till systems. Earthworms move incredible amount of nutrients throughout the topsoil and their tunnels allow the soil to increase aeriation and movement of water. Annual fertilization is still required to replace the nutrients removed from the crop that was grown. Macro-nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Answer 7

When the bits decompose, they leave behind rich soil and help to anchor things down.

Answer 8

Chaitany pretty much has it right. Once a no till system is began, it's best to NOT occasionally till the soil. No till increases earthworm numbers which themselves recycle nutrients. Soil organic matter increases because tillage allows organic matter to oxidize. No-till does reduce sheet and rill erosion, but doesn't stop gully erosion.

Answer 9

In no-till farming the soil is left intact and crop residue is left on the field. Variations of the conservation tillage method involve some working of the soil with attention paid to keeping soil compaction and carbon loss at a minimum. These variations include reduced tillage, e.g strip-till, in which small strips may be plowed to allow space for planting seeds. As defined by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service strip-tillage should till no more than 1/4 of the field area. Strip-tillage is primarily used in areas where the soil profile contains a natural hard pan that creates a barrier preventing plant roots from moving deeper into the profile to access water and nutrients. Strip-tillage also creates a more suitable seed bed for crops where the harvestable portion is produced below the surface, such as peanuts. Other terms, such as incomplete tillage and minimal tillage may be used. This is especially important for small farms with grain crops to use this method.

Other benefits of no-till include increasing soil quality (soil function), protecting the soil from erosion, evaporation of water, and structural breakdown. Crop residues left intact help both natural precipitation and irrigation water infiltrate the soil where it can be used. The crop residue left on the soil surface also limits evaporation, conserving water for plant growth. A reduction in tillage passes helps prevent the soil cats from being crushed and/or compacted. Less tillage of the soil reduces labor and related fuel and machinery costs. Less soil plowing means less airborne dust, which is a serious pollutant in some agricultural areas. No-till fields often have more beneficial insects and annelids, a higher microbial content, and a greater amount of soil organic material. As sustainable agriculture becomes more socially popular, monetary grants and awards are becoming readily available to farmers who practice conservation tillage. Some large energy corporations which are among the greatest generators of fossil-fuel-related pollution are willing to purchase carbon credits to encourage farmers to engage in conservation tillage. The farmers' land essentially becomes a carbon sink for the power generators' emissions. This helps the farmer in several ways, and it helps the energy companies meet demands for reduction of pollution.

Answer 10

While all the above answers are true, no-till farming also has some major disadvantages. The soil should be tilled at some point to allow the soil to "breath". Leaving all that trash on top of the ground also allows molds and other soil borne pathogens to inhibit the proper chemical reactions that allow whatever nutrients that are available in the decomposing residues. Another disadvantage to no-till is that more chemicals may be needed to counteract the molds and the insects that can thrive in the crop residue.