Hello again, how are you all?
Well...... on to the next topic. So, in medium and bed preparation, there are 5 main points. They are:
1) Site selection
2) Soil condition
3) Soil preparation
4) Lining
5) Bed preparation
1) SITE SELECTION
In order to get the most optimal plant growth, of course the first thing to do is to observe the condition of the site/area. First things first, check the overall irrigation situation of the area. See how the waterflow works in the area. If the waterflow is bad you will need to spend time and money to improve it. Also check the quality, quantity and sustainability of the available water source. Water source such as rivers, lakes and wells will help supply water to your planting area. The location and size of your field will also be important. Larger sized field need more effort and money to maintain. Also make sure the field has access to roads or at least is near enough to a road. This allows easier access to the area. Knowing the site history is also important. What kind of crops were planted before? What was this area previously used for? These things will decide what you need to do in the area. It is also recommended to use pesticides to remove any remaining pest in the area.
2) SOIL CONDITION
The next thing to consider is the overall condition of the soil. Healthy soil will lead to healthy growth of plants. First, identify the type of soil. Is it light and sandy soil? Is it moderate and productive soil? The texture of the soil will heavily affect the drainage of water. Sandy soil will offer great aeration and proper drainage while clay soil has better moisture retention. Generally, you want a fine balance between these two. You can do a simple drainage test to assess the situation. The ideal time for drainage is within 12 to 30 minutes. Water draining under 12 min is not good as it drains too fast, not allowing the plant to get enough water. If it is above 30 minutes, it means that the soil can retain water better which is good for certain plant that need moist soil. However, anything way above that meant that the soil has poor drainage. Plants cannot grow in these conditions. Soil test can also be done to identify nutrient level of the soil as well as the pH level and organic content. Acidic or alkaline soil will stunt the growth of plants. These can be remedied by liming or adding organic matter to the soil. You should test the pH level of the soil at least once a year.
3) SOIL PREPARATION
After assessing the soil, the next step should be preparing it. What kind of preparation depends on the soil condition that you previously assessed. Ploughing, harrowing and leveling the field are done on the soil. This helps releases the nutrient back into the soil. It also helps in removing weeds and insect nest (such as ants). This can help reduce potential pest and disease infection. Not only that it also improves the overall soil to plant contact which further improves plant growth. These preparation generally done before you start planting or for the purpose of land clearing.
For land clearing the are two primary way that can be followed. Either by hand (manual) or mechanical (machinery). Not only that, occasional usage of chemical (weedicides) to clear out lands has been seen amongst farmers. There are several ways to till the soil. Primary tillage (or ploughing/sub-soiling) produces rough surface finish. The process of loosening, displacing and shattering the soil and mixing it in fertilizer, plant material, pesticides, result in soil with a rough texture. Secondary tillage, produces a finer and smoother soil surface finish. It is mostly done by using various combinations of equipment as disc harrow, hoe, shovel and rotary tillers. Using a combination of both tillage is also possible but it will increase your maintenance cost.
Soil amendment is another process which will help improve the soil physical qualities. It is basically a process where you add other material to the soil. Examples of soil amendment are as such:
a) Mulching - help conserve soil moisture, promote rooting, control weed, keep soil warm
b) Composting - increase water retention, resiliency and reduce waste stream
c) Fertilizer - provides essential nutrients (N,P,K) to plants
4) LINING
Lining is fixing of points in the field where planting is to be carried out. There are 2 type of lining; straight lining and contour lining. Lining can ensure a more efficient field operation as it provides a uniform crop spacing, equal access to nutrient, water and sunlight, improves aeration, encourage quick and easy harvesting and easier movement in the area (machine, fertilizer etc). Example of tools needed for lining are:
● Lining rope (100 m long)
● Lining stick/ planting peg (1 meter long)
● Measuring tape(30m – 50m)
● Compass
● Guides poles
5) BED PREPARATION
Finally, the bedding. A bed is a medium or platform used to plant a crop. First thing to do at the planting bed is to remove unwanted vegetation. This can be done physically by using shovel and trowel or chemically by usage of herbicides. The bed can be formed manually by hand or by machine (bed tiller). There are 3 type of bed which can be used. The type of beds used are dependent on the soil condition and climate of the area. The first one is the flat bed. It is generally used if the water availability is adequate and there are no drainage problem. The next one the the raised bed. These bed are best used for clayey soil, poorly drained soil and is under high rainfall. They are generally 10-30cm high from the ground level. It can provide better drainage, a double topsoil layer and is easier to reach. However, this bed is not suitable if the area is in dry season as the water drains into the alleyway. Finally, the sunken bed. It is primarily used in dry region because of the low water capacity. It is constructed 2-5 cm below the soil level. The advantage of this bed is that the water will be collected inside the bed instead of running of the the side.
Well, that should be all from me for now. See you later.
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