Building Soils for Better Crops - Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es.pdf

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SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE
NETWORK
THE NATIONAL OUTREACH ARM OF SARE
Building Soils for Better Crops
Second Edition
P
ractical information for farmers, ranchers, educators, and gardeners —
presented in an engaging, easy-to-read style.
Building Soils
for
Better Crops
SECOND EDITION
HANDBOOK
SERIES
BOOK 4
Building Soils for Better Crops
Building Soils for Better Crops
Building Soils
explains how ecological soil management boosts fertility and yields
while reducing pest pressures and environmental impacts. Ecological management
works with the built-in strengths of your plant/soil system. 240 pages.
Soil samples taken from two treatments of
an experiment at the Rodale Research Cen-
ter show the effect of conventional soil man-
agement (left) compared to ecologically
based management using cover crops and
manure (right).
SECOND EDITION
“This is the most practical guide I have read about how whole soil systems work.
Written in clear, illustrative language, it makes the world of soils accessible to
farmers and beginning students, as well as soil science professionals.”
—F
RED
K
IRSCHENMANN
N
ORTH
D
AKOTA GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK FARMER
“Authors Magdoff and van Es have greatly expanded the scope of “Building Soils”
while keeping the language straightforward and farmer-friendly. Readers will
especially like the new, improved diagrams. I would recommend this book to people
who enjoy getting their hands dirty and want to know how to build better soil.”
SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE
NETWORK
THE NATIONAL OUTREACH ARM OF SARE
AT
— R
AY
R. W
EIL
,P
ROFESSOR OF
S
OIL
S
CIENCE
U
NIVERSITY OF
M
ARYLAND AND CO
-
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
N
ATURE AND
P
ROPERTIES OF
S
OILS
Sustainable
Agriculture Network
A SAN publication, produced with
funding by the Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education
(SARE) program of CSREES,
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
$19.95
Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es
Building Soils
for
Better Crops
2ND EDITION
Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es
Copyright© 2000 by the Sustainable Agriculture
Network (SAN), with funding from the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program
of the CSREES, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
SAN, the national outreach partner of USDA’s SARE
program, is a consortium of individuals, universities
and government, business and nonprofit organizations
dedicated to the exchange of information on sustain-
able agricultural systems.
For more information about the Sustainable Agricul-
ture Network or its other publications see
www.sare.org or contact:
Andy Clark
SAN Coordinator
c/o AFSIC, Room 304
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
(301) 504-6425; (301) 504-6409 (fax)
san@nal.usda.gov
SARE is a competitive grants program that provides
funding for research and education projects that
promote agricultural systems that are profitable,
environmentally sound and enhance the viability of
rural communities nationwide.
For more information about the SARE program and
SARE grants contact:
Office of Sustainable Agriculture Programs
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Stop 2223
Washington, D.C. 20250-2223
(301) 405-3186; (301) 314-7373 (fax)
vberton@wam.umd.edu
To order copies of this book, send a check or purchase
order for $19.95 + $3.95 s/h to:
Sustainable Agriculture Publications
Hills Building, Room 10
University of Vermont
Burlington VT 05405-0082
To order SAN publications by credit card (VISA, MC),
please call (802) 656-0484.
For first book sent outside of North America, please
add $6. Add $2.50 for each additional book. Please
include your mailing address and telephone number.
Previous titles in SAN’s handbook series include 1:
Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 1st Edition,edited
by the
staff of Rodale Institute; 2:
Steel in the Field: A Farmer’s
Guide to Weed Management Tools,
1997, edited by Greg
Bowman; 3.
Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 2nd Edition
written by Greg Bowman, Craig Cramer and Chris
Shirley and edited by Andy Clark.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Magdoff, Fred, 1942-
Building soils for better crops / by Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es.--2nd ed.
p. cm. -- (Sustainable Agriculture Network handbook series ; bk. 4)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-888626-05-4
1. Humus. 2. Soil management. I. Van Es, Harold, 1958- II.
Sustainable Agriculture Network. III. Title. IV. Series.
S592.8 .M34 2000
631.4’17--dc21
00-029695
Printed in the United States of America on recycled
paper
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion,
age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and
marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who
require alternative means for communication of
program information (Braille, large print, audiotape,
etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-
720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA,
Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten
Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964
(voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.
Every effort has been made to make this book as
complete and as accurate as possible. This text is only
a guide, however, and should be used in conjunction
with other information sources on crop, soil and farm
management. The editors, authors and publisher
disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or
otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence,
directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any
of the contents of this book.
Mention, visual representation or inferred reference of
a product, service, manufacturer or organization in
this publication does not imply endorsement by the
USDA, the SARE program or the authors. Exclusion
does not imply a negative evaluation.
Graphic design, interior layout and cover design by
Andrea Gray. Cover illustration by Frank Fretz. Some
interior illustrations by Bonnie Acker and Elayne
Sears. Copyediting by Tawna Mertz, Valerie Berton and
Andy Clark. Indexing by Peggy Holloway. Printing by
Jarboe Printing, Washington, DC.
Contents
Preface
v
vii
Introduction
PART ONE
THE BASICS OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER,
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, AND NUTRIENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Healthy Soils
The Living Soil
3
9
21
33
41
13
What is Soil Organic Matter?
Why is Organic Matter So Important?
Amount of Organic Matter in Soils
Nutrient Cycles and Flows
55
Let’s Get Physical: Soil Tilth, Aeration, and Water
PART TWO
ECOLOGICAL SOIL & CROP MANAGEMENT
8
9
10
11
12
Managing for High Quality Soils
Animal Manures
Cover Crops
Crop Rotations
87
99
109
77
63
Making and Using Composts
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Reducing Soil Erosion
Reducing Tillage
135
119
125
147
157
167
Preventing and Lessening Compaction
Nutrient Management: An Introduction
Management of Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Getting the Most from Soil Tests
177
Other Fertility Issues: Nutrients, CEC, Acidity and Alkalinity
PART THREE
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
20
21
How Good are Your Soils? On-Farm Soil Health Evaluation
Putting it All Together
Glossary
Resources
Index
225
215
221
209
203

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