SOIL AND PLANT ANALYSIS (1+1)

Improvement of Soil Structure

• Addition of lime to acidic soils improves their structure because lime stimulates growth of microbes (responsible for the improvement of soil structure). Addition of calcium nitrate also improves soil structure.


• Addition of large doses of partially decomposed organic manures like FYM, compost and green manure crops greatly improves soil structure.


• Surface of land covered with waste organic material like grasses, leaves, straw, etc. (mulches) keep the soil surface moist and cool so that microbes can multiply rapidly and improve soil structure.


• Mulches also protect the soil surface from the beating action of the raindrop that may destroy the soil structure to a great extent.


• There are some synthetic soil conditioners like polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and vinyl acetate maleic acid copolymer (VAMA). But they are very costly.