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General Methods for Soil Quality Improvement and �Discussion on How to Apply It for the Seed Potato Project

Hoyong Shin

Researcher of KOPIA Pakistan center

27th June 2023

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Contents

Part1

About soil in agriculture

Part2

General methods for

soil quality improvement

Part3

The best soil for seed potato

difficulty of organic matter

improvement

Part4

Discussion on how to apply

it for the seed potato project

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Part1: About Soil in

Agriculture

  • The role of soil in agriculture
  • The effect of soil on crop yield
  • Factors affecting soil quality

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Part 1-1. The role of soil in agriculture

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    • Soil serves as a source of essential nutrients for plant growth.

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    • Soil acts as a reservoir for water, providing a buffer against external environment.

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    • Adequate soil structure is vital for root respiration, nutrient availability, microbial community

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    • Soil fertility directly influences crop yield and agricultural productivity.

Photo: FAO (https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/areas-of-work/soil-fertility/en/)

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Part 1-2. The effect of soil quality on crop yield

D’Hose, T., Cougnon, M., De Vliegher, A., Vandecasteele, B., Viaene, N., Cornelis, W., ... & Reheul, D. (2014). The positive relationship between soil quality and crop production: A case study on the effect of farm compost application. Applied Soil Ecology, 75, 189-198.

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    • Crop yields were increased in all FC treated plots by which SOC was pointed out as the most important indicator influencing crop production.

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*FC(Farm Compost), SOC(Soil Organic Carbon), SQI(Soil Quality Index),

Soil quality

-Soil organic carbon

-Inorganic matter

-Microbial biomass

-Structure…

Crop yield

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Part 1-3. Factors affecting soil quality

    • Organic Matter Content
      • Soil fertility
      • Soil structure
      • Nutrient-holding capacity
      • Water retention
      • Beneficial microbial activity

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    • Nutrient Content
      • Essential elements for plant
      • Plant growth
      • Sign of deficiencies or excesses

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    • Microbial Activity

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    • Soil Texture

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    • Soil pH

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    • Soil Moisture

THE HUMAN IMPACT ON ALL SOIL-FORMING FACTORS DURING THE ANTHROPOCENE, ACS ENVIRON. AU 2022, 2, 1, 11–19 PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1021/ACSENVIRONAU.1C00010 COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE AUTHORS. PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

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Part 1-4. Factors affecting soil quality

THE HUMAN IMPACT ON ALL SOIL-FORMING FACTORS DURING THE ANTHROPOCENE, ACS ENVIRON. AU 2022, 2, 1, 11–19 PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1021/ACSENVIRONAU.1C00010 COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE AUTHORS. PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

    • Organic Matter Content

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    • Nutrient Content

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    • Microbial Activity
      • Nutrient cycling
      • Organic matter decomposition
      • Disease suppression
      • Nutritive interaction with plant (Mycorrhiza)

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    • Soil Texture
      • Pore space(water-holding capacity, airing)
      • Drainage
      • Nutrient retention
      • Soil compaction

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    • Soil pH

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    • Soil Moisture

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Part 1-5. Factors affecting soil quality

THE HUMAN IMPACT ON ALL SOIL-FORMING FACTORS DURING THE ANTHROPOCENE, ACS ENVIRON. AU 2022, 2, 1, 11–19 PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1021/ACSENVIRONAU.1C00010 COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE AUTHORS. PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

    • Organic Matter Content

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    • Nutrient Content

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    • Microbial Activity

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    • Soil Texture

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    • Soil pH
      • Nutrient availability, solubility
      • Different plants, different pH preferences
      • Microbial activity

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    • Soil Moisture
      • Nutrient uptake
      • Drought tolerance

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Part2: General

methods

  • Mulching
  • Crop rotation
  • Conservation tillage
  • Composting
  • Microbial fertilizer
  • Water management
  • pH control
  • Chemical fertilizer

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Part 2-1. General methods for soil quality improvement

  • Mulching

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  • Crop Rotation

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  • Conservation Tillage

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  • Composting
  • Microbial fertilizer

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  • Water Management

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  • pH Control

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  • Chemical Fertilizer

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  • Different plant species interact with soil nutrients in particular ways, releasing specific nutrient elements of excess.

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  • Existing plants affects to the following plants with the recycling of plant residues, the formation and distribution of biopores, and the development of beneficial microbes(Ball et at. 2005).

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  • Which makes the soil high quality(more fertility, better structure, plant disease prevention).

Part 2-2. General methods for soil quality improvement

Pictures: 1Stephen Kirkpatrick, USDA NRCS , 2https://theplanetjourney.com/why-crop-rotation-is-important-for-a-sustainable-agricultural-system/

Chapagain, T., Lee, E. A., & Raizada, M. N. (2020). The potential of multi-species mixtures to diversify cover crop benefits. Sustainability, 12(5), 2058. , Ball, B. C., Bingham, I, Rees, R. M., Watson, C. A., Litterick, A. (2005).

The role of crop rotation in determining soil structure and crop growth conditions. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 85, 557-577. https://doi.org/10.4141/S04-078.

Crop Rotation

  • Mulching can reduce moisture evaporation, soil erosion, weed occurrence.

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  • Cover crops’ root uptake abundant nutrients(minerals) from the deep part of soil and create a microbial community (Chapagain et at. 2020).

Mulching

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Part 2-3. General methods for soil quality improvement

Pictures: 1https://www.soils.org/news/science-news/overturning-truth-conservation-tillage/ , 2https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/what-to-do-with-compost.htm �Busari, M. A., Kukal, S. S., Kaur, A., Bhatt, R., & Dulazi, A. A. (2015). Conservation tillage impacts on soil, crop and the environment. International soil and water conservation research, 3(2), 119-129.�Arthur, E., Cornelis, W. M., Vermang, J., & De Rocker, E. (2011). Effect of compost on erodibility of loamy sand under simulated rainfall. Catena, 85(1), 67-72.

  • When soil is tilled and loosened, and residue is buried or removed, the potential for erosion increases.

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  • Conservation tillage has higher values of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in cropping systems that utilize conservation tillage systems rather than conventional tillage systems(MA Busari et at. 2015).

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  • Compost reduces crust forming on soil which makes water get into soil easily(increasing soil moisture) and prevents runoff the soil(soil erosion).

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  • Compost directly provide the most important resources for plant and soil microbial community such as Carbon source, Nitrogen source, minerals, etc.

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  • Compost enable to reduce the need for chemical fertilizer, cost, environmental problem

Compost

Conservation Tillage

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Part 2-4. General methods for soil quality improvement

Pictures: 1https://plantingup.co.uk/why-mulch/ , 2https://www.icarda.org/research/sustainable-land-soil-and-water-management/climate-smart-water-use-and-management

  • Effective water management enhances soil structure, nutrient availability. It helps maintain optimal soil moisture levels, preventing excessive compaction or waterlogging. It also ensures that nutrients are effectively distributed, preventing nutrient leaching.

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  • Proper water management prevents soil erosion and pathogen. By reducing runoff and controlling water movement, soil erosion is minimized, By maintaining balanced soil moisture levels, the risk of certain fungal diseases and pests that thrive in excessively wet or dry conditions can be minimized.

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Water Management

  • Microbial fertilizer contains a large number of active microorganisms, which secrete considerable enzymes during growth. At the same time, the organic matter in the fertilizer provides sufficient nutrients to promote the propagation of soil microbes.

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  • Microbial fertilizers have the effect to improve soil condition, restore soil fertility, prevent soil-borne diseases, maintain the balance of rhizosphere microflora and degrade toxic substances.

Microbial fertilizer

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Part 2-5. General methods for soil quality improvement

Neina, D. (2019). The role of soil pH in plant nutrition and soil remediation. Applied and environmental soil science, 2019, 1-9.

pH Control

  • Soil pH interacts with many important factors which are able to influence nutrient availability and microbial activity for plants. Proper pH control ensures that essential nutrients are readily available to plants and great microbial activity

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  • Different plants have specific pH preferences, and maintaining the appropriate pH range for each crop promotes healthy root development, nutrient absorption, and overall plant growth.
  • Chemical fertilizer delivers immediate nutritional access and the time for effect is quick.

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  • The chemical fertilizers are highly calculable and dependable as all the nutrients are present in appropriate amounts.

Chemical Fertilizer

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Part3: The best soil

for seed potato production

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  • The best soil conditions for seed potato production
  • KOPIA screenhouse soil condition

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Part 3-1. The best soil for seed potato production

Soil type: Sandy loam (or loam, silty loam)

pH Level: 6.0 – 6.5 (Slightly acid)

Drainage: Well drained

The best soil conditions for seed potato production

Soil Temperature: 15°C - 21°C

Moisture: Proper moisture retention

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Part 3-2. Optimal soil for potato versus KOPIA screenhouse soil

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Optimal Soil for Potato

KOPIA Screenhouse Soil

Soil type

Sandy loam(or Loam, Silty loam)

Silty loam (But too compact, hard)

pH

6.0 – 6.5 (Slightly acid)

8.38 (Too high)

Organic Matter

3% - 6% (At least over 1%)

0.47% (Deficiency)

N

>20 (mg/kg)

1.33 (mg/kg) (Deficiency)

P

>7 (mg/kg)

1.74 (mg/kg) (Deficiency)

K

>120 (mg/kg)

37.33 (mg/kg) (Deficiency)

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Part 3-3. The difficulty in improving soil organic matter

Lee, S. B., Lee, C. H., Jung, K. Y., Do Park, K., Lee, D., & Kim, P. J. (2009). Changes of soil organic carbon and its fractions in relation to soil physical properties in a long-term fertilized paddy. Soil and tillage research, 104(2), 227-232.

Total SOC concentration was significantly increased by continuous compost application through the years, but continually decreased with the chemical (NPK) and no fertilization (the control) (Fig. 2).

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Part 3-4. The difficulty in improving soil organic matter

 It takes about 5,000 pounds of organic residues added annually to a sandy loam soil (with an estimated decomposition rate of 3% per year) to result eventually in a soil with 1.7% organic matter.

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On the other hand, 7,500 pounds of residues added annually to a well-drained, coarse-textured soil (with a soil organic matter mineralization, or decomposition, rate of 5% per year) are estimated to result after many years in only 1.5% soil organic matter.

Building Soils for Better Crops Ch 3. Amount of Organic Matter in Soils SARE(Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Outreach Fred Magdoff, Harold van Es | 2021 | 410 pages

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Part 3-5. The difficulty in improving soil organic matter

Building Soils for Better Crops Ch 3. Amount of Organic Matter in Soils SARE(Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Outreach Fred Magdoff, Harold van Es | 2021 | 410 pages

If the soil was very depleted and the additions started when it was only at 0.5% organic matter content, a lot of organic material can accumulate in the early stages as it is bound to clay mineral surfaces and inside very small- to medium-size aggregates that form—preserving organic matter in forms that are not accessible to organisms to use.

KOPIA Screenhouse SOM (Soil Organic Matter): 0.47%

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Part4: Suggestion and

Discussion

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Mulching

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Crop rotation(Green manure)

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Conservation tillage

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Composting(Livestock manure)

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Microbial fertilizer

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Water management

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pH control

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Chemical Fertilizer

Part 4-1. Suggestion

For the sustainable solution

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  • Low cost

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  • Easy to use

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  • High yield

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    • Organic Matter Content

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    • Nutrient Content

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    • Microbial Activity

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    • Soil Texture

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    • Soil pH

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    • Soil Moisture

Composting (Livestock manure)

Part 4-2. Suggestion

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Part 4-3. A few advices from Korean expert

1. Use compost (Livestock manure)

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    • Chemical fertilizer is actually one of the best way to fertilize and improve the poor soil, but it costs money which is not easy to sustain for long
    • Collect livestock manure(any livestock manure is ok) and mix with rice straw, woodchips, etc.
    • Turn over the mixture when its temperature goes high, keep the moisture(55-60%)
    • Generally 1 month will be taken to complete the compost
    • Before we plant potato, put the compost on the field and mix properly
    • The rate of compost application: 10 – 20tons/ha (depends on the soil condition)
  • Ph.D., Agronomy, Chungnam National University, Korea

(1994 ~ 1998)

  • Visiting Fellow, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

(2008 ~ 2009)

  • Agricultural Researcher, National Institute of Agricultural Science, RDA (1999 ~ 2001)
  • Director, Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, GNU

(2015 ~ 2021)

  • Editor in board, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (JCR Rank 1/57) (2015 ~ 2021)
  • Chairperson of Korean Society of Soil Science and Fertilizer

Professor

Kim Pil-Joo

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Part 4-4. A few advices from Korean expert

2. Collect and treat the livestock manure itself into soil if it is difficult to make compost

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    • Collect livestock manure as much as possible
    • In this case, spread the livestock manure on the field 15 to 30 days before you plant the potatoes
    • It will make a good result as well particularly for poor soil

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3. Green manure is also good way, I recommend the leguminous plant more

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    • Hairy vetch(winter vetch) is the most effective plant particularly for poor soil
    • Try to find the best cover crop matching Pakistan’s climate condition. There would be better crop than hairy vetch
  • Ph.D., Agronomy, Chungnam National University, Korea

(1994 ~ 1998)

  • Visiting Fellow, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

(2008 ~ 2009)

  • Agricultural Researcher, National Institute of Agricultural Science, RDA (1999 ~ 2001)
  • Director, Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, GNU

(2015 ~ 2021)

  • Editor in board, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (JCR Rank 1/57) (2015 ~ 2021)
  • Chairperson of Korean Society of Soil Science and Fertilizer

Professor

Kim Pil-Joo

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Part 4-5. Discussion

Pictures: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/discussion

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Thank you!

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