How to improve fertility of Clay soil

Clay soils are very sticky. The water will not percolate down the soil. The stagnet water will increase the vulnerability to various plant diseases. Hence here let us see few ways to increase the soil fertility of the soil.
The following steps are useful for improving clay soils:

 • Reduce compaction, because once the soil becomes compacted it sticks together. This makes root growth difficult, as well as making it difficult for people to dig.

 • Add sand to improve soil structure.

 • Use green manure crops and crops which can improve soil structure over time. See legumes green manuring for more information on techniques. Green manuring techniques

 • Planting trees will also help to improve the structure of clay soils. Trees provide mulch material and their roots will help to break up the clay soil. Trees can also be combined with other types of plants.

 • Gypsum can help to improve the drainage and structure of soil. This technique will improve clay soil structure quickly, but is expensive. This technique will not work well if the soil’s pH is too alkaline.

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Green Manure for soil fertility management and its benefits

Green manuring is a practice of ploughing or turning into soil undecomposed

green plant material for the purpose of improving physical structure as well as

the fertility of the soil. It increases the availability of plant nutrients that

contribute to the yield of the crop.

 

 

The microbial activities are enhanced as the fresh organic material acts as the nutrient source for the diverse soil flora and fauna. The structure of heavy, light and sandy soil is considerably improved

and unproductive lands can be converted into fertile ones by green manuring. In hilly areas, green manuring prevents soil erosion on sloppy lands by providing very good soil cover.

 

Green manure crops are quick growing legumes and grasses that are ploughed into the field, mulched on the top of soil and used as composting material. Amongst the green manure crops sunhemp and daincha are outstanding in biomass production. It is essential that there should be sufficient moisture in the soil when the green manure crops are ploughed into the soil to facilitate the microbial activity.

 

Benefits of Green Manuring :

1. Green manures, in the case of legumes, fix nitrogen and contribute to farm nitrogen needs.
2. It  protect and enhance the soil’s biological activity by providing nutrition for the soil organism.
3. It aerates the soil, consequently improving the soil structure.
4. Green manure crops cover the soil in between successive grain crops, thus protecting the soil against wind and water erosion.
5. Green manure crops reduce soil compaction.
6. Green manure crops provide a habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. 

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