Soil Use
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Treat soil as a living and a valuable medium.
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Understand the carrying capacity of your soils.
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It is worthwhile mapping your soil for soil types, physical-chemical-biological-properties, presence of hardpans, slope, aspect, historical land use and drainage by a qualified pedologist or soil mapping expert.
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Avoid or manage all forms of soil compactions such as prolonged grazing and machinery movements, particularly when the soils are wet or moist.
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Avoid pugging, overgrazing, ponding by effluent or irrigation and water logging.
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Remember soil is the source for most non-point source of water pollution such as nitrate leaching and phosphorus, faecal bacteria and sediment runoff. Therefore, soil management is very critical to the management of water quality.
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Arable and vegetable farmers must pay particular attention to depleting organic carbon level in soil. Regular cultivation mineralises and oxidises organic carbon in soil which results in carbon being lost as CO2. Presence of organic carbon in soil improves soil biological activities, soil structure, fertility and soil moisture holding capacity.
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Weed patches are a symptom of poor soil, water or pasture management.
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Maintain good crop/pasture cover.
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Retire less productive, erodible or slope land to native bush or fodder plants.