Factors Of Soil Fertility

Ideal soil conditions for peak crop growth.

The first section on 'moisture and air' shows (using an animated sequence featuring a blade of wheat as a 'swing-o-metre,') how a proper balance between the two is important to wheat. The next section shows the importance of fertilisers and the third, acidity, explains the importance of liming. The farmer in the field shows the physical nature of the soil, which is clay. A sedimentation experiment shows this. The film also shows the importance of humus and the crumb structure. This is explained by a diagram.Soil samples are taken from six different areas of the field to a depth of eight inches. At the laboratory at the University of Reading the soil is crushed with a pestle and mortar and then passed through a mesh. It is placed in a labelled bottle. A sedimentation experiment is carried out and a pipette sample is taken. This is evaporated and the dry clay weighed. A PH test is carried out. From this the laboratory will work out the amount of lime required. a diagram shows the effects of too much acid.In the fields workers carry out tasks of hedging and ditching. A diagram shows the effect of wet land. Dung is spread on the field and this is ploughed in using a tractor drawn plough. Lime is spread using a horse drawn spreader. A diagram shows the danger of over liming. The field is rolled and harrowed. Seed is dressed in the barn with an organic mercurial powder. This prevents disease. Seed and fertiliser are placed in the drill and a horse drawn team is shown drilling. A top dressing of fertiliser is applied in April. The final scenes show the harvest with a tractor drawn reaper/binder.

Keywords

Farming; Research

Intertitles

1. Moisture and air.2. Plant food.3. Acidity.Moisture and air. Nutrients. Correction of acidity.Clay.Mineral particles. Vegetable matter. Fungi and Bacteria. Humus. Water.Soil.Crumb structure.1. Our crumb structure was god, but drainage may have been faulty.3. Our soil was acid.2. Our field was deficient in plant food (Nutrients.) 1. Air and moisture. 2. A balanced diet. 3. Correction of acidity. 4. Prevention of pests and diseases.