Bad soil: a list of the most unsuitable soils and how to improve

The main indicator of soil quality is its fertility. Chernozem is an example of the most fertile soil, on which any crops grow well with a minimum of physical costs. However, most soils are less fertile, and some are particularly difficult to grow well. Let's figure out what types of soil are infertile soils, whether it is possible to improve their composition.

Which soil is the most infertile

The soil is heterogeneous, there are areas with high fertility and a lot of organic matter and places where it is difficult to grow the most undemanding plants.If you do not maintain the desired soil structure, even in the most fruitful areas, the yield decreases. But even the most difficult land to cultivate can be made fatter.

S alts and sands

The presence of sodium and potassium s alts in the upper layers of the soil (at least 1%) makes the land extremely difficult to cultivate. In such areas, a whitish or grayish coating is noticeable. Of the plants on solonchaks, only halophytes survive - those that can grow on saline soils (s altwort, sarsazan, kermek, tamiris, wormwood, quinoa).

Saline marshes are formed in several cases:

• exit to the surface of rocks with high s alt content;
• illiterate human activity;
• high s alt content in groundwater close to the earth's surface.

Saline marshes can form on the site of dry s alt lakes, near volcanoes and mineral springs. Soil desalination is a costly process, so it is not always economically viable, usually s alt marshes are used as pastures for sheep and camels.

Sand is the loose remains of rocks, consisting of quartz, feldspar, mica. Widely used in road construction, glass and concrete production. The disadvantage of sand is its ability to quickly heat up and cool down, poorly retain moisture.

Sand does not contain organic matter, and without it, nothing can be grown on the site. Sandstone is a structureless soil, it breaks down into small particles that do not contain organic matter, grinds into dust, does not form small lumps characteristic of structural soil.

Sandy soils can be made more fertile. A sufficient amount of moisture, the introduction of organic matter helps to improve the quality of the soil. To improve the properties of the land on the site, it is necessary to mix sand with clay and black soil, apply organic fertilizers, and sow green manure.For sandy soil on the site, oats, lupins, sweet clover, legumes are suitable.

Rock and volcanic rocks

These types of soil are not suitable for agriculture. Rocks are solid monoliths or fractured structures. The type of soil consists of: igneous rocks (granite, diorite), sedimentary cemented rocks (sandstone, tuff), semi-rocky (gypsum), metamorphic type rocks (shale, quartzite).

Volcanic soils have a layered structure, composed of hard rocks, tuff, pumice, the top layer of volcanic ash. The plots are difficult to cultivate, they quickly lose the available nutrients.

With a long silence of the volcano, the earth at its foot can become fertile, the destruction of volcanic materials that are rich in minerals contributes to their absorption into the soil. Over time, the structure of the soil changes under the influence of weather and climatic conditions.There is an accumulation in the upper layer of organic matter, improving the quality of the soil. Volcanic soils with favorable temperature conditions (for example, Vesuvius in Italy) are considered the most fertile.

What to do if the plot is infertile soil

Soil quality can be improved. The most difficult thing is with s alt marshes, but if the site is located on a slope, s alts are washed out. Under the influence of water, s alts dissolve and are removed from the topsoil. The process must be repeated periodically to avoid re-s alting. If sodium s alt predominates in the soil, gypsum is introduced into the soil before washing.

With a significant amount of sand in the ground, the soil is mixed with clay and black soil, mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus) are applied.The systematic planting of green manure on the site changes the structure of the earth. It is necessary to check the pH of the fertile layer and correct it by applying manure, high-moor peat or liming.

The structure of the land on the site, with proper care, changes significantly over time. Fertilization, mulching, sowing green manure, proper crop rotation allow you to collect excellent yields on the most difficult to cultivate and non-fruitful land.

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