Structureless soil: what it is and its features, how it differs from structural

The composition of soils is heterogeneous. Common components that make up the soil: clay, sand, humus. The combination of the elements of earth, water and air is capable of exhibiting different qualities. According to these characteristics, it is customary to divide structureless dry soil and structural. Each type of land has features that need to be considered when planting and growing crops.

What is structureless soil

Naturally, due to intensive farming, the top layer of soil quickly loses nutrients and microelements and dries up. If you take a part of such soil in your hands, then it is easy to grind it almost into dust.During operation, the earth loses humus, humus, and small particles do not stick together into lumps. It will not be possible to collect bulk crops when growing crops on such lands.

After precipitation falls, a dense crust forms on the surface of the beds, moisture quickly evaporates. Due to the high connectivity of particles, air practically does not penetrate into the ground. The presence of clay particles significantly reduces the quality of the soil.

During processing, the earthen mass breaks up into lumps and fine-grained particles. The depth of wetting of structureless soil is determined by its mechanical composition. It takes about 1-1.5 months for a two-meter wetting of structureless earth containing clay. Dusty soil gets wet faster - approximately 75-80 cm per hour. However, the lack of nutrients, poor air supply, accelerated drying of the soil impede the full development of plants.

Features of structural soil

You can evaluate the fertility of the soil by its composition. Moreover, it is necessary to investigate the upper layer of the earthen layer, where the root system of most plant crops is formed and develops. If a handful of earth in the hands breaks up into lumps of 0.25-1.1 cm in size, then the soil can be defined as structural (finely cloddy). Each lump of soil contains particles of sand, clay, held together by humus, and it is difficult to wash it away with water. Soil Virtues:

• contains enough air for roots to "breathe";
• microorganisms develop well in structural soil;
• the presence of mineral s alts, easily soluble in water, provides plant nutrition;
• The soil freely absorbs liquid during snow melting or during precipitation and retains moisture for a long time.

Structural soil is ideal for farming. Vegetation cover and plant roots simultaneously contribute to the structuring of the soil. But there are several factors that worsen the quality of the soil: heat and frost, plants dry up the earth and select useful substances, heavy equipment compacts the layers, destroying small and large earthen pores.

Common methods of restoring soil structure: minimal tillage (non-moldboard method), shallow loosening, spreading plant residues over the surface.

How are they different?

First of all, the difference between structureless and structured soil lies in the amount of effort that needs to be spent on their cultivation:

• structural soil is formed by separate lumps, large or small. Each lump has a separate connection due to gravity, intertwining plant roots, humus. Since the soil is not distinguished by a single connection, it is easy to dig it up. The main efforts have to be spent on breaking the roots of plants;
• when cultivating unstructured land, significant efforts must be spent on overcoming connectivity, on breaking the remnants of plant roots. A feature of non-structural soil is that the higher the connectivity, the more difficult it is to process. To dig up a structureless black soil, in comparison with a structural one, it will take 40-45 times more effort.

Also, soils are suitable for agriculture. Of course, on a loose, fertilized surface layer that is well ventilated and moistened, plants will produce better fruit and require less attention.

Various activities will help improve the quality of unstructured land. First of all, they change the composition of the earth (sandy soil is enriched with clay, black soil, and sticky black soil is “bred” with sand). But any soil needs to be periodically enriched with organic additives, mineral fertilizers.

Experienced gardeners recommend mulching all beds. As a rule, mulch creates favorable conditions not only for plant growth, but also for the development of microorganisms, soil worms. Thanks to their vital activity, the structure of the earth improves, fertility increases.

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