The main indicator of soil quality is its fertility. Chernozem is an example of the most fertile soil on which any crop grows well with a minimum of physical input. However, most soils are less fertile, and some are particularly difficult to grow good crops. Let's figure out what types of soil are considered infertile soils, and whether their composition can be improved.
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 unpretentious plants.If you do not maintain the desired soil structure, even in the most fruitful areas the yield will decrease. But even the most difficult land to cultivate can be made richer.
Salt marshes and sands
The presence of sodium and potassium salts (at least 1%) in the upper layers of the soil makes the land extremely difficult to cultivate. In such areas, a whitish or grayish coating is noticeable. Of the plants on salt marshes, only halophytes survive - those that are able to grow on saline soils (solyanka, sarsazan, kermek, tamirisk, wormwood, quinoa).
Salt marshes are formed in several cases:
- exposure of rocks with a high salt content to the surface;
- illiterate human activity;
- high salt content in groundwater located close to the surface of the earth.
Salt marshes can form on the site of dry salt lakes, near volcanoes and mineral springs. Soil desalting is a costly process, so it is not always economically feasible; usually salt marshes are used as pastures for sheep and camels.
Sand is the loose remains of rocks consisting of quartz, feldspar, and mica. Widely used in road construction, glass and concrete production. The disadvantage of sand is its ability to quickly heat up and cool down and poorly retain moisture.
Sand does not contain organic matter, and without it it is impossible to grow anything on the site. Sandstone is a structureless soil; it breaks down into small particles that do not contain organic matter, is ground into dust, and does not form small lumps characteristic of structured soil.
Rock and volcanic rocks
These types of soil are not suitable for farming. Rocks are solid monoliths or fractured structures. The type of soil consists of: igneous rocks (granite, diorite), sedimentary cemented rocks (sandstone, tuff), semi-rock (gypsum), metamorphic rocks (schist, quartzite).
Volcanic soils have a layered structure, consisting of hard rocks, tuff, pumice, and a top layer of volcanic ash. The plots are difficult to cultivate; they quickly lose the available nutrients.
When a volcano remains silent for a long time, the lands at its base can become fertile; the destruction of volcanic materials that are rich in minerals allows them to be absorbed into the soil. Over time, the soil structure changes under the influence of weather and climate conditions. There is an accumulation of organic substances in the upper layer, 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 site has infertile soil
Soil quality can be improved. It is most difficult with salt marshes, but if the site is located on a slope, the salts are washed out. Under the influence of water, salts dissolve and are removed from the top layer of soil. The process must be repeated periodically to avoid re-salting. If sodium salt predominates in the soil, gypsum is introduced into the soil before washing.
The structure of the soil on the site, with proper care, changes significantly over time. Fertilizing, mulching, sowing green manure, and correct crop rotation allow you to collect excellent harvests on the most difficult to cultivate and non-fruit-bearing land.
