 | Soils, Crops and Fertilizer Use: A Field Manual for Development Workers (Peace Corps, 1986, 338 p.) |
 |  | (introduction...) |
| | About this manual |
| | Acknowledgements |
|  | Chapter 1: Down to earth - Some Important Soil Basics |
| | What is soil, anyway? |
| | Why do soils vary so much? |
| | Topsoil vs. subsoil |
| | The mineral side of soil: sand, silt, and clay |
| | Distinguishing ''tropical'' soils from ''temperate'' soils |
| | Organic matter - a soil's best friend |
| | The role of soil microorganisms |
| | Chapter 2: Trouble-shooting soil physical problems |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Getting to know the soils in your area |
| | Soil color |
| | Soil texture |
| | Soil tilth |
| | Soil water-holding capacity |
| | Soil drainage |
| | Soil depth |
| | Soil slope |
| | Chapter 3: Basic soil conservation practices |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Rainfall erosion |
| | Wind erosion |
| | Chapter 4: Seedbed preparation |
| | (introduction...) |
| | The what and why of tillage |
| | Common tillage equipment |
| | The abuses of tillage and how to avoid them |
| | Making the right seedbed for the crop, soil, and climate |
| | How deep should land be tilled? |
| | How fine a seedbed? |
| | Some handy seedbed skills for intensive vegetable production |
| | Chapter 5: Watering vegetables: When? How Often? How Much? |
| | (introduction...) |
| | It pays to use water wisely |
| | Some common watering mistakes and their effects |
| | Factors influencing plant water needs |
| | Ok, so get to the point! how much water do plants need and how often? |
| | Some methods for improving water use efficiency |
| | Chapter 6: Soil fertility and plant nutrition simplified |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Let's Make a Deal |
| | How plants grow |
| | Available vs. unavailable forms of mineral nutrients |
| | Soil negative charge and nutrient holding ability |
| | Soil pH and how it affects crops growth |
| | Important facts on the plant nutrients |
| | Chapter 7: Evaluating a soil's fertility |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Soil testing |
| | Plant tissue testing |
| | Fertilizer trials |
| | Using visual ''hunger signs'' |
| | Chapter 8: Using organic fertilizers and soil conditioners |
| | What are organic fertilizers? |
| | Organic vs. chemical fertilizers: which are best? |
| | Some examples of successful farming using organic fertilizers |
| | How to use organic fertilizers and soil conditioners |
| | Chapter 9: Using chemical fertilizers |
| | (introduction...) |
| | What are chemical fertilizers? |
| | Are chemical fertilizers appropriate for limited-resource farmers? |
| | An introduction to chemical fertilizers |
| | Common chemical fertilizers and their characteristics |
| | The effect of fertilizers on soil pH |
| | Fertilizer salt index and ''burn'' potential |
| | Basic application principles for N, P, and K |
| | Fertilizer application methods explained and compared |
| | Troubleshooting faulty fertilizer practices |
| | Getting the most out of fertilizer use: crop management as an integrated system |
| | Understanding fertilizer math |
| | Chapter 10: Fertilizer guidelines for specific crops |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Cereals |
| | Pulses (grain legumes) |
| | Root crops |
| | Vegetables |
| | Tropical fruit crops |
| | Tropical pastures |
| | Chapter 11: Liming soils |
| | (introduction...) |
| | The purpose of liming |
| | When is liming needed? |
| | How to measure soil pH |
| | How to calculate the actual amount of lime needed |
| | How and when to lime |
| | Don't overlime! |
| | Chapter 12: Salinity and alkalinity problems |
| | (introduction...) |
| | How salinity and alkalinity harm crop growth |
| | Lab diagnosis of salinity and alkalinity |
| | Appendixes |
| | Appendix A: Useful measurements and conversions |
| | Appendix B: How to determine soil moisture content |
| | Appendix C: Spacing guide for contour ditches and other erosion barriers* |
| | Appendix D: Composition of common chemical fertilizers |
| | Appendix E: Hunger signs in common crops |
| | Appendix F: Legumes for green manuring and cover-cropping in tropical and subtropical regions |
| | Appendix G: Some sources of technical support |
| | Appendix H: A bibliography of useful references |
Appendix A: Useful measurements and conversions
AREA
1 SQ. METER = 10.76 sq. ft.
1 HECTARE (ha) = 10,000 sq. meters = 2.47 acres = 1.43 manzanas (parts of Latin America)
1 ARE (a) = 100 sq. meters = 0.01 hectares
1 ACRE = 4000 sq. meters = 4840 sq. yards = 43,560 sq. ft. = 0.4 hectares = 0.58 manzanas (parts of Latin America)
1 MANZANA (used in parts of Latin America) = 10,000 sq. varas = 7000 sq. meters = 0.7 hectares = 1.73 acres
LENGTH
1 METER (m) = 100 cm = 1000 mm = 39.37" = 3.28 ft.
1
CENTIMETER (cm) = 10 mm = 0.01 m = 0.4"
1 MILLIMETER (mm) = 0.001 meter =
0.04"
1 KILOMETER (km) = 1000 m = 0.625 miles
1 VARA (Latin America) =
83.7 cm = 32.8"
1 MILE = 1.6 km = 1600 meters = 5280 ft.
WEIGHT
1 KILOGRAM (kg) = 1000 grams (g) = 2.2 lbs. = 35.2 oz.
1
POUND (lb.) = 16 oz. = 454 g = 0.454 kg 1 OUNCE (oz.) = 28.4 g
1 METRIC TON =
1000 kg = 2202 lbs.
1 LONG TON = 2240 lbs. 1 SHORT TON = 2000 lbs.
1
QUINTAL = 100 kg (metric system), 100 lbs. (Latin America)
VOLUME
1 LITER (l) = 1000 cc = 1000 ml = 1.06 U.S. quarts
1
HECTOLITER (hl) = 100 liters
1 CUBIC METER = 1000 liters
1 CUBIC FOOT =
7.48 U.S. gallons = 28.3 liters
1 GALLON (U.S.) = 3.78 liters = 3780 cc
(ml)
1 GALLON (Imperial) = 5 U.S. quarts = 4 Imperial quarts = 4.725
liters
1 ACRE-INCH (of water) = 26,928 U.S. gallons
1 BUSHEL (U.S.,
English) = 1.25 cubic ft. = 9.375 U.S. gallons = 35.4 liters = 66 lbs. shelled,
dry maize or sorghum = 60 lbs. dry wheat kernels or beans
1 FLUID OUNCE (fl. oz.) = 30 cc (ml) = 2 level tablespoons (measuring type)
1 TABLESPOON (measuring type) = 15 cc (ml) for solids or 18 cc (ml) for liquids, due to surface tension.
1 TEASPOON (measuring type) = 5 cc (ml) for solids or 6 cc (ml) for liquids, due to surface tension.
MISCELLANEOUS CONVERSIONS
lbs./acre X 1.12 = kg/ha; lbs./acre X 1.73 = lbs./manzana
kg/ha X 0.89 = lbs./acre; kg/ha X 1.54 = lbe./manzana
lbs./manzana X 0.58 = lbs./acre; lbs./manzana X 0.65 = kg/ha
1 LITER PER SQ. METER = a 1 millimeter thickness (layer)
7 U.S. GALLONS PER SQ. METER = a 1 inch thickness (layer)
Temperature:
C° = (F° - 32°) X 0.55
F° = (C° X 1.8) + 32°
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