 | Soils, Crops and Fertilizer Use |
 |  | 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 |
| | 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 |
| | Rainfall erosion |
| | Wind erosion |
| | Chapter 4: Seedbed preparation |
| | 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? |
| | 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 |
| | 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 |
| | 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 |
| | 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 |
| | Cereals |
| | Pulses (grain legumes) |
| | Root crops |
| | Vegetables |
| | Tropical fruit crops |
| | Tropical pastures |
| | Chapter 11: Liming soils |
| | 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 |
| | 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 |
Chapter 1: Down to earth - Some Important Soil Basics
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