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In this lesson we are going to discuss about the management and conservation of soil

Answer Text:
Management and Conservation of Soil
Soil management is controlling processes and activities that would cause soil deterioration while soil conservation is
protecting soil from destruction.
Soil Management and Conservation Measures
a) Crop Rotation
- Growing crops which require different nutrients on the same piece of land on rotational basis to prevents exhaustion of
particular mineral nutrients from the soil e.g. leguminous plants to improve nitrogen content of the soil.
b) Mixed Farming
- Growing crops and keeping animals on the same farm.
- Manure from animals is used to enrich the soil with minerals and improve its structure.
c) Contour Ploughing
- Ploughing across the slope rather than down the slope.
- Helps to trap water on horizontal furrows thus preventing excessive soil removal.
d) Terracing
- Dividing the slope into a series of wide steps and crops are grown on them.
- Trap the soil from being carried away by running water and also traps water allowing it to gradually infiltrate into the soil.
e) Afforestation and Reafforestation
- Leaves reduce the force of rain drops preventing soil particles from being removed.
- Vegetation increases the rate of infiltration of rain water into the soil thus reducing runoff.
- Roots bind the soil particles together.
- Decayed vegetation provides humus which binds the soil particles together.
f) Planting Wind Breakers
- Planting hedges or trees around plots in large fields.
- Act as wind breakers and also trap soil being carried by water.
g) Regulating Livestock Numbers
- Matching the number of animals kept to the carrying capacity of land.
- Overgrazing can also be prevented by paddocking which ensures there is always pasture for animals and no area is
overgrazed.
- The pasture is subdivided into portions by fencing.
- Animals are left to graze in one paddock at a time.
- Then they are transferred to the next after a few days.
h) Constructing Gabions
- Construction of wire mesh boxes which are filled with soil.
- Allow water to pass through but trap the soil then vegetation gradually grows on the trapped soil.
i) Planting Cover Crops
- Planting crops which cover the soil properly and holds the soil in place e.g. sweet potato vines.
j) Mulching
- Covering the soil with crop residues.
- Reduces the impact of rain drops on the soil.
- Decays enriching soil with nutrients.
- Reduce the rate of moisture evaporation from the soil.