Healthy soil is the foundation of a profitable, economical, and environmentally sound agricultural system. It is understanding how management practices influence soil texture that aids plant development and governs environmental quality.
In this episode, Dr Melvin Nyathi, project manager at the Agricultural Research Council, discusses how increased soil texture enhances soil health overall.
Nyathi defines soil texture as combining soil, silt, and clay content. Together, they play an important role in making the soil structure.
“When too much sand is in the soil, the crops won’t grow. One way to improve that is to add organic matter into the soil.
“If the soil is too much clay, you want to add material such as sand or grid.”
Further in the episode, Nyathi shares some examples of the benefits of improving soil texture. He also talks about how animal manure and soil texture help the soil structure formation.
“Animal manure reduces the bulk density of the soil and reduces compaction. If the soil is not compact, irrigated water will infiltrate the soil very well.”
Catching up with this week’s #SoilSista
And this week, we celebrate #SoilSista Pheladi Chiloane who epitomises passion and purpose. Her farming journey champions community empowerment and sustainable progress, challenging stereotypes through innovative agribusiness.
Chiloane is one of the phenomenal women who participated in the 2023 #SoilSista programme.
In this episode, Nyathi also discusses:
- How water plays a role in soil maintenance
- Strategies farmers can use to improve to improve soil health and more.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).
Option 2: Click here to listen on any Apple device.
Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
ALSO READ: #SoilSista Chiloane cultivates empowerment through agribusiness
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