Soil cultivation

Cultivation of soil has and will continue to be an important means of controlling weeds (1). However, extensive soil cultivation leads to various problems such as losses of soil, soil moisture and nutrients. This results in water pollution by both the soil itself and pesticides and nutrients associated with it (2, 3, 4). Minimum or no-till cropping systems can reduce these problems because various crop residues (i.e., mulch) are left on the soil surface with a minimum of soil disturbance in planting the crop. 

Table 1. The production rates of COz and NzO from soil cultivated with II. annuus under greenhouse conditions.

Lopez-Valdez F, Fernandez-Luqueno F, Luna-Suarez S, Dendooven L. Greenhouse gas emissions and plant characteristics from soil cultivated with sunflower (Helian-thus annuus L.) and amended with organic or inorganic fertilizers. Science of the Total Environment. 2011 412-413 257-264. DOI 10.1016/j.sdtotenv.2011.09.064... 

Juarez-Rodriguez J, Fernandez-Luqueno F, Conde E, Reyes-Varela V, Cervantes-San-tiago F, Botello-Alvarez E, et al. Greenhouse gas emissions from an alkaline saline soil cultivated with maize (Zea mays L.) and amended with anaerobically digested cow manure a greenhouse experiment. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2012 35(4) 511-523. DOI 10.1080/01904167.2012.644371... 

The correlation coefficients of heavy metal concentrations between rice and soils for 146 samples are Cd 0.932, Cr 0.172, Cu 0.181, Hg 0.276, Ni 0.410, Se 0.178 and Zn 0.264 respectively, which indicates a fairly good relationship between these elements. As the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Se and Zn in soils increased, the concentrations of the rice also increased. Although the concentrations of these elements in rice are much lower than the safety threshold value in most samples and have no immediate impact on human health, the increase of soil concentration of heavy metals will eventually enhance risk through rice uptake in the food chain. Therefore diminishing the input of heavy metals to soil is urgent to maintaining long-term soil cultivation suitability. 

Various forms of soil cultivation, or non-cultivation, exist ranging from mouldboard ploughing to no-tillage, as listed below (from CTIC and Conservation Technology Information 1998) ... 

Antoine Lavoisier came from wealth, and his approach to maintaining it was eminently practical. Like his German rival, Georg Stahl, Lavoisier observed fermentation processes to learn about chemical transformations. Such experiments had a mercantile application in alcoholic drinks. He analyzed mineral waters, helped develop street lighting for Paris, and tested the quality of state tobacco. Lavoisier advised the government on soil cultivation, chemical fumigation of prisons, water purification, and uniformity of... 

Botto, J.F., Scopel, A.L., Ballare, C.L. and Sanchez, R.A. 1998. The effect of light during and after soil cultivation with different tillage implements on weed seedling emergence. Weed Science 46(3) 351-357. 

Fogelberg, F. 1999. Night-time soil cultivation and intra-row brush weeding for weed control in carrots (Daucus carota L.). Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 17(1) 31-45. 

Melander, B. 1998b. Interactions between soil cultivation in darkness, flaming and brush weeding when used for in-row weed control in vegetables. Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 16(1) 1-14. 

Soil cultivation measures are predominantly carried out with the aim of enhancing soil fertility and soil processes, and controlling for weeds. Depending on location and crop type, biodynamic farming uses all types of soil cultivation from ploughing to no-till agriculture. 

Grasso, M., D Orazio, V., and Senesi, N. (2004). Spectroscopic characterization of soil organic matter fractions from rhizosphere and bulk soils cultivated for tomato and artichoke. In Proceedings, 12th Meeting of the International Humic Substances Society, Sao Pedro, Brazil, pp. 368-371. 

Lichtenstein, E.P., Schultz, K.R. (1959) Effect of soil cultivation, soil surface, and water on the persistence of insecticidal residues in soils. J. Econ. Entomol. 54, 517. 

Method of contour-strip soil cultivation Patent number UA69229 (2004)... 

In humid areas, the rate of world deforestation is estimated at 6 to 10 million hectares per annum, 2 to 4 millions of which are in South America. The biota being destroyed holds the greater part of the nutrients, which are lost to the ecosystem. This deforestation rate represents a tragic loss of plant and animal species. The usual techniques of soil cultivation, especially where precipitation is high — often above 2,200 mm a — accelerate the natural loss. Special technology is needed for such humid tropical regions. Existing research on such techniques needs to be increased and intensified. 

C.B. Kincannon, Oily Waste Disposal by Soil Cultivation Process, EPA-R2-72-110. U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, 1972 cited by Beak Consultants Ltd., [86]. 

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