soil management strategies

• long term crops


  takes years to grow (apples, walnuts), doesn't disturb soil
• contour ploughing


  ploughing adjacent to slope, reduce water flows
• conservation tillage 


  reduces machinery use
• tied ridging 


  flat field is divided with intersecting ridges, increases infiltration and decreases run-off
• terracing


  creates different levels- stops soil and water flow
• stones


  reduces soil erosion by catching it
• wind breaks


  planting a buffer crop to stop wind erosion
• multicropping


  reduces soil erosion as there is always one crop in the soil
• strip cropping


  long narrow crops which alternate in crop rotation
• crop roatation


  replaces nutrients into soil by not planting the same nutrient sucking plant
• mulching


  conserves moisture, improves fertility, reduces weed growth
• increasing soil organic matter

  compost, manure
• livestock management


  decrease density of animal herds to reduce soil damage
• cover crops


  plants grow to cover soil when main crops arent in season
• green manures


  plants, legume peas, that are grown then ploughed back into the soil to fertilise soil
• agroforestry


  integration of trees into agricultural systems as they benefit eachother
• irrigation management


  drip irrigation, conserves water and reduces soil erosion
• soil testing and fertiliser management


  stopping harmful substances getting into soils
• integrated nutrient management (INM)


  combine organic + inorganic fertilisers to maintain long-term soil fertility