Hello, friends of Steemians, nowadays it is difficult for farmers to obtain fertilizers for their crops and this is due to the high costs of fertilizers, so many agricultural workers are looking for alternatives to replace agrochemicals; One of these alternatives is the use of green fertilizers, due to its low cost. The use of green manure helps improve soil fertility conditions and therefore helps to strengthen crops.
The green manure: is a practice that is done to improve and enrich the land, this practice consists of planting around our crops, some plants that have the capacity to provide nutrients to the soil through their roots, The vegetative material is also used to improve the physical conditions of the land, mainly when it is highly degraded.
The most commonly used plants belong to the families of legumes, forage grasses, grasses and crucifers, since this type of plants have a special quality of forming nodules in their roots where they host bacteria that have the ability to coexist with plants adding nitrogen which is taken from the air and fixed in the soil, subsequently benefiting the crops that are going to be established in that same land.
"That is to say, that green fertilizers improve the fertility of the soil through the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and by the contribution of vegetative material, which is transformed into organic matter, to improve the physical, chemical part and biological soil "
How is the green manure sown?
The green manure can be planted in an area of land or can be planted in combination with the main crops, that is, we can plant next to our crops, a type of plant with the ability to provide certain nutrients to the soil, usually the type of plants that are used are legumes. Example: if we grow corn, we can plant the bean plants in a combined way, as you can see in the following image.
The process consists of cutting the plant we have planted for green manure to incorporate it into the soil, this procedure is done before it forms the seeds since this is the time when the plant is at its maximum content of nutrients and we should take advantage of it. The cutting process consists of crushing the vegetable mass with a harrow pass with the use of an agricultural tractor, then leaving a few days for the decomposition, and again proceeding to make another harrow pass. in this way we manage to mix all this vegetative material with the earth.
As we have indicated previously, the plants that are used as green manure, are those belonging to the family of legumes, cruciferous plants and grasses.
Legume plants:
Legumes are the most used, since they fix atmospheric nitrogen to the soil; Among these plants we have: clovers, lentils, alfalfa, soybeans, peas, acacia, sweet clover, mucuna, beans, sorghum, oats, barley, beans or beans.
Gramineae plants:
The grasses are usually sown together with the legumes, since both form stable humus; among them we have: the rye, Secale cereale, Avena sativa; grasses are rich in carbon.
Cruciferous plants:
Cruciferous plants represent the most ideal option when you do not have much time, because these plants are fast growing. The most used are: Brassica napus var. Oleifera Raphanus, raphanistrum.
Benefits of green fertilizer for land
The green fertilizers help to improve the physical conditions of the soil, it is important to plant the green manure before starting a crop, especially in those lands where they have repeated the same type of crop, and are depleted of nutrients.
Help protect the soil from erosion.
They help enrich the soil, especially those soils that are depleted and lacking in nutrients.
Stimulates biological activity.
The green fertilizers form a mulch that will protect the soil from rain and heat, thus reducing the evaporation of water from the soil.
Provides large amounts of organic matter.
The plants used as green manure keep a "weed" control, suffocating them.
Help pest control, many varieties of green manure are a refuge for predators.
Once the vegetative material of the plants used is cut and incorporated into the soil, the soil will be aerated and spongy.
Activates the cycle of many species of macroorganisms and microorganisms in the soil, whose activity improves the physical and chemical dynamics of the soil.
Thank you for reading this publication, I hope that it has been of great benefit to all, greetings.
