if the manure increases the capacity of Water holding in sandy soil
Answers
Answer:
Yes
Explanation:
Answer:
A 1994 study by A. Maynard found that a 3 inch layer of leaf compost rototilled to a 6 inch depth increased water holding capacity 2.5 times that of a native sandy soil and provided almost a 7 day supply of plant available water.
Explanation:
Water holding capacity of soil organic matter
Soil scientists report that for every 1 percent of organic matter content, the soil can hold 16,500 gallons of plant-available water per acre of soil down to one foot deep. That is roughly 1.5 quarts of water per cubic foot of soil for each percent of organic matter, according to Sullivan in "Drought Resistant Soil. Agronomy Technical Note. Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas" at the National Center for Appropriate Technologies in 2002. Increasing the organic matter content from 1 to 2 percent would increase the volume of water to 3 quarts per cubic foot of soil. Rodale Institute presenters, on the other hand, assume that 1 pound of carbon can hold up to 40 pounds of water. That calculates out to be approximately 38,445 gallons of total water per acre six inches deep. The point here is that organic matter holds a lot of water, thus, the amount of organic matter in a soil directly influences the availability of water to a crop over time. However, organic matter in droughty soils breaks down so rapidly that getting above 2 or 3 percent is difficult to do, but getting to 2 to 3 percent can have major positive impacts.
How effective is compost at holding water?
A 1994 study by A. Maynard found that a 3 inch layer of leaf compost rototilled to a 6 inch depth increased water holding capacity 2.5 times that of a native sandy soil and provided almost a 7 day supply of plant available water. In a 2000 study, Maynard found that increasing the water holding capacity of the soil by adding compost helped all crops during summer droughts by reducing periods of water stress. The amount of water in a plow layer (8 inches) of the compost amended soil increased to 1.9 inches compared with 1.3 inches in unamended soil. Since vegetables require 1 inch of water a week, at field capacity, the compost amended soil held a 2-week supply of water.
Reduce water application
The U.S. Compost Council (2008) has stated that the frequency and intensity of irrigation may be reduced because of the drought resistance and efficient water use characteristics of compost. Compost reduces soil crusting, which helps with water absorption and penetration into the soil. Recent research suggests that the addition of compost in sandy soils can facilitate moisture dispersion by allowing water to more readily move laterally from its point of application.
How much compost must be added to soil to increase organic matter content?
The limiting factor for compost application in Michigan is soil phosphorus levels. In the Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices for Nutrient Utilization (Nutrient GAAMPs) it states when soil phosphorus levels exceed 300 pounds per acre, no source of phosphorus can be applied. That means no compost can be applied to soils that exceed 300 pounds per acre. When soil phosphorus levels are between 150 and 299 pounds per acre, compost is to be applied based on the phosphorus removal rate of the crop. When soil phosphorus levels are less than 150 pounds per acre, compost is to be applied based on the nitrogen requirements of the crop.
For most cropland in Michigan, this means that low amounts of compost will be applied, so choosing composts high in organic matter is critical if increasing soil water holding capacity is your goal.
Please mark this answer as a brainliest.