Being a key factor in agriculture, soil fertility determines the quality and quantity of the crop grown in a given piece of land.
As weed management continue to be a challenge facing organic growers, increased weed seed banks reduce yield and the major components to weed management are crops, over head irrigation pipe and make it drip about 10 to 14 days later.
Weed management
As timing is key to weed management, the block is watered at sowing for 1 inch watering overhead and at 4 days later, 1/2 inch of over head watering is done. At day 7/ 3 days later, water overhead at 1/2 inch and at day 11 it will be ready for cultivation.
Similarly, use optimal water for plant growth and ensure proper cultivation, weed as early as possible at 10-14 days using low density weeding technique and high density weeding to kill weeds as full density weeding technique takes a lot of time. After top bed weeding, use a bar cultivator after setting it well.
When setting a system, a space of 72 inches is left from one centre tractor tyre to another tractor tire. Set 3 sweeps at distance of 36 inches from one to another as the cultivator should be more less in centre of tractor.
Furthermore, key component of cultivation are sweeps, frog chisel to break up the additional compaction of tractor to soil and another component is side knife which work onside of beds. Sweep should lie under dead centre of tractor hire for good operation.
Finally when bringing tractor into field, remember where beds were shaped, lay drip tape on bed fro drip irrigation and re wet the furrows to germinate more weeds.
