Term
| How does soil erosion occur? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the most rapid rate of soil renewal from parent material? |
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Definition
0.5 tons/acre/year
-2000 years to build 6 in. of soil |
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Term
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Definition
-provides OM to soil
-increases water infiltration
-helps control erosion
-reduces dust (& spider mites)
-dries out wet soils
-increases biodiversity |
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Term
| cover crops: disadvantages |
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Definition
-must cultivate annually
-expensive
-increases frost risk
-competes for water and nutrients
-legumes encourage gophers |
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Term
| What are monocultures in cover crops? |
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Definition
| -is a single species that is used as a cover crop |
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Term
| Disadvantages of monocultures |
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Definition
-some species prone to disease
-single species not do well in diverse soil types
-soil nutrient availability |
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Term
| What is polycultures in cover crops? |
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Definition
| -multiple species used as a cover crop |
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Term
| Advantages of polyculture |
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Definition
-a mix ensures a species with thrive
-principle of overyielding results in higher biomass with mixes |
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Term
| Cover Crops - Perennial Species? |
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Definition
| permanent cover that offers year-round traction and ease of management |
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Term
| Why are cover crops grown for high biomass? |
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Definition
| to add organic matter to the soil |
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Term
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Definition
-single species legume
-single species grass
-legume/grass mix |
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Term
| Advantage of Legume cover crop |
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Definition
| legumes used to add a large amount of available nitrogen to the soil |
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Term
| Advantage of Grass cover crop |
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Definition
| grasses have fibrous roots which greatly enhance soil structure and water intake |
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Term
| Types of high biomass cover crops - Grasses |
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Definition
-Rye: grows well in cool weather, very drought tolerant
-Oat: tolerant of wet and low pH soils
-Barley: salt and drought tolerant
-Wheat
-Triticale: cross between wheat and rye |
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Term
| Types of high biomass cover crops - Legumes |
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Definition
-Vetch Vines: range of cold tolerance by species
-Bell Beans: coarse stems, upright growth
-Peas: grown in blends with vetch and bell beans |
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Term
| Self re-seeding cover crops - Bur Medic |
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Definition
| means bur "clover" that is adapted to a wide range of soil pH, tolerates mowing well |
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Term
| re-seeding cover crops - Rose and Crimson clovers |
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Definition
| -perform best in neutral to acid soils |
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Term
| re-seeding cover crops - Subterranean clover |
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Definition
| does well in neutral to alkaline soils |
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Term
| re-seeding cover crops - 'Zorro' Fescue or 'Blando' Brome (aka soft chess) |
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Definition
-hillside and serpentine soils
-good for erosion control
-zorro more drought tolerant |
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Term
| Cover crops - types of CA native grasses |
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Definition
-CA Brome: established rapidly, lives few years
-Blue Wildrye: fairly drought tolerant
-CA Barley: aggresive root system, can lower vine yield
-Nodding Needlegrass: drought tolerant, not competitive with vines |
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Term
| Cover crops- naturalized vegetation (aka Weeds) |
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Definition
-not native but have established and doing well
-cheaper than cover crops (no seed or planting costs)
-can be fertilized and mowed |
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