Soil Management Handbook - Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

List of Definitions for Table 1
Contour Cropping: The production of crops in rows that follow the natural contour of the land and are at right
angles to the direction of the slope.
Crop Rotation: Growing a variety of crops in reoccurring succession on the same land. (i.e., field vegetables
followed by winter wheat, then forage grass).
Cover Crop: A crop of close-growing legumes, grasses or small grains grown primarily for the purpose of soil
protection and improvement between periods of regular crop production.
Annual cover crops, such a cereals or annual grasses, are usually allowed to die over the winter or is “killed”
by the use of herbicides or tillage.
Permanent cover crops, such as perennial grasses or legumes, are normally managed by mowing over the
growing season. Permanent cover crops protect the soil from erosion, providing organic matter to the soil and
may have benefits in terms of microclimate and insect management.
Forages (Perennial): Certain green crops (legumes or grasses) primarily grown and harvested to feed domestic
livestock. These crops can aid in soil conservation or management of specific soil/site constraints such as stoniness
or salinity.
Shelterbelts: An extended line(s) or “belt” of living trees and shrubs established and maintained to act as a shield
protecting farmland from wind erosion and crops from wind damage.
Barrier Strips (Grass/Stubble): Consists of one or two rows of tall-growing grass or an annual cereal seeded
every 15 to 24 metres at right angles to the prevailing wind. It may also be a strip of standing crop left taller than
the adjacent crop residue. Barrier strips can protect sensitive young plants/crops from wind damage. Barrier strips
may also be used to trap snow or reduce soil erosion during winter months.
Residue Management: A cropping system that maintains an adequate residue cover (min. 30% surface cover) for
soil erosion control and protection of the soil surface from puddling and erosion.
Tolerant Crops: A crop able to grow under stressful growing conditions, such as high salinity or adverse soil
physical conditions or wet sites.
Animal Manure/Compost: Livestock produce nutrient-enriched liquid and solid organic waste materials which
can be distributed on soils to supply essential plant nutrients and improve soil physical conditions. They must only
be used as a soil conditioner or plant nutrient. Composts, like animal manures, provide nutrients, they are also
excellent soil conditioners, providing stable humic forms of organic matter. Compost contain nutrients which are
less readily available so application rates can be higher. Compost can also be used as a mulch.
Reduced Tillage: A Tillage system where the number of field operations required for crop production are at
minimum. Equipment types or modifications are used to minimize soil disturbance and maintain weed control. To
delay or reduce the amount of tillage, herbicides are included in the system. For some forage production systems,
tillage may be reduced to subsoiling, aeration and direct seeding.
Alter Tillage Practices: Changing tillage equipment type or operating speed, will reduce pulverization of the soil
and the burial of crop residue. Avoid use of rotovators or implements which continuously work at the same depth.
Use of power harrows, spaders or deep chisel cultivators may be beneficial.
Liming: The application of agricultural lime (CaCO3) or other liming material required to raise the soil pH to a desired
value under specific cropping conditions. Liming may also increase crop nutrient availability.
Subsoiling: Subsoiling is done in the fall (when soils are dry) to alleviate compaction, and to improve water infiltration and
root penetration. Compaction may be the result of natural soil development or traffic/tillage on the soil.
Timing of Field Operations: The coordination and implementation of various field operations can improve or hinder
existing soil conditions. (i.e., shift major tillage operations to drier periods or change crop type).
Water Erosion Control System: An erosion control system consists of a subsurface drainage system, which may include
blind surface inlets and discharge structures coupled with cover, contour or continuous cropping practices.
Grassed Waterway/Roadway: A vegetated, natural or constructed broad, shallow channel designed to carry surface runoff
across farmland with minimum water erosion. Grassed waterways or roads may provide better trafficability, reduce water
erosion risk and can reduce wind erosion.
Subsurface or Surface Drainage: A conduit such as tile, pipe or tubing installed below the ground surface to lower
watertables within a field and maintain unsaturated soil conditions.
Reforestation/Grassland Revegetation: The natural seeding or artificial replanting of trees, grasses or shrubs within an
area that was previously under forest or grassland, which may be used as a wildlife habitat, reduce erosion hazard, or
improve soil productivity on a long term basis.
Mulching: The application of straw or other coarse organic matter to reduce excessive water evaporation or the risk of soil
erosion or surface structure degradation by wind and water.
Irrigation Practices: Excess applications of irrigation water can have significant impacts on soil/crop management (i.e.,
flooding or slumping of glaciolacustrine cliffs). Low application rates will reduce crop yield potential. Water conservation is
impacted by irrigation system design and management.
Dykes or Terraces: Earthen berms constructed along river channels or canals to reduce the risk of flooding. Dyking is
essential in some areas due to the spring freshet. Terracing, a long, low, earth embankment with a flat or graded channel
constructed across the slope can be developed within fields on sloping land to control surface runoff or reduce water erosion.
Fertilizer Practices: Application of fertilizer or various types/methods of fertilizer application can be beneficial in various
crop/soil/site conditions. Over-application can impact soil chemical parameters such as pH or electrical conductivity.
Underapplication will reduce crop yield potential.
Stone Removal: Some soils contain stones near the surface that impact the suitability of a site for specific crops. Stones can
be removed to reduce the impact on tillage, seeding and crop growth.
4 Soil Management Handbook – Okanagan-Similkameen Valleys