Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for - Aseanipm ...

Section 3 • Living Soil, Integrated Soil Nutrient and Crop Managements
How long will this exercise take?
• Thirty minutes to one hour for field walks and observations of some basic characteristics that
define living organisms, in contrast to non-living things in adjoining and learning fields; and
• Thirty minutes to one hour for brainstorming session in processing area.
learning objectives
• To make participants aware of and understand how some important characteristics of a living
soil can be used in deciding appropriate cultural management practices to improve soil fertility
and productivity; and
• To learn from other farmers and facilitators some practical concepts and principles in improving
soil fertility and productivity.
materials
• Soils in adjoining and learning fields used in ‘Soil Biodiversity’ exercise;
• Office supplies (e.g., Manila papers, notebooks, ball pens, and marking pens); and
• Other supplies (e.g., plastic bags, ruler, meter stick or steel tape, shovel, crowbars, magnifying
lens, and bolo).
methodology
• Field walks, observations, and brainstorming
steps
1. Divide participants in small groups and ask them to conduct field walks and observe different
soils in adjoining fields of learning field so that some basic characteristics that define living
organisms, in contrast to non-living things could be observed. The following suggestions may
be tried, thus:
5 Group I to observe rolling forest soil (e.g., undisturbed forest trees are grown)
5 Group II to observe rolling brush land soil (e.g., plants grow as tall as 1-2 meters)
5 Group III to observe stiff grassland soil (e.g., plants grow less than 1 meter tall)
5 Group IV to observe flat crop land soil (e.g., vegetable crops are grown)
5 Group V to observe plain barren land soil (e.g., no crop or other plant is grown)
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