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NW Washington | An Earthquake followed by a fire is how some soil scientists describe moldboard plowing. And moldboard plowing is the ultimate form of "recreational tillage". It looks good and even smells good.
Here is the Google AI on this subject:
The analogy that moldboard plowing is like "an earthquake followed by a fire" is a vivid description of the severe, long-term impact this type of conventional tillage has on soil health and its ecosystem. It is an aggressive, inverting tillage method that, while providing short-term benefits like a clean seedbed, often leads to significant degradation over time.
Here is a breakdown of why this analogy is used:
The "Earthquake": Physical Destruction
Total Soil Inversion: A moldboard plow cuts 8–12 inches deep, lifting, breaking, and inverting the soil 180 degrees. This violent turnover destroys the existing soil structure, shattering soil aggregates (the "earthquake").
Disruption of Soil Life: The process kills and disturbs the soil's natural habitat, destroying the networks of fungi, bacteria, and beneficial insects.
Compaction (Hardpan): While it loosens the surface, the weight of the plow and tractor often creates a "hardpan" (or plow pan) just below the tillage depth, reducing water infiltration and restricting root growth.
The "Fire": Biological Oxidation
Rapid Decomposition: By turning the soil, oxygen is injected deep into the profile. This causes a massive surge in microbial activity, which rapidly oxidizes (burns up) soil organic matter.
Loss of Organic Matter: This oxidation process acts like a slow-burning fire, rapidly depleting the soil's carbon content and releasing stored CO2 into the atmosphere.
Reduced Fertility: Over time, this "fire" destroys the soil's ability to hold nutrients and water, reducing overall fertility.
The Aftermath
High Erosion Risk: Without protective surface residue (which is buried), the bare, loose soil is extremely vulnerable to wind and water erosion.
Temporary Benefits: Historically, this method was used to kill weeds, bury crop residues, and warm the soil for planting.
Decline in Usage: Due to these long-term negative effects, many farmers have shifted toward conservation tillage or no-till practices.
In summary, the "earthquake" refers to the physical upheaval of the soil structure, while the "fire" refers to the accelerated oxidation of organic matter, both of which severely harm long-term soil health. | |
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Moldboard plowing
