Impact of poor aeration
- Impeded aeration results from impeded drainage and water logging or from mechanics compaction of the soil.
- In particular, the problem of soil compaction seems to have worsened in recent decades, along with the use of heavier machinery for tillage, fertilizer and pest control the reduced total air capacity of soil.
The impacts of poor aeration include
- It induces series of reduction reactions like Denitrification, Manganic to manganous, form Ferric to ferrous form, Sulphate to hydrogen sulphate form etc.
- Some of the products of these anaerobic reactions are toxic to plants e.g. Ferrous sulphide, ethylene, acetic acid, butyric acid and phenolic acids.
- Production of growth hormones is also stopped.
Management of soil aeration
- Change in soil structure
- Drainage
- Temperature
- Avoid soil crust and compaction
- Proper tillage and mulching
- Growing crops which need less O2 or can take O2 from atmosphere e.g. rice, jute, and shallow rooted crops