Soil Scientist Report on the Soilmix machine
EVALUATION
OF SOIL PREPARATION
DONE WITH PROTOTYPE SOILMIX
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Agricultural
Consultors International cc (ACI) trading as Tienie du Preez
Consulting was asked by Mr. Koos Stofberg to do an independent
evaluation of soil prepared on Kanonkop Estate with the prototype soil-mixing machine the "SOILMIX".
The
soil was prepared in May 1999 and the evaluation was done on 2
November 2000. Three profiles were dug, two in the prepared soil
and a third in the adjacent old vineyard. The profiles are 2m
long, 1 m wide and 1.3m deep and were dug across the preparation
direction. The soil type is typical of the Stellenbosch slopes:
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Bleached
Orthic A-horizon (0-30cm)
Yellow
Brown Neocutanic B-horizon (30-80cm) Plinthic B horizon (80cm+ )
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The
clay content is :t 18-20% with only slight signs of wetness in
the plinthic horizon. Under natural conditions the A-horizon is
hard, crusts easily and the gravely Bhorizon is usually too
hard for root penetration.
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EVALUATION
OF TWO PROFILES
REMARKS
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1.
Almost perfect (100%) mixing of the profile up to a depth of
95cm.
2.
The second profile showed a 15cm wide unmixed strip in the
bottom 30cm of the profile where the mixing wheel does not
overlap. Not a problem at all. 3. The profile is very loose and
is perfect for rooting of any crop.
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3. The SOILMIX is extremely suitable for mixing
any ameliorant like lime, phosphates, potassium, etc or organic
material within the profile. I can not see much difficulty in mixing
up to 100 tons of material (250-300m3) per hectare to the
predetermined depth. Mixing high volumes of organic compost with soil
can be a solution for specific replant problems in pome fruit or for
suppressing nematodes in infested soils.
4. Note that it is not always suitable to mix the
entire profile to the full depth for example in cases of acidic
subsoil, clay, unstable clay, saline/brack layers, etc. Before
any preparation, a qualified soil scientist or person with
experience should do a proper soil investigation.
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5.
The SOILMIX can be used for all crops to prepare soil. For
shallow rooted crops (maize, grains, vegetables, lusern, etc)
the mixing wheel should probably be wider (I 1.5- 3.0m) to do a
wider cut of shallow depth to make it economically viable.
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6.
There should be a market for this machine in all fruit growing
countries like Argentina, Chile, North America, Canada, Brazil,
Mexico, Spain, Australia, etc.
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It
is a known fact that a dry plant will shed its fine root system
within 24-48 hours of stopping nutrient and water uptake. A
second fact is that a fully developed root volume resists
nutrient deficiencies and water deficits much better due to a
higher capacity for hold nutrients and water. Perfectly balanced
nutrients, intimately mixed with the total potential root system
is a prerequirement for good quality fruit whether it is non-organiic
or organicaly grown.
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Best of luck with the development of the SOILMIX.
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