Soil

Soil determines the growing capacity and vegetation type.

Soil Characteristics:

Soil and parent rock has a major influence on veldt management. Different soil types determine the yield and palatability of grazing in the long run. Important soil characteristics (to remember) are described below.

Colour: determined by iron content, parent rock and organic matter (e.g. red means good drainage and aeration while grey in the lower layers indicates a high-water table).

Texture: Indicates the ratio of clay, sand and silt in the soil. The clay content indicates the water and nutrient holding capacity. Sand contains between 0 – 10 % clay, Loamy sand contains 10 – 20 % clay, Clay loam contains 20 – 55% clay and Clay contains > 55 % clay.

Structure: Is determined by the soils’ ability to form larger structural units. A soil with no structure would simply crumble after compaction. Soil with strong structure has a hampering impact on the penetration ability of plant roots when searching for water and nutrients.

Soil Conservation:

Soil conservation is approached contextually as the strategies that apply in small-scale intensive systems differ from those applied in broad-scale systems.

General land usage practices that contribute to soil conservation include:

• Soil erosion caused by wind and water can be prevented by using contours, bunds, and/or swales.
• Using sustainable strategies to enrich the soil, such as compost, crop rotation, double digging, liquid nutrients, green manure, mulching and/or ridging.