Raising Soil Organic Matter Content to Improve Water Holding Capacity
Flowers and inflorescences of 'Bloomify Red' lantana grown outdoors in ground beds in full sun in Florida. Figure 2 from publication EP544/EP544: ‘Bloomify™ Red’ and ‘Bloomify™ Rose’, Two Infertile Lantana camara Cultivars for Production and Use in Florida. Credit: UF/IFAS.
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Keywords

organic matter
water holding capacity
moisture content
sandy soils
organic amendments

How to Cite

Bhadha, Jehangir H., Jay M. Capasso, Raju Khatiwada, Stewart Swanson, and Christopher LaBorde. 2017. “Raising Soil Organic Matter Content to Improve Water Holding Capacity: Sl447/Ss661, 10/2017”. EDIS 2017 (5). Gainesville, FL. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-ss661-2017.

Abstract

This article highlights the importance of raising soil organic matter in sandy and calcareous soils as it relates to increasing the water holding capacity of the soil. Farming in Florida on sandy soils has numerous limiting factors; one of which is it's low water holding capacity. By raising the soil organic matter content by just 1% can have a significant increase in soil water holding capacity. This would mean that soil would be able to hold more water for long durations. The prospect of increasiong water holding capacity in soils is great for agricultural productivity, and can have a significant impact on water conservation and usage.

https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-ss661-2017
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