Show Our land i And Care Care I Reprint from Our Land and Its Care published by the National National Na Na- Plant Food Institute The use of fertilizer is important important important tant in both erosion control and soil so l improvement Fertilizer provides effective means of con con- trolling g soil erosion in two wo ways I IBy heavier By promoting rapid and heavier ier growth of grass cover crops and their vegetation This is and they ther vegetation This is isone isone isone one of the most effective ways to bind the soil check water run off and increase water holding capacity The dense vegetation and larger supply of crop residues resulting from adequate fertilization help to improve soil structure and develop develop develop de de- a more absorptive surface soil By increasing crop yields on onless onless onless less credible land This reduces the need for growing c cultivated crops on land subject to severe erosion Such land lanel can then be used for permanent grass and anel crops which check erosion Many 1 soils already are too low in plant food supplies for profitable crop production Er- Er m now is controlled better than ever before but continues to deplete plant food supplies Plant food losses from cropping and leaching as well as from eros erosion on are arc and require require require re re- re- re quire constant attention Commercial fertilizer helps make up plant food losses and andis andis andis is one of or the most effective m means ans of improving soils of low natural fertility This statement is supported by the National Planning Association in its publication publication pub pub- Fertilizers in the Post Postwar Postwar Postwar war Economy From this report report report re re- port this significant statement is taken Even on soils of low natural fertility the use of fertilizers and other good management practices practices I tices make possible a successful successful successful success success- ful agriculture especially where the area is suited to value high-value crops that thal can pay for rather l liberal beral application of fertilizers It should be noted that under some conditions fertilizer may maybe maybe maybe be used to secure an immediate increase in production Numerous Numer Numer- ous experiments show that the yield of corn cotton colton hay or other crops may be increased from 50 to more than per percent percent percent cent by one application of fer fer- fer- fer Thus fertilizers play an important important important im im- role in a good land management program |