The core of soil improvement: Don't be too busy, focus on microorganisms and organic matter to win!

The troubles of the villagers who cultivate the land in recent years: they fertilize every year, but the ground becomes harder and harder. The crop seedlings either wilt and droop, or the fruits are small and shriveled. When they dig up the soil, they look like bricks or loose like sand. If they water it, it will flood, and if they sun it for two days, it will dry up. Do you think it's because you didn't choose the right fertilizer or didn't spray enough medicine? Wrong, it's all about the soil getting angry with you - just like a person who eats junk food for a long time, no matter how many vitamins are added, their foundation will collapse. When it comes to soil improvement, don't mess around with fancy tricks. The core lies in two things: microorganisms and organic matter. Without either one, it's useless.

Let's talk about organic matter first. This thing is the "nutrient meal" of soil, it's not just about throwing some straw or pouring some manure. Many farmers try to save time by burying their unripe straw directly underground, but what is the result? The straw ferments in the soil and burns the roots, causing the peanut seedlings to rot as soon as they sprout, resulting in the loss of both the wife and the soldiers. The truly useful organic matter is well decomposed farmyard manure, sheep manure, compost, or commercial Organic Fertilizer, just like giving the soil a "freshly made home cooked dish" that is easy to digest and nutritious.
For example, in Zhengyang County, Lao Li planted hundreds of acres of peanuts. In the first two years, the ground was so hard that it couldn't be plowed, and the peanut yield per acre was only about 300 pounds. Later, every autumn when he harvested the peanuts, he mixed the decomposed sheep manure with crushed corn stalks and scattered them in the ground to plow. The next spring, he planted them again. In just two years, the ground was soft and filled with earthworms. The peanuts were abundant and full, and the yield per acre doubled. Why? Because organic matter can improve the soil structure, the hardened soil can become loose, and the sandy soil can lock water and fertilizer, just like a "reservoir" and "nutrient reservoir" for the soil, the peanut root can be deeply rooted, and the absorption of nutrients can be awesome.
Speaking of microorganisms, they are the "digestive enzymes" of soil that cannot be seen or touched, but their effects are greater than you imagine. No matter how much fertilizer you apply, without the help of microorganisms to decompose, peanut roots cannot absorb it, just like how people cannot digest food, no matter how much they supplement, it is useless. Many farmers only know how to fertilize, but ignore microorganisms. As a result, the more fertilizer they apply, the more compacted the soil becomes, and they fall into a vicious cycle.

I think microorganisms are very sophisticated, but actually very down-to-earth. For example, if you sprinkle some bio fertilizer into the field, the Bacillus subtilis and EM bacteria inside are the main force that helps the soil "work". Last year, I helped a farmer conduct an experiment where he planted peanuts on his land for three consecutive years. The soil was very hard and the peanuts always rotted. I asked him to mix the seeds with EM bacteria before sowing, and then sprinkle some bio bacterial fertilizer as base fertilizer. As a result, half of the peanuts rotted and the fruits were fuller that year. There is also a farmer who mixed decomposed sheep manure with biological bacterial fertilizer, reducing the number of pests and diseases in the field, and even saving a lot of pesticides - because microorganisms can inhibit harmful bacteria and help peanut roots absorb nutrients, which is equivalent to hiring a "personal butler" for peanuts.
Many people engage in soil improvement and tend to go to extremes: either they only apply chemical fertilizers, thinking that the results are quick, but the more they plant, the worse the outcome; Either only pile up organic matter without adding microorganisms, the decomposition of organic matter is slow, and the effect is also compromised. The core logic is actually very simple: organic matter is "food", and microorganisms are "digesters". Only by combining the two can soil come alive.

Let me give you another point to avoid. Don't buy those so-called "one click soil improvement" miracle drugs, they are all IQ taxes. There is no shortcut to soil improvement, just like nurturing the body, it needs to be slowly adjusted. For example, when growing peanuts, you can add decomposed organic fertilizer to the ground every year, combined with a small amount of bio bacterial fertilizer. There's no need to add too much. Add 80-100kg of organic fertilizer per mu, and then sprinkle some bio bacterial fertilizer. If you persist for two years, even the compacted land can become fertile.
In summary, soil improvement should not be rushed. Focus on the two core elements of microorganisms and organic matter, do not make a fuss, do not be greedy for speed, and slowly adjust. Only then can your land grow good peanuts, and you can also worry less and earn more money. After all, farming is like being a person. With a solid foundation, everything goes smoothly.