Imagine the state of crops growing at impervious soil, very slim chance of thriving or no hope of growing. It's like human without nutrient requirements for growth. The chances of getting proper growth becomes difficult.
"Impervious soils" Soils are soils which do not allow fluid such as water and air to pass through. This is due to the nature of mineralogy of the soil or the soil structure. Most soils are rocky even though soils are the formation of weathered or disintegrated rocks formed many years ago. Yet, most part of the soils couldn't complete their breakdown to form fine particles. Due to this, the affected areas with imperviousness lack most nutrients dissolution to anchor crops growth. Both macro and minor nutrients like oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, iron, molybdenum and cobalt would be lacking in the soil.
My few observation I encountered during my research this mid week was to find these papaya garden and plantain suffering in imperviousness. To my notice, this papaya garden would have beat fruits long time, but their growth are still stunted despite few rains and circulation of oxygen around. The soil looks very had with less nutrients present. The papaya are growing lean than what the farmer should've anticipated.
Papaya farm growing at impervious soil
Similar situation is what I saw in the plantains farm. The soil looks rocky and no visible organic matter due to less vegetation cover. The plantains are wilting and looks like dying so soon.
Plantain farm wilting due to imperviousness, very hard soil and lack of minerals
This is different from crops which are grown in permeable or pervious soils. The soil allow minerals and other decomposed organic matter to pass through. The crops is free to uptake nutrients for growth. One of the characteristics of pervious soil is that the soil is always lose to allow substances to pass through. There are kinds of vegetative growth, especially you'll see tall trees, however with the impervious soils do not show any visible vegetation. The land may look bear and rocky in nature.
Comparatively with the first plantain, you'll see the growth difference, the leaves are green and many suckers have emerged around the parent plants.
But, who can correct imperviousness?
The question that we are all ready to ask is who can correct the imperviousness to become permeable to other substances? To correct imperviousness of soils is very difficult since it's naturally made. But it's the work of soil scientist to educate farmers and direct them to know soils which are impervious and pervious. Do farmers even have time to consult the soil scientists? I don't think the farmers have that patience to seek for more knowledge about the kind of soils that are for planting a particular variety of crop.
In actual fact, before a gardener or farmer goes into growing crops, he has to first know the level of acidity, the mineral content and the permeability of the soils for water and nutrients in general but all these are oversight by the farmer.
The Gardener of Farmer is thinking about the cost involved inviting soil scientist to observe his small garden farm, probably backyard garden which is being practiced as subsistence ( for only family consumption). That's also one factor which put most farmers off from seek more knowledge on their farms. This situation isn't difficult for large scale farmers who is cultivating in larger quantity for income.
In the absence of getting soil scientist to correct imperviousness, we can study the soil we are coming to cultivate on. Because, there are certain characteristics that identify soils which are impervious. The first thing is : *"lack of vegetation cover, less organic matter content, they are mostly rocky and even the vegetation over there aren't showing any visible proper growth. Immediately you see this you've to stop growing crops over there. However, there are also few crops which are likely to survive but not common. Unless you study those crops which can survive at impervious soils.
