Description of practice
Adding sand is the practice of spreading sand or sandy soil on agricultural soil to improve drainage, increase infiltration and reduce evaporation. It may also help to increase soil depth and add nutrients to degraded soil.
| Examples of how to use adding sand | Further information (see Note below) |
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Adding white sandWhite sand is added to soil to improve infiltration and reduced cracking of topsoil, leading to increased moisture in subsoil. White soil also reduces evaporation (less absorption of sunlight) and repels insects. |
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Adding red soilAdding red (fertile, nutrient rich) valley soil to degraded soil on slopes increases the soil depth and adds nutrients. It combats erosion and nutrient depletion. |
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Creating a sand substrateSand is brought from a nearby source to create a new substrate for tree crops that require permeable, light-textured soils with a low clay content. |
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Note: Most of the Further information links are to a full description of the example in the WOCAT database. However sometimes the link may be to similar practices or a research paper. Occasionally the link is to a commercial product in which case it should be understood that this does not imply any endorsement of the product by iSQAPER.