Page 39 - Biorefinery 2030

6 1 Unique, Multi-generational Development: A Lesson in Forward Planning

Fig. 1.4 Chalk champagne landscape

1.4 Agricultural Properties of Chalk Soil

In general, chalk soil is known to be a good support for plants and a good supplier of
nutrients. It has the following physical properties:

– It is light, and can be worked on quickly without risk of breaking equipment and
using less energy
– It is healthy and permeable, which reduces drainage time, an important factor in
regions with high rainfall
– It retains water extremely well, which supplies deeply-rooted plants with the
moisture necessary for their growth even in dry periods
– When roots and tubers (sugar beet and potatoes) are harvested, they are rela-
tively clean, which simplifies their transport and processing, and provides
significant savings of water.
However, chalk soil has a number of drawbacks:

– Because it is light in colour, it heats slowly in the spring
– Furthermore, chalk soil, lying on an accumulation of chalk gravel, is low in
water reserves and drought is a problem until the plants are deeply rooted.
– The chalk land of Champagne is low in minerals, which means its capacity to
feed plants and to produce crops is limited. Its natural fertility is much lower