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Chapter 18: Problem 10

What is meant by the concept of soil fertility?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to provide necessary nutrients for plant growth. It is determined by several factors including soil texture and structure, soil pH, the presence of organic matter, and availability of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the concept of soil fertility

Soil fertility is a crucial concept in agriculture and environmental sciences. It refers to the ability of soil to supply plants with the nutrients they need for their growth and development. A fertile soil will be rich in nutrients and will be suitable for the growth of plants.
02

Understand the characteristics of fertile soil

Understanding the characteristics of fertile soil is key. Such characteristics include soil texture (the relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay particles), soil structure (how these particles are arranged), and soil pH (acidic, neutral, or alkaline). A fertile soil tends to be well-drained and well-aerated, has a balanced pH, and hosts a bustling biota, e.g., bacteria fungi and earthworms.
03

Recognize the role of nutrients in soil fertility

Nutrients play a crucial role in soil fertility. Essential plant nutrients include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), also known as 'NPK'. These, along with other essential nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, are critical to plant nutrition. Fertile soils have a good supply of these nutrients.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Briefly describe the contributions of the following factors and their effects on soil formation: parent material, climate, vegetation, landforms, time, and humans.

What is the basis of the Soil Taxonomy system? How many soil orders, suborders, great groups, subgroups, families, and series are there?

Define a soil sepanute. What are the various sizes of particles in soil? What is loam? Why is loam regarded so highly by agriculturists?

Characterize the principal aspects of each soil horizon. Where does the main accumulation of organic material occur? Where does humus form? Explain the difference between the eluviated layer and the illuviated layer. Which horizons constitute the solum?

Define an epipedon and a diagnostic subrurface borizon. Give a simple example of each.
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