click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Agronomy
Understanding Soil Chemistry
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| soil fertility | ability of a soil to provide nutrients for plant growth. |
| Soil pH | measure of acidity or alkalinity of the soil. |
| neutral pH | 7.0 |
| A solution with a pH between 7.0 and 14.0 is | alkaline or basic |
| A solution with a pH reading between 0 to 7.0 | Acid |
| Most productive soils range | 4.0 to 9.0 in pH |
| Lime requirement | amount of agricultural limestone needed to establish the desired pH range for the cropping system being used. |
| colloids | the weathering process, some minerals and organic matter are broken down to extremely small particles, they cannot be seen with the naked eye |
| Ion | element with an electrical charge |
| cation | ion with a positive charge |
| anion. | ion with a negative charge |
| Soil organic matter | plant, animal, and microbial residues in various stages of decay. Adequate organic-matter levels benefit soil in many ways. For |
| Soil depth | depth of soil material favorable for plant root penetration. |