Soil Properties
Major Soil Groups
Soil Problems
Conservation and Regeneration
Miscellaneous
100
The ideal agricultural soil is called this.
What is loam?
100
This soil group forms in areas with colder climates, ample precipitation, and good drainage. The predominate vegetation is conifer forest.
What is a Spodosol?
100
The wise use of soil resources, without the reduction in the amount or fertility of the soil, so that it is productive for future generations.
What is Sustainable Soil Use?
100
Conservation tillage...
reduces or eliminates plowing of the soil, and leaves the prior year's vegetation in-place.
100
Compare the performance properties of organic and inorganic fertilizers.
Organic: Slow acting, long lasting Inorganic: Fast acting, short lasting
200
The approximate distribution of soil sizes in loam is:
What is 40% sand and silt, with 20% clay.
200
What are the key features of the soil horizons in a spodosol?
The O horizon is conifer needles, which produce acidic pore water that heavily leaches a thick E-layer (little to no A-layer). This is not good agricultural soil.
200
These physical agents promote soil erosion.
What is moving water, air, and ice (glaciers)?
200
Conservation tillage advantages include:
1. Erosion resistance since the ground stays covered. 2. Better water retention in the soil. 3. Better nutrient retention. 4. Lower energy use by machinery.
200
Other than fertilizer performance, what is another reason to favor organic fertilizers over chemical fertilizers?
What is the high carbon footprint of chemical fertilizers?
300
The optimum soil pH is:
What is 6-7 (slightly acidic)?
300
What are the key features of the soil horizons in a alfisol?
These soils support deciduous forests, where rainfall is high enough to leach large amounts of nutrients from the A and E horizons. Once trees are removed, there is not enough nutrient replacement to support agriculture unless chemical fertilizers are used.
300
Is soil erosion a natural or man-made phenomenon?
It is a natural phenomenon that humans accelerate.
300
Crop rotation advantages include:
1. Reduced pest damage. 2. Works well with conservation tillage 3. Prevents nutrient depletion 4. Reduces erosion
300
The two steps of soil stabilization:
1. Stabilize the land with plants (native preferred) 2. Restore soil fertility (no farming or grazing for many years)
400
At extremely low pH, this negative effect on plants is likely.
Aluminum and manganese will be made soluble to toxic levels and will be absorbed with water by the roots of plants.
400
Why are Mollisols highly productive for agriculture?
These soils are in semi-arid climates, so the rainfall is not high enough to leach nutrients from the soil.
400
This natural feature tends to reduce erosion.
What is a vegetated soil cover?
400
What is Contour Plowing and when is it better than plowing in straight rows?
Contour plowing does not plow in straight rows. Instead the rows follow the topographic contour lines. This is suited to land that is not flat, and it works because it reduces the slope of the rows.
400
This method can be used to improve soil fertility in degraded soils, while still farming the soils.
What is Agroforestry (farmed areas bounded by trees)?
500
These tend to lower the pH of soil.
What are 1. conifer needles accumulating on the ground surface, 2. the formation of carbonic acid by water and carbon dioxide in the soil?
500
What are the key features of the soil horizons in a aridisol?
These exist in arid climates, so there is little organic deposition, leaching, or elluviation. With irrigation they can be productive for agriculture.
500
These things done by mankind accelerate erosion.
What are 1. Removing the natural vegetated ground cover, 2. Removing natural vegetation and replacement with vegetation that is not adapted to the climatic conditions, 3. Nutrient depletion by removing plant matter, 4. Toxic levels of nutrients 5. Salination 6. Desertification
500
What is terracing and when is it used?
It is used with the natural slope is so steep that steps are cut into the hillside to create level places to grow crops. This method can be risky.
500
This voluntary subsidy program pays farmers to stop producing crops on highly erodible farmland. The land is planted with native vegetation & left fallow for years.
What is the Conservation Reserve Program?
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