Soil Health
This soil type has large particles, drains quickly, and struggles to retain water.
What is sandy soil?
This layer of soil, often rich in organic material, is most susceptible to erosion because of its loose texture and lack of protection from plant roots.
What is topsoil?
The farming process involves planting crops in the fall to cover the soil until spring to prevent soil loss and conserve moisture.
What is Cover Crops?
Preparation of land prior to planting seed for a crop.
What is tillage?
In order to maintain soil fertility and restore nutrients, organic or inorganic materials are added to the soil.
What is fertilization?
This mixture of sand, silt, and clay is considered ideal for plant growth.
What is loam?
The fine-grained soil that is smaller than sand but larger than clay and is very easily eroded by wind and water.
What is silt?
Name one major natural force that contributes to soil erosion and subsequent soil loss in agricultural areas.
What is water or wind?
Responsible for westward expansion of agriculture in the U.S.
What is the moldboard plow?
Soil is regularly tested to evaluate its pH, nutrient content, and general health.
What is soil testing?
The ability of soil to supply essential nutrients in the right amounts for plant growth.
What is soil fertility?
The prevention of soil loss by wind, runoff, or other removal processes.
What is erosion control?
The agricultural practice reduces soil loss by planting crops perpendicular to the slope of the land.
What is contour farming?
Requires disking, planting, and cultivating.
What is reduced tillage?
This element of soil health is enhanced when a field has a diverse range of plant species, which lowers the prevalence of pests and diseases.
What is biodiversity?
The ability of soil to hold and exchange positively charged ions, like calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which are essential for plant growth.
What is the cation exchange capacity?
Farmers use these types of crops such as oats and wheat to provide erosion control.
What is companion crops?
The farming method involving the turning or plowing of soil that increases its susceptibility to wind and water erosion
What is conventional tillage?
Can penetrate to a 10-inch soil depth.
What is the chisel plow?
The practice of planting different crops on the same field sequentially to improve soil structure, disrupt pest cycles and maintain fertility.
What is crop rotation?
This phenomenon occurs in acidic soils when aluminum ions become more soluble, leading to toxicity in plant roots.
What is aluminum toxicity?
This was created to describe the suitability of lands and soils for crop production in response to a growing awareness of soil erosion.
What is Land Capabilities Classification?
Soil loss contributes to what global issue by reducing the amount of fertile land available for farming
What is desertification/deserts?
Reduces soil disturbance by leaving crop residues intact, which helps prevent soil erosion, enhances soil organic matter, and improves water conservation in the soil.
What is no-till farming?
Applying plant matter, including leaves, grass, twigs, crop leftovers, and straw, to the topsoil in order to improve soil quality
What is mulching?