For this Assignment you must have use the soil test kit. (Basic price $16.99) Be
ID: 283641 • Letter: F
Question
For this Assignment you must have use the soil test kit. (Basic price $16.99) Begin with a brief introduction to the importance of soil and tell why soil testing is important. Collect 3 local soil samples for soil testing. You can choose three soils, from different locations near you, whose quality concerns you; such as those from your home, from work, from a neighbor, from a park, from a nearby business for a few examples. Include sampling information in your write-up. Test Soil for the following and Record Results in a Table *hint go to soil management -Observe Soil Characteristics: Color & Texture -Test pH -Nutrients In your conclusion report on the results, comparing the quality of the soils and tell which soil would be best for agriculture use. Please take a few pictures (2) of your experiment and include them in your report. You are required to include pictures to avoid loosing points in your assignment. ----- **For some reason if you are not able to collect soil samples (for example due to the weather) please contact the instructor for and alternative assignment. This MUST be done by Day 2 of week 3.
Explanation / Answer
Soil is an essential part of ecosystem. Soil provides various essential nutrients which are required for plant growth. They are a habitat to a range of insects and organisms. Insects and organisms they depend on soil for the food and air. They protect the land from erosion. They store carbon dioxide and other gases and thus maintain a balance of the atmospheric gases. They are a medium of filtration of the surface water in the form of groundwater.
Soil testing is important because it determines the composition of soil like ph, available nutrients present. By knowing the composition of soil we can determine which nutrients are required which the soil is lacking and which are not those which are in excess so to get the maximum agricultural production from the soil. It also tells which crops can be grown in the soil.
Color: colour of the soil indicates the organic matter present in the soil, biotic activity, drainage, fertility of the soil etc. For this you need to dig the soil upto 3-4 inch deep with a shovel or spade and then observe its colour.
Colour Dark moderately dark light
Condition high medium low
organic matter high medium low
available nitrogen high medium low
Ph: we can determine the Ph of the soil using the Ph paper or universal indicator. For that put a small amount of soil into the white container. Then add a little amount of universal indicator after that match the colour of the indicator solution with the help of the ph colour chart. The ph value above 8.5 indicate that the soil is alkaline and below 3.5 indicates that it is acidic
Soil texture: If a soil is sandy it will absorb water quickly at the rate of 2 inches water per hour since it is very porous. Whereas the loamy soil will absorb water 0.25 inch to 2 inch per hour and is porous. The clayey soil will have little pores and it will absorb 0.25 inches per hour.
We test three different soils: sandy, loamy and clayey soils
Sandy soils:By volume it contains 80-100% sand, 0-10% silt,0-10%clay, very low organic content, poor water holding capacity
Loamy soil:25-50% sand,30-50% silt,10-30%clay, high organic content
Clayey soil:0-45% sand,0-45% silt, not free draining
The loamy soil is the most suitable soil for the agriculture since it is high in organic content. This soil retain nutrients and water as well as drain the excess the water