Soil

Farmers can prevent soil erosion by using conservation practices such as no-till farming, contour plowing, terracing, and planting cover crops. These methods help to reduce the impact of rainfall and wind on the soil, keeping it in place and maintaining its fertility for crop growth.

Organic soil cannot contain the chemicals typically used in agriculture.

Deserts typically have sandy soils with low organic matter, resulting in a light color like white or beige. The lack of moisture and vegetation in deserts limits the accumulation of organic matter that would give soil a darker, brown color commonly seen in more fertile regions. Additionally, desert soils are often rich in mineral salts, which can influence soil coloration.

This is because clay slowly absorbs water. It may take a few minutes+, but eventually it does happen. Since rain falls rather quickly, there is not much time for the clay to absorb the water floing on the ground, therefore there would be more runoff in places where the soil has a high clay content.

Loam has good water drainage due to its balanced composition of sand, silt, and clay particles. The sand provides large pore spaces for water to flow through easily, while the silt and clay help retain moisture without becoming waterlogged. This combination allows excess water to drain effectively, preventing waterlogging and promoting healthy root growth.

Permeability of soil refers to its ability to allow water to flow through it. It is a measure of how easily water can move through the soil pores and is influenced by factors such as soil texture, structure, and porosity. Soils with high permeability allow water to pass through quickly, while soils with low permeability retain water and may lead to waterlogging.

The layer of soil with little or no organic matter is called the mineral soil horizon. This layer is typically composed mainly of inorganic materials such as sand, silt, and clay, with very little decayed plant or animal material.

Exchangeable acidity is a measure of the amount of a soil's cation exchange capacity (CEC) that is occupied by acidic cations.

By acidic cations, soil scientists generally mean H+ and Al3+, but it can also include Fe and Mn cations. Aluminum and iron cations will combine with OH- ions and take it out of solution, forming an insoluble compound.

Exchangeable acidity is typically reported as a percentage of CEC, or in milliequivalents/100 g of soil.

Microorganism activity can influence soil properties such as nutrient availability, organic matter decomposition, soil structure formation, and pH regulation. These activities help support plant growth by cycling nutrients, breaking down organic matter, improving soil structure, and maintaining a healthy soil environment for plants.

It's a fungus of the genus Coccidioides. Often the species is Coccidioides immitis. You can get valley fever (aka coccidioiomycosis) if you inhale it. People often get it after inhaling dust kicked up during plowing, or other soil disturbance.

Not all black soils crack. The ones that are known to crack are classified as Vertisols by US Soil Taxonomy. They contain large amounts of shrink-swell clays known as smectites. Smectites shrink and crack when dry, and they expand when wet.

Smectites are also chemically active, and they readily form organo-mineral complexes with soil organic matter, which is what gives these soils the black color.

So in essence, the cracking is from the type of clay and the black color is from organic matter that is chemically bound to the clay. Black color is an indicator of organic matter, not cracking.

Beans grow faster in soil than water because soil provides a stable and nutrient-rich environment for the plant to grow. Soil also allows for better aeration and root development, which are essential for healthy plant growth. In contrast, growing beans in water may lack essential nutrients and oxygen needed for optimal growth, leading to slower development.

Clay soil has tiny particles that hold onto moisture and nutrients, making it dense and heavy. Sandy soil has larger particles that drain quickly and doesn't hold onto moisture or nutrients well, which can lead to poorer soil fertility.

Leaching is the term that refers to the removal of soluble inorganic components from soils by water moving through the soil profile. This process can lead to a loss of nutrients and minerals, affecting soil fertility. Agricultural practices and excessive rainfall can increase leaching rates.

1. Minerals: such as sand, silt, and clay.
2. Organic matter: decaying plants and animals.
3. Water: which serves as a medium for transporting nutrients.
4. Air: critical for the respiration of plant roots and soil organisms.

Plants absorb nitrogen from soils as NO3-, NH4+ and to a much lesser extent, NO2-. That's nitrate, ammonium and nitrite, respectively.

The dominant soil separate in fine textured soil is clay. Clay particles are smaller in size compared to silt and sand, giving fine textured soils their characteristic smooth texture and ability to hold water and nutrients.

The loss of topsoil is a great concern because it is a vital layer of soil that is rich in nutrients and organic matter essential for plant growth. Without topsoil, agricultural productivity decreases, leading to food security challenges. Erosion, deforestation, and poor land management practices are major contributors to the loss of topsoil.

Organisms that break down waste and dead organisms are called decomposers. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem by breaking down organic matter into simpler nutrients that can be recycled by other organisms. Examples of decomposers include bacteria, fungi, and certain insects.

Your question requires a book to be answered fully. In short - Physically, soil must be able to support the plant and be capable of holding plant nutrients and water. Chemically, for the very great majority of plants, it must provide all of the nutrients required for plant growth.

NPK is fertilizer. It comes as a ratio of the amount of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) is in the fertilizer mixture. Fertilizer is added to crops when they are seeded to help in growth.

You should lime your soil based on a soil test. If you send a soil sample to a soil test lab and ask for a "lime requirement," they will perform two tests:

1. pH

2. buffer pH

The pH will tell you whether you need lime, the buffer pH will tell you how much lime you need if your pH is off. Sandy soils generally require less lime than soils higher in clay.

When you lime your soil according to the lime requirement from the test lab, it is usually sufficient for 3 to 5 years. Limestone is only slightly soluble in water, so it takes several years to completely dissolve.

Relativily fertile soil is used for growth of plants, about every 3 years. You should change the corn to soybeans and let it die and decompose into the ground providing the nutrients corn needs to grow the next year.

The layer of soil that is made up of impenetrable rock is known as the bedrock layer. This layer is located beneath the topsoil and subsoil layers, and it acts as a barrier to root growth and water penetration.