AFM Soil & Land Management Flashcards
6 cards from real AFM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 AFM Soil & Land Management flashcards as text
Which soil testing parameter is most critical for determining lime application rates on US farmland?
Answer: Soil pH
Soil pH directly determines the need for lime to neutralize acidity and optimize nutrient availability for crops.
What does a Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) primarily provide to farm managers?
Answer: Detailed soil map units and interpretations for land use planning
SSURGO provides detailed soil map units, properties, and interpretations that guide land use decisions, drainage planning, and productivity ratings.
Conservation tillage practices primarily benefit farm managers by:
Answer: Reducing soil erosion and lowering fuel and labor costs
Conservation tillage leaves crop residue on the soil surface, which reduces erosion and decreases the number of field passes, saving fuel and labor.
A Highly Erodible Land (HEL) determination affects an AFM-managed farm primarily because:
Answer: It requires a conservation plan to maintain eligibility for USDA program benefits
Under USDA's Highly Erodible Land Conservation provisions, producers farming HEL must apply an approved conservation system to remain eligible for federal farm program benefits.
Which practice best improves water infiltration on compacted US agricultural soils?
Answer: Subsoil tillage or deep ripping to break up plow pan
Subsoil tillage disrupts the compacted layer below the normal tillage depth, allowing water and roots to penetrate more easily.
When evaluating land productivity for leasing purposes, an AFM manager would most likely use:
Answer: Soil productivity index scores and yield history to set a fair cash rent
Soil productivity index scores combined with actual yield history provide an objective, data-driven basis for establishing equitable cash rent rates.