Soil Science and Fertility Flashcards
6 cards from real Agronomy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Soil Science and Fertility flashcards as text
What soil pH range is generally considered optimal for most agronomic crops in the US?
Answer: 6.0–7.0
A pH of 6.0–7.0 supports nutrient availability and beneficial microbial activity for most crops.
Which macronutrient is primarily responsible for vegetative growth and green color in plants?
Answer: Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a key component of chlorophyll and amino acids, driving vegetative growth and green coloration.
The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of a soil indicates its ability to do what?
Answer: Hold and supply nutrients
CEC measures the soil's capacity to hold positively charged nutrient ions and supply them to plants.
Which soil textural class has the highest water-holding capacity?
Answer: Clay
Clay soils have small particles with large surface areas, giving them the greatest water-holding capacity.
What is the primary function of phosphorus in plant nutrition?
Answer: Energy transfer and root development
Phosphorus is critical for ATP synthesis, energy transfer, and promoting root and seed development.
Which process converts ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-) in the soil?
Answer: Nitrification
Nitrification is a two-step microbial process that oxidizes ammonium to nitrite and then to nitrate.