CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Theory and Literature Review

An acid is a chemical substance whose aqueous solutions are characterized by a sour taste
and an alkaline is the name given to the quantitative capacity of an aqueous solution to
neutralize an acid.
The acidity or alkalinity of soil is expressed on a pH scale, based on the total
hydrogen ion concentration in the soil water solution.On this scale, neutral condition is
represented by a pH of 7,values 7 to 0 are increasingly acidic and 7 to 14 are increasingly
alkaline. In practice, the pH of soil ranges from 3 to 9, with the majority between the range of
4.5 and 7.5.[1]
Most soil used for agricultural cultivation become gradually more acidic as calcium
is lost due to leaching by rainwater and irrigation. The process is further accelerated by the
use of nitrogenous fertilisers such as ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate.Plants vary
in their tolerance to soil acidity. Acidic soil often causes the stunting and yellowing of leaves,
resulting in the decrease in growth and yield of crops as the pH levels falls. Additionally, In
alkaline soils phosphorus (P) gets tied up by Ca and Mg. Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and manganese
(Mn) are less available. Sometimes excess salts accumulate and potatoes are subject to
bacterial diseases.[2]
According to (

)[3],vegetables and plants will grow better and healthier if the

ph value of the soil in in between 3.5 to 7.It means that soil must be not too acidic or alkaline
and the pH value must be neutral to grow the plant.

In this report,we would like to compare the soil acidity and alkalinity of farmed land
soil from Taman Berlian Indah and swamp soil from Semeling and its suitability to cucumber
plant to grow.