SOIL SCIENCE

For Career and Competition

(JRF, SRF, ARS, NET, SLET, ASRB, SET, UPSC, Civil
Services, and other Competitive Examinations)

L.L. Somani

Agrotech Publishing Academy

Udaipur - 313002
 Disclaimer
Information contained in this book has been published by Agrotech
Publishing Academy and has been obtained by its authors believed
to be reliable and are correct to the best of their knowledge.
However, the publisher and its authors shall in no event be liable for
any errors, omissions or damage arising out of use of this
information and specially disclaim any implied warranties or
merchantability or fitness for any particular use. Disputes if any, are
subjected to Udaipur jurisdiction only.

Published by:
Mrs. Geeta Somani
Agrotech Publishing Academy
11-A, Vinayak Complex B, Durga Nursery Road,
Udaipur - 313001 (INDIA)
Mob – 9414169635, email agrotechbooks@rediffmail.com

FIRST EDITION 2012

ISBN (13) 978-81-8321-244-1

© 2012
All rights Reserved

Typeset by:
Dayal Computers, 25, Bohraganeshji, Udaipur – 313001

Printed at:
S.S.S. Printers, New Delhi - 110002
 Preface
Soils and fertilizers constitute important branches of Agriculture, which
have assumed greater dimensions due to their varied fields of specialization.
Considering enormous breadth and diversity of the subject, a variety of
books have been contributed by may authors encompassing various aspects
of soils and fertilizers. However these books have either been far away from
the reach of students or the subject matter has been presented in
voluminous form complicating the topics and rendering the book less
acceptable to the readers. The experience tells that either these books are
not available to most of the students of the country or if available remain
unread due to broad coverage of the topics. To cater the needs of such
students the book SOIL SCIENCE has been written. The book covers almost
entire field of Soils and Fertilisers from formation of soils to efficient use of
fertilizers for sustainable productivity, in the form of objective question and
answer. The questions are framed very critically in a manner that they cover
entire main topic step by step to trigger a deep interest in readers to the
subject matter.
The abridged information in this book provides a ready material for all
requisite minds to prepare for traditional as well as internal grading system
examinations, competitions, interviews, viva-voce, comprehensive/
preliminary examinations in the discipline of soils and fertilisers. This book
would help them to revise the entire courses of soils and fertilisers within a
short time and recollect the vast knowledge they gained by reading different
books of soils and fertilisers. Fill in the blanks and multiple-choice questions
embodied in the book will not only enable the readers to review the
knowledge quickly but will also inculcate an understanding of the subject in
depth. In nutshell, it can be leaned that a scholar seeking knowledge in any
branch of soil science will readily find the desired information in this book. As
such the book will serve a great purpose of all classes of aspirants. All the
chapters in the book have been meticulously comprehended, compiled and
presented with a fine skill. The book is an attempt towards reflecting a sea
into pot.
I sincerely thank M/s Agrotech Publishing Academy, Udaipur for
publishing the book in a shortest possible time.
Suggestions for improvement of the present book form worthy teachers
and student will be gratefully acknowledged.

Udaipur L.L. Somani

 About the Author

L.L. Somani Retd. Director (Rl) MPUAT Udaipur has many

papers published in National and International Journals/Symposia,
etc. and many number of books to his credit in different disciplines of
agriculture and allied field. He held different positions in MPUAT and
he spreaded highly innovative ideas and programmes for
development of Agriculture.

Udaipur L.L. Somani

 Contents
Preface 3

About the Author 4

About the Book 6

1. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 7

2. MARK TRUE / FALSE 891

3. FILL IN THE BLANKS 939

4. MATCH THE CORRECT PAIRS 1126

LIST OF SOME IMPORTANT BOOKS 1158

 About the Book
Soil is the soul of agriculture upon which are centred activities of
all the branches of agriculture for human survival. The knowledge of
soil science is, therefore essential at all levels and intensity. The
book contains objective questions alongwith their answer covering
the entire field of soil science viz. Soil Physics, Soil Chemistry, Soil
Biology, Soil Fertility, Soil Taxonomy, Soil Ecology, Soil Technology,
Soil Survey & LUP, Soil Minerology, Soil Genesis, Remote Sensing,
Soil Conservation, Manures and Fertilizer, Soil Organic Matter,
Dryland Agriculture, Soil and Water Management, etc.
There is a great need of a questions bank for all sorts of
examinationa of soil scence. For overall success of a student it is
quite essential that he has gone through all the finer points of which
an examiner is looking for. The present book is an attempt to compile
and frame such questions alongwith appropriate answer at the spot
itself. The book is best suited for students preparing for competitive
examinations such as JRF, SRF, ARS, NET, SET, ASRB, IRMA,
NABARD, Pre-PG, Ph.D. exams. Rare and latest information has
been provided in each chapter. It comprises over 11000 objective
questions based on multiple choice, fill in the blank, match the
correct pairs and true/false patterns.
 Chapter - 1

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

(Correct choice is printed in bold)

1. "Reclamation disease" due to copper deficiency occurs in plants

grown on newly reclaimed acid ...............
a. Histosols b. Alfisols
c. Ultisols d. Aridosols
2. A mineral soil contains
a. Minerals, organic matters, water and air
b. Organic matters, water and air
c. Minerals, water and air
d. Sand, silt and clay
3. An organism with other individual of the same species is known
as
a. Population b. Extrapolation
c. Biome d. Genome
4. Ground water refers to the
a. Aquifer location b. Installation of wells
c. Water quality determination d. Water regulation
5. In Darcy’s law equation what does the negative sign represents?
a. The flow is in the direction of the gradient
b. The direction of flow is towards decreasing head
b. Both a and b
d. None of the these
6. The evolution of new species is known as
a. Specialization b. Speciation
8 Soil Science: For Career and Competition
c. Smog d. None of the above
7. What is the effect of application of P2O5 fertilizer to a green
manure leguminous crop in the availability of phosphorus to the
succeeding crop?
a. Greater amount of phosphorus is taken up and converted
into organic form, which is released on decomposition of
green matter
b. Green manure increases the availability in organic from to
the next crop
c. It does not affect the availability of phosphorous to
succeeding crop
d. It fixes the P2O5 through humus and reduces the availability..
8. Which microorganisms have potential role in controlling potato
scab disease?
a. Thiobacillus sp. b. Streptomyces sp.
c. Pseudomonas sp. d. None of the above
9. The removal of excess water from the ground surface is called
a. Drainage b. Sub-surface drainage
c. Surface operations d. Crop rotations
10. ......... is considered to be the most important of the soils
organisms bringing about the conversion of NO2-N to NO3 - N.
a. Nitrosomonas b. Nitrobacter
c. Azotobacter d. Azospirillum
11. .......... refers to a situation in which a crops needs more of given
essential nutrient element, yet has shown no deficiency
symptoms.
a. Luxury consumption b. Critical concentration
c. Hidden hunger d. Toxic concentration
12. ............ is literally workhouse of the fertilizer industry, as more
than 60 per cent of it is accounted for by the fertilizer industry
alone.
a. Hydrochloric acid b. Nitric acid
Multiple Choice Questions 9
c. Sulphuric acid d. Phosphoric acid
13. ............ refers to the increase in density of a soil as a result of
applied load or pressure.
a. Pudding b. Compaction
c. Traffic soles d. Plough soles
14. ............... show poor germination under water -
a. Maize b. Celery
c. Bermuda grass d. Lettuce
15. ............... generally augments the utilization of phosphorus which
is water soluble -
a. Broadcast b. Broadcast and incorporation
c. Band placement d. None of these
16. ............... in 1909 developed an equation that related growth to
the supply of plant nutrients -
a. V.J. Kilmer b. R.B. McKerchere
c. E.A. Mitscherlich d. J.W. Friedrich
17. ............... ion effect represents the effect of adsorbed ion on the
release of another from the surface of a colloid -
a. Complmentary b. Coordinated
c. Supplementary d. Integrated
18. ............... is considered to be most important of the soil
organisms bringing about the conversion of NH4+ to NO2- -
a. Azotobacter b. Azospirillum
c. Nitrobacter d. Nitrosomonas
19. ............... is probably the most important growth limiting factor in
acid soils especially those having pH below 5.0-5.5. -
a. Potassium b. Aluminium
c. Calcium d. Nitrogen
+
20. ............... Of the
NH4 in a region of alkaline microsite helps to
restore the conditions suitable for the normal conversion of NO2-
-
to NO3
a. Dilution b. Diffusion
 Soils Science : For Career and
Competition

30%
OFF

Publisher : Agrotech
ISBN : 97881832124 10 Author : L.L. Somani
Publications

Type the URL : http://www.kopykitab.com/product/6988

Get this eBook