Soil pH is a master variable in soils because it controls many chemical and biochemical

processes operating within the soil. It is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a soil. The study
of soil pH is very important in agriculture due to the fact that soil pH regulates plant nutrient
availability by controlling the chemical forms of the different nutrients and also influences their
chemical reactions. As a result, soil and crop productivities are linked to soil pH value. Though
soil pH generally ranges from 1 to 14, the optimum range for most agricultural crops is between
5.5 and 7.5. However, some crops have adapted to thrive at soil pH values outside this optimum
range. The United States Department of Agricultural National Resources Conservation Service
groups soil pH values as follows: ultra acidic (<3.5), extremely acidic (3.5–4.4), very strongly
acid (4.5–5.0), strongly acidic (5.1–5.5), moderately acidic (5.6–6.0), slightly acidic (6.1–6.5),
neutral (6.6–7.3), slightly alkaline (7.4–7.8), moderately alkaline (7.9–8.4), strongly alkaline
(8.5–9.0) and very strongly alkaline (>9.0) [1].

Soil pH is affected by the mineral composition of the soil parent material and the weathering
reactions undergone by that parent material. For instance, in humid environments, soil
acidification occurs for a long time as the products of weathering leached by water moving
laterally or downwards through the soil, while in the dry environments, soil weathering and
leaching are less intense, and soil pH is often neutral or alkaline [ (Oshunsanya, S. O. (2018,
December 18). Introductory chapter: Relevance of soil pH to agriculture. IntechOpen -
Open Science Open Minds | IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/64810)

(Olorunfemi, I. E., Fasinmirin, J. T., & Ojo, A. S. (2016, February 14). Modeling cation

exchange capacity and soil water holding capacity from basic soil
properties. https://file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/5000201162-5000401323-1-
SM1.pdf)

 (Olorunfemi et al., 2016)

Soil organic matter is important in relation

to soil fertility, sustainable agricul-
tural systems, and crop productivity, and
there is concern about the level of
organic matter in many soils, particularly
with respect to global warming.
Soil organic matter is important in relation
to soil fertility, sustainable agricul-
tural systems, and crop productivity, and
there is concern about the level of
organic matter in many soils, particularly
with respect to global warming.
Soil organic matter is important in relation
to soil fertility, sustainable agricul-
tural systems, and crop productivity, and
there is concern about the level of
organic matter in many soils, particularly
with respect to global warming.
Soil organic matter is important in relation
to soil fertility, sustainable agricul-
tural systems, and crop productivity, and
there is concern about the level of
organic matter in many soils, particularly
with respect to global warming
Soil organic matter is important in relation to soil fertility, sustainable agricultural systems, and crop
productivity, and there is concern about the level of organic matter in many soils, particularly with
respect to global warming. The amount of organic matter in soil depends on the input of organic
material, its rate of decomposition, the rate at which existing soil organic matter is mineralized, soil
texture, and climate. All four factors interact so that the amount of soil organic matter changes, often
slowly, toward an equilibrium value specific to the soil type and farming system. The results showed that
plant nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and K, when added to soil in fertilizers and organic
manures, like farmyard manure (FYM), were taken up by plant roots from the soil. As the annual
applications of fertilizers and FYM continued, the level of SOM in FYM-treated soils increased relative to
that in fertilizer-treated soils.

Johnston, A. E., Poulton, P. R., & Coleman, K. (2008, November). Chapter 1 Soil

Organic Matter: Its Importance in Sustainable Agriculture and Carbon Dioxide
Fluxes. https://file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Johnston_AdvAgro_2009_101_1_57.p

(Johnston et al., 2008)

Apart from two major components

nitrogen and phosphorous, potassium
is the third essential macronutrient
required for the growth and metabo-
lism of plant, and its deficiency in
plants causes poorly developed roots,
slow growth, low resistance to disease,
delayed maturity, small seed
production and lower yields.
Apart from two major components
nitrogen and phosphorous, potassium
is the third essential macronutrient
required for the growth and metabo-
lism of plant, and its deficiency in
plants causes poorly developed roots,
slow growth, low resistance to disease,
delayed maturity, small seed
production and lower yields.
Apart from two major components nitrogen and phosphorous, potassium is the third essential
macronutrient required for the growth and metabolism of plant, and its deficiency in plants causes
poorly developed roots, slow growth, low resistance to disease, delayed maturity, small seed production
and lower yields. Potassium (K) is a soft, silver-white metal, light in its pure form that reacts very
violently with water

.( Rawat, J., Saxena, J., & Sanwal, P. (2017, December). Potassium and Its Role in
Sustainable Agriculture. https://file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Chapter-17235-
253pp.pdf)

(Rawat et al., 2017)

Phosphorus (P) is a fundamental constituent in the metabolic cycle and biochemistry of all living
organisms. While nitrogen.

Herrera, D., Mylavarapu, R. S., Harris, W. G., & Colee, J. (2022, March 3). Soil

Phosphorus Sources and Their Relative Water Solubility and Extractability. Department
of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences - University of Florida, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS. https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/media/soilsifasufledu/sws-
main-site/pdf/misc/Soil-P-Sources-and-Solubility-Extractability-publication.pdf

 (Herrera et al., 2022)

 phosphorus (P) also has a major role. Like N, the use of P fertilizers can have implications beyond the
farmers’ fields, if excessive amounts are applied. The efficient use of fertilizer phosphorus (P) is
important for three main reasons. First, phosphate rock, from which P fertilizers are manufactured, is a
finite, nonrenewable resource, and it must be used efficiently in order to maximize its life span. Second,
there is a need to maintain and improve the P status of many soils for the growth of crops for food, fibre
and bioenergy. Third, the transfer of soil P (derived from fertilizers and organic manures) is a major
cause of P-induced eutrophication in surface waters. This causes undesirable changes in their ecology,
resulting in a decline in the provision of eco-services, often with serious economic consequences. This
report reviews, analyses and synthesizes information on the efficient use of soil and fertilizer P. It
presents information on the plant availability of soil and fertilizer P, with an emphasis on soil–plant
interactions. Syers, J. K., Johnston, A. E., & Curtin, D. (2008). Efficiency of soil and
fertilizer phosphorus use Reconciling changing concepts of soil phosphorus behaviour
with agronomic information. https://www.fao.org/3/a1595e/a1595e.pdf

(Syers et al., 2008)

the term soil texture refers to the size range of particles in the soil, i.e., whether the particles of which
a particular soil is composed are mainly large, small, or of some intermediate size or range of sizes.
soil texture is a permanent, natural attribute of the soil and the one most often used to characterize
its physical makeup. Texture is one of the most important properties of a soil, and it greatly affects crop
production, land use, and management. Soil texture is directly related to nutrient retention and
drainage capabilities. The texture of a soil in the field is not readily subject to change, so it is considered
a permanent soil attribute. Soil type, texture, and quality vary from region to region and from garden to
garden. The soil that is best for plant growth is directly related to the type of plants being grown. This
means that each plot of land will have its own blend of minerals, organic matter, and inorganic matter,
which largely determines the crops or plants that can grow successfully. Therefore, knowing your soil
texture is beneficial because it provides a tool for choosing the right plants for your garden/land and the
best opportunity for knowing how to maintain the plants ina healthy and productive soil.

Ngowari, J. (2016). Understanding the Texture of Your Soil for Agricultural Productivity.

Publications and Educational Resources | VCE Publications | Virginia
Tech. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/CSES/CSES-162/
CSES-162-PDF.pdf

(Ngowari, 2016)

 Soil structure refers to the arrangement (aggregation) of individual particles

according to their size into soil shapes. In other words, soil structure is the
way in which soil particles are grouped or bound to form soil shape. Soil
structure is a good indicator of soil fertility. Compacted soil is assessed as
more fertile as it has a higher ability to retain water and nutrients for the growth
of plants.
MWAIKUSA, A. (2023, June 26). 6 importance of soil structure. GEOGRAPHY POINT -
YOUR GATEWAY TO GLOBAL GEOGRAPHY. https://geographypoint.com/2018/11/six-6-
importance-of-soil-structure/
(MWAIKUSA, 2023)

Worldwide food insecurity is currently one of the most significant challenges facing humanity. Demand
for food is expected to rise by 70.00% by 2050, and agricultural productivity is a crucial component of
global food security [1]. Rapid population growth has exacerbated global human food insecurity, thus
necessitating long-term evaluation of natural resources. It is thought that the world population will be
more than nine billion by 2050 [2,3]. As such, it is anticipated that there might be shortages in both
agricultural resources and land [4,5]. One possible solution to compensate for this shortage is to
encourage increasing crop yields. However, this entails using pesticides and fertilizers that may affect
the environment negatively. Another possible solution is to import more crops to fill he food gap [4,6]. If
properly managed, soil is one of the most significant natural resources that can abet in bridging the food
demand gap to achieve food security.

El Behairy, R. A., El Baroudy, a. A., Ibrahim, M. M., Mohamed, E. S., Kucher, D. E., &

Shokr, M. S. (2022, July 6). Assessment of Soil Capability and Crop Suitability Using
Integrated Multivariate and GIS Approaches toward Agricultural
Sustainability. https://file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/land-11-01027-v2.pdf

 (El Behairy et al., 2022)

The crop suitability is the process of assessing the appropriateness or ability of a given type of
land on the basis of growing conditions of a particular crop. The suitability is a function of
crop requirements and land characteristics. It is a measure of how well the qualities of land
unit match with the
requirements of a particular form of land use.

Singh, P., Upadhyay, R. K., Bhatt, H., & Oza, M. (2018, November). CROP SUITABILITY

ANALYSIS FOR CEREAL CROPS OF UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA . ResearchGate | Find and
share
research. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329043182_CROP_SUITABILITY_A
NALYSIS_FOR_CEREAL_CROPS_OF_UTTAR_PRADESH_INDIA

: (Singh et al., 2018)