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 Review questions
 1. State the names of the soil nutrients that are needed in large quantities by plants.
 2. Differentiate between major nutrients and trace nutrients found in the soil.
 3. Name the plant nutrients that are not found in soil.
 4. Explain soil fertility. State the function of the major nutrients in plant growth.
 5. Discuss three ways in which the soil losses its fertility.

References
R. Ramharacksingh, 2011. Agricultural science for C.S.E.C examination Macmillan publishers
S. Ragoonanan,2011. Agriculture for C.S.E.C revision course. Caribbean educational publishers.
Internet
https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/soil-minerals-and-plant-nutrition-127881474/
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/soils/improvement/plant-nutrients#
Video Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QALxEt6OFpc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wyrxMO1enA

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME
NOVEMBER 2020
WEEK 11

LESSON # 2

GRADE :11

SUBJECT : AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

TOPIC : SOIL
SUB TOPIC : SOIL TYPES
Objectives
To examine the characteristics of each type of soil
To understand how soil type affect crop farmers.
To classify soils according to their property.

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 Characteristics of each type of soil

 Sandy or Coarsely Textured Soils

 Low in organic matter content and native fertility.
 Rapidly permeable and do not hold soil moisture.
 Nutrient leaching is a concern, so proper fertilization is a must.
 Apply smaller amounts of nutrients, and apply them more frequently.
 Low in cation exchange and buffer capacities.
 Well-suited for road foundations and building sites.
 Feel gritty.

 Loamy or Medium-Textured Soils

 Contains more organic matter.
 Are generally more fertile.
 Have higher cation exchange and buffer capacities.
 Feel crumbly.
 Permit slower movement of water and are better able to retain moisture and nutrients.

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 Clayey or Finely Textured Soils

 Higher nutrient-holding capacity.

 Higher available water-holding capacity.
 Finely textured soils exhibit properties that are somewhat difficult to manage or overcome.
 Often too sticky when wet and too hard when dry to cultivate.
 May have shrink-and-swell characteristics that affect construction uses.
 Feel slippery

 Improving the Soil

 Good aeration and drainage, as well as the ability to hold adequate moisture and nutrients, are key components
of an ideal soil environment.
 Some of the most important strategies for improving soil quality:
 Minimize soil compaction (do not walk on garden beds or work wet soil.
 Reduce drainage problems.
 Decrease erosion.
 Plant a cover crop.
 Incorporate organic matter.
 Provide a 1- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch on the soil’s surface.

 How Do Soil Types Affect Crop Farmers?

 Compaction.
 Compaction occurs when pressure is applied to soil particles and the air and
 water are pushed out of the pore spaces.
 Large, cubic sand particles are not easily compacted.
 Clay particles, small and plate like, are easily aligned and can compact, especially when wet.
 Compaction inhibits the movement of water, gases (air), and roots.
 Compacted soils have less infiltration, greater runoff, a higher risk of erosion, and more restricted root growth
than soils without compaction.
 Water drains slowly, which may increase the likelihood of plant root diseases.

 Surface Area.
 The most active part of a soil particle is its surface area.
 A particle’s surface is where nutrient exchange takes place.
 Sand particles have a small surface area relative to their mass, meaning they do not hold onto nutrients well.
 Clay particles have a large surface area relative to their mass, so a small amount of clay can add a
significant amount of surface area to a soil, increasing the nutrient-holding capacity.

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 Erosion

 Sand particles are heavy, so they are not easily picked up and moved by water or wind.
 Clay particles are sticky, so they are not easily moved.
 Silty loam particles are light and not sticky, so erosive forces easily move them.
 Eroded soils are usually harder to till and have lower productivity than soils without erosion.
 The main causes of soil erosion are insufficient vegetative or mulch cover, improper equipment and methods used
to prepare and till the soil.
 Soil erosion can be minimized by following a few preventive measures:
 Choose plants suited to the soil so they establish well.
 Mulch the surface each year with organic materials 1 inch to 3 inches deep.
 Adequately fertilize to promote vigorous, but not excessive, plant growth.
 Create a water diversion, such as a grass waterway, to capture and slow water movement.
 Align rows to follow the land’s contour so that water flowing downhill is slowed.
 Use proper tillage methods, such as not tilling when the soil is overly wet and not over tilling.
 Plant a winter cover crop.
 Consider installing rain gardens to capture sediment and runoff.

Particle type, number of particles per gram, and the average surface area per gram.

Particle Type Diameter (mm) Number of Particles per Specific surface area
2
gram (cm /g)

Clay < 0.002 90,260,853,000 8,000,000

Coarse sand 1.00-0.50 720 23

Fine sand 0.25-0.10 46,000 91

Medium sand 0.50-0.25 5,700 45

Silt 0.05-0.002 5,776,000 454

Very coarse sand 2.00-1.00 90 11

Very fine sand 0.10-0.05 722,000 227

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 Soil classification system

 Properties of soil

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 Review questions
 1. State the name of the soil that is best suited for planting vegetable crops.
 2. Discuss three methods of improving soil quality.
 3. Discuss three reasons for the compaction of soils.
 5. Differentiate between physical and chemical properties of soils.

References
R. Ramharacksingh, 2011. Agricultural science for C.S.E.C examination Macmillan publishers
S. Ragoonanan,2011. Agriculture for C.S.E.C revision course. Caribbean educational publishers.
Internet
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/1-soils-and-plant-nutrients
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/1-soils-and-plantnutrients#section_heading_7240
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-sciences/factors-affecting-soil-fertility-environmental-sciences-essay.
Video Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec_IzxfHlQc

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