Soil Sci Lab (Exercise 6) Flashcards
True or False
Soil serves as a storehouse for plant nutrients and normally provides plants with the nutrients they require to grow and reproduce
True
True or False
When the quantity of plant nutrient is insufficient in soil, then the needed amount of nutrient has to be supplemented with fertilizer
True
Fertilizers is derived from the Latin word?
fertilis (fruit-bearing)
any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin added to the soil to supply certain elements essential to growth of plants
fertilizer
8000 years ago, early farmers used ____ to fertilize their crops
manure
in the 19th century, ____ and ____ were shipped from Chile and Peru to the UK and Western Europe respectively
saltpetre ; guano
what was the first artificial fertilizer
SSP
what year was SSP produced in the UK
1843
True or False
potash fertilizers started in 1880 in Germany
False
Correct answer: 1860
N fertilizer from ammonia is derived from?
coal
True or False
in 1913, production of N fertilizers came with the production of synthetic ammonia by the Haber-Bosch process
True
what year was urea produced and used as a fertilizer
1921
types of fertilizers
- organic
- inorganic
- biofertilizer
Analogy
SSP : 1843 ; potash fertilizer : ____
1860
- Nutrient-rich fertilizers made industrially by chemical processes, mineral extraction, or by mechanical grinding
- They provide a known amount of nutrients in a form that is quickly available for plant uptake
inorganic fertilizer
- Carbon-rich fertilizers and are derived from organic materials
- Usually dried in order to remove moisture
organic fertilizer
Are living microbes that enhance plant nutrition by either mobilizing or increasing nutrient availability in soils
biofertilizer
Types of Biofertilizers
- Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
- Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria
- Mycorrhizal fungi
- Compost and decomposing microbes
True or False
Mycorrhizal fungi convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form plants can use
False
Correct answer: Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Break down insoluble phosphorus into plant-available forms
Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria
Enhance water and nutrient uptake by forming symbiotic relationships with plant roots
Mycorrhizal fungi
Speed up organic matter breakdown, releasing nutrients into the soil
Compost and decomposing microbes
types of fertilizers according to form
- solid
- liquid
- gaseous
These are the most common fertilizers
solid fertilizers
types of solid fertilizers
- granular
- powdered
- pelleted
Analogy
pelleted : ____ ; powdered : fine
compressed
Small, dry particles that release nutrients slowly
granular
Compressed fertilizer particles for slow-release
pelleted
True or False
powdered fertilizers are fine, dry particles that dissolve quickly in soil or water
True
Nutrients are dissolved in water for easy absorption by plants
liquid fertilizers
types of liquid fertilizer
- solution
- suspension
Fully dissolved nutrients in water
solution
Nutrient particles suspended in liquid
suspension
Fertilizers in gas form, primarily used in large-scale agriculture
gaseous
A concentrated nitrogen fertilizer injected directly into the soil
Anhydrous Ammonia (NH₃)
True or False
Sulfur Dioxide is used in greenhouses to
enhance plant growth by increasing photosynthesis
False
Correct answer: Carbon dioxide
Sometimes used to lower soil pH and improve sulfur availability
Sulfur Dioxide
types of fertilizer according to number of primary nutrient
- single
- incomplete
- complete
a fertilizer which lacks one or two of the major plant nutrients
incomplete
a chemical fertilizer containing only one primary plant nutrient
single
fertilizers that contain the three major plant nutrients
complete
Types of Fertilizers according to its effect on soil pH
- acidic forming
- basic
- neutral
- Equivalent acidity/residual acidity
- Equivalent basicity
Analogy
Basic : ____ ; Acidic : increase acidity
decrease acidity
one that is guaranteed to leave neither an acidic nor basic residue in the soil
neutral fertilizer
the acidity developed in the soil by the fertilizer, measured in terms of the calcium and carbonate required for its neutralization
equivalent acidity / residual acidity
the basic residues left in the soil by the fertilizer, expressed as equivalent calcium carbonate
equivalent basicity
Principles to apply when planning to apply fertilizers
- right source
- right time
- right rate
- right place
- soil testing
- balanced nutrition
- Soil Texture Consideration
- Moisture Availability
- Application Method
- Environmental Protection
- Crop-Specific Needs
- Weather Considerations
- Organic Matter Integration
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Regulatory Compliance
The fertilizer is applied uniformly on the soil surface
broadcasting
fertilizer is broadcast and incorporated into the soil before planting the crop
basal
fertilizer material is broadcast over a standing crop
topdressing
The fertilizer is applied to one or both sides of the seed or standing crop
localized placement
the fertilizer is applied in bands either along the furrows prior to seeding or as strips on one or both sides of the row about 5 cm away and below the seeds
banding
a method of placing fertilizer along the side of the growing crop’s row at the time most satisfactory to the crop
sidedressing
Involves digging numerous small holes around each tree within the outer half of the branch-spread zone, and placing a suitable amount of fertilizer into these holes which are then filled-up
Trench/perforation method
carried out by wrapping small amounts of fertilizers in mudballs
mudball technique
Done by coating the seeds with fertilizers by means of an adhesive such as cellofas A or gum arabic
seed pelleting
True or False
Seed pelleting is usually employed when sowing legume seeds on acid soils to ensure a good establishment of the crop
True
Involves dissolving solid fertilizer material in water and then applying it as spray to the plant or direct application of liquid fertilizers as foliar spray
foliar application
Refers to application of water soluble fertilizers through irrigation water, thus, nutrients are carried into the soil in solution
fertigation
In areas where ground application is not practicable, the fertilizer solutions are applied by aircraft particularly in hilly areas, in forest lands, in grasslands, or in sugarcane fields
aerial application
the guaranteed minimum analysis, in percent, of the major plant nutrient elements contained in a fertilizer material or in a mixed fertilizer
Fertilizer grade
refers to the relative percentage
of N, P2O5, K2O
Fertilizer ratio
an expression of the quantity and analysis of the material in a mixed fertilizer
Fertilizer formula
Analogy
fertilizer grade : exact percentage ; fertilizer ratio : ____
relative proportion
the quantity of certain plant nutrient elements needed, in addition to the amount supplied by the soil, to increase plant growth to a designated optimum.
Fertilizer requirement
Fertilizer treatments in experiment are usually expressed in ____
weight of fertilizer nutrient applied per hectare
conversion factor of P to P2O5
2.29
conversion factor of K to K2O
1.20
