CCA Soil & Water management

Which of the following is negatively charged?

a. anion

b. cation

c. AEC

d. hyperion

a. anion

Cations are held on the CEC by _______ charges on clay and organic matter.

a. neutral

b. gravitational

c. positive

d. negative

d. negative

Which of the following clays contributes most to CEC if the same amount of each clay is present?

a. montmorillonite

b. hydroxyapatite

c. illite

d. kaolinite

a. montmorillonite

Potassium fixation occurs when which of the following clays is present in soil?

a. montmorillonite

b. humite

c. illite

d. kaolinite

c. illite

If a soil has an EC of 0.6 siemens per meter and contains 20 percent sodium on the CEC, it is a ______ soil.

a. saline

b. sodic

c. saline-sodic

d. acid

c. saline-sodic

What is the textural class of soil that is 10 percent clay and 35 percent sand?

a. sandy loam

b. sand

c. silt loam

d. loamy sand

c. silt loam

Which of the following increases as the soil's clay content increases?

a. surface area

b. bulk density

c. pore size

d. particle size

a. surface area

Which of the following soil textures listed below has the highest porosity and lowest bulk density?

a. sandy loam

b. silt loam

c. loamy sand

d. clay

d. clay

The maximum value for plant available water is __________________.

a. greatest in soils with large pores

b. smallest in soils with small pores

c. the difference between field capacity and wilting point

d. different in different climates

c. the difference between field capacity and wilting point

Which of the following textural classes has the largest potential available water?

a. silt loam

b. sandy loam

c. silty clay loam

d. clay

a. silt loam

What kind of soil structure would be typical for a good seed bed?

a. granular

b. blocky

c. platy

d. massive

a. granular

Soil structure modifies the physical properties of soil__________________

a. biota

b. microclimate

c. texture

d. color

c. texture

Good structure in the subsoil improves ____________.

a. germination

b. root elongation

c. water table development

d. anaerobioses

b. root elongation

Soil microorganisms cause _________________ in soil structure when crop residues are added to soil.

a. increases

b. decreases

c. minor changes

d. no changes

a. increases

The bulk density of 100cm3 of dry soil that weights 145g is ___________ g/cm3

a. 4.5

b. 1.45

c. 0.7

d. 2.45

b. 1.45

Which of the following soil textures has the greatest % porosity?

a. clay

b. loam

c. silt loam

d. sand

a. clay

Which of the following can decrease bulk density?

a. burning crop residues

b. equipment wheel traffic

c. incorporating compost

d. tillage

c. incorporating compost

In a typical row crop production system, most of the soil organic matter originates from _____________.

a. green manures

b. earth worms

c. crop residues

d. organic waste

c. crop residues

The stable form of soil organic matter is called _______________.

a. pumice

b. humus

c. fulvic acid

d. illite

b. humus

When organic materials decompose, most of the C ends up as _________________.

a. microbial cells

b. O2

c. CO2

d. humus

c. CO2

Which of the following is not an example of a contribution of soil organic matter to soil properties?

a. increased molybdenum availability

b. increased nitrogen availability

c. increased CEC

d. increased soil aeration

a. increased molybdenum availability

Soil organic matter is a source of __________ for crops.

a. iron

b. nitrogen

c. potassium

d. calcium

b. nitrogen

In order to increase soil organic matter levels, _____________ must be markedly reduced or eliminated.

a. fertilization

b. use of legumes

c. weed control

d. tillage

d. tillage

Which of the following is most important in carbon sequestration?

a. proper irrigation

b. land leveling

c. reducing tillage

d. good fertility

c. reducing tillage

Which of the following favors increased soil microbial activity ?

a. temp increase from 35 C to 50 C

b. Temp decrease from 35 C to 25 C

c. increase in soil water content from 20 to 40 percent of water holding capacity

d. decrease in soil water content from 30 to 10 percent of water holding capacity

c. increase in soil water content from 20 to 40 percent of water holding capacity

Which of the following organic materials would be expected to mineralize the most nitrogen?

a. sawdust

b. dairy manure

c. wheat straw

d. peat moss

b. dairy manure

What is the most important property that affects soil health?

a. CEC

b. AEC

c. downward drainage

d. organic matter

d. organic matter

A horizon that contains illuviated clay is the _________ horizon

a. O

b. A

c. B

d. C

c. B

How many acres are in the S 1/2, of the S 1/2 of section 29?

a. 40

b. 60

c. 80

d. 160

d. 160

The area of a rectangle field that is 1250 ft long and 700 ft wide is ____________ acres

a. 10

b. 20

c. 40

d. 60

b. 20

If a field has an 11 ft change in elevation over a distance of 100 ft, the slope is ________ %

a. 0.011

b. 0.11

c. 1.1

d. 11

c. 1.1

Poorly drained soils that are wet most of the year often ____________.

a. grey

b. red

c. brown

d. pink

a. grey

Which of the following irrigation systems is least labor intensive?

a. sprinkler

b. flood

c. farrow

d. drip

a. sprinkler

Which of the bellow is an example of sub-surface drainage?

a. ditch

b. precision leveling

c. interceptor drain

d. grassed waterway

c. interceptor drain

If a septic system is being planned for a housing subdivision, a ____ order soil survey is needed.

a. 1st

b. 2nd

c. 3rd

d. 4th

a. 1st

Knowing the drainage class of soil is helpful when building a __________.

a. pond

b. wetland

c. road

d. all of these

d. all of these

Which kind of erosion removes a thin layer of soil?

a. splash

b. sheet

c. rill

d. gully

b. sheet

Which of the following is a kind of wind erosion that forms dust storms?

a. suspension

b. saltation

c. surface creep

d. incursion

a. suspension

Any factor that ______ runoff and ________ surface protection, increases erosion.

a. decreases, decreases

b. increases, increases

c. decreases, increases

d. increases, decreases

d. increases, decreases

Which of the following factors does not affect wind erosion?

a. surface roughness

b. veg

c. slope length

d. soil texture

c. slope length

The amount of soil that can be lost by erosion, while crop production is maintained economically for the long-term is ____________.

a. soil erosion potential

b. soil loss tolerance

c. soil economic threshold

d. soil maximum erosion limit

b. soil loss tolerance

In most situations, surface soil _________ will be lower after water erosion occurs.

a. CEC

b. pH

c. organic matter content

d. clay content

c. organic matter content

Which of the following would be an acceptable conservation practice for a steep slope.

a. corn production

b. wind breaks

c. tillage perpendicular to contours

d. terracing

d. terracing

Maintaining surface residues on a soil will ________ surface soil warming in the Spring .

a. retard

b. enhance

c. not affect

d. eliminate

a. retard

Soil erosion is highest in which of the following?

a. clean till

b. no till

c. mulch till

d. strip till

a. clean till

What is the percent crop residue cover if the average number of residue intersections is 20 at 6 inch increments over 50 ft?

a. 10

b. 15

c. 20

d. 40

C. 20

When crop residues are removed from a field, soil ________ increases

a. erosion

b. organic matter

c. fertility

d. nutrient retention

a. erosion

Surface compaction from tillage usually starts ___________.

a. above the depth of tillage

b. at the depth of tillage

c. well below the depth of tillage

d. at the soil surface

b. at the depth of tillage

Seedling emergence is hindered by __________________.

a. warm weather

b. surface crusting

c. plow pans

d. deep water tables

b. surface crusting

Maintaining crop residues on the surface and ______ reduce surface compaction.

a. light tillage

b. heavy tillage

c. N fertilizer

d. irrigation

a. light tillage

_____________ decreases odor and NH3 losses from biosolids.

a. surface-application

b. irrigation

c. injection

d. liming

c. injection

Which of the following increases soil water storage?

a. runoff

b. evapotranspiration

c. precipitation

d. deep percolation/ recharge

C. Precipitation

Which of the following has the greatest impact on infiltration?

a. tile drains

b. evapotranspiration

c. surface soil texture

d. runoff

c. surface soil texture

Runoff decreases as ____________ increases

a. surface residue

b. precipitation

c. ET

d. slope

A. Surface residue

Leaching is most impacted by ____________.

a. crop planted

b. land leveling

c. depth of restrictive layers

d. soil temp

c. depth of restrictive layers

Rapid water movement downward in large pores after a rain is called ______________.

a. matric flow

b. preferential flow

c. undisturbed flow

d. osmotic flow

b. preferential flow

Soil ________ has little effect on sulfate movement.

a. pH

b. texture

c. organic matter

d. structure

a. pH

A day when there is _____ probability of precipitation would be best for pesticide application to minimize pesticide losses in runoff.

a. 20%

b. 40%

c. 60%

d. 80%

a. 20%

Phosphorous is transported by _________from fields.

a. runoff

b. leaching

c. volatilization

d. phosphine formation

a. runoff

Phosphorous transported from a field can be reduced by ____________.

a. clean tillage

b. burning crop residues

c. buffer strip

d. applying 13-13-13

c. buffer strip

Water moving horizontally in a soil is called ________ flow.

a. lateral

b. inter

c. over

d. preferential

a. lateral

Maximum plant available water is ________ minus _______.

a. field capacity, gravitational water

b. gravitational water, field capacity

c. field capacity, permanent wilting point

d. permanent wilting point, field capacity

c. field capacity, permanent wilting point

Maximum ET generally occurs _______________.

a. when atmospheric demand peaks

b. when crops are harvested

c. when a crop flowers

d. on a cloudy day

a. when atmospheric demand peaks

Which of the following must exist for ET to occur

a. high temperature

b. relative humidity gradient

c. wind

d. sun spots

b. relative humidity gradient

Excessive soil moisture generally ____________ nutrient uptake.

a. increase

b. does not change

c. decrease

d. increases only N

c. decrease

Limited soil moisture generally ___________ nutrient uptake

a. increase

b. does not change

c. decrease

d. increases only P

c. decrease

The irrigation method where water is applied at low volume is ____________________.

a. sprinkler

b. drip

c. furrow

d. flood

b. drip

_______ are raised soil areas used to improve drainage.

a. beds

b. furrows

c. levees

d. open ditches

a. beds

Irrigation is needed when soil moisture deficit equals 6 inches. How long will it be before irrigation is needed if they average daily ET is 0.5 inches and one 1 in rainfall event occurs with no runoff? Initial soil moisture deficit is 2 inches.

C. 10 Inches

Tile drain spacing is smallest for a ______ soil

a. silt loam

b. sandy loam

c. clay loam

d. loamy sand

c. clay loam

___________ irrigation allows the most control to prevent runoff.

a. flood

b. furrow

c. basin

d. sprinkler

d. sprinkler

Which of the following pollutants is in water is not generally attributed to agriculture?

a. phosphorous

b. nitrate

c. pesticides

d. mercury

d. mercury

What standards are used to determine if a water body is impaired?

a. total load

b. total maximum daily load

c. annual load

d. weekly load

b. total maximum daily load

Nutrient enrichment of a surface water is termed _____________.

a. anemia

b. eutrophication

c. hypoxia

d. a good thing

b. eutrophication

Ten ppm of NO3- (mw is 62) is ____________.

a. 10 ppm

b. 10 mg/l

c. 0.16 meq/L

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Which of the following NO3- concentrations would be considered hazardous to an infant?

a. 10 mg/L

b. 34 mg/L

c. 40 mg/L

d. 44 mg/L

d. 44 mg/L

Well water contamination from surface water can be prevented by using a ___________.

a. casing

b. submersible pump

c. anti-back siphoning device

d. PVC valve

a. casing

Sediments in runoff decrease __________ in surface waters.

a. sediment load

b. light penetration

c. erosion

d. P load

B. Light penetration

A ________ is specifically designed to improve ground water quality before ground water can move to a stream.

a. filter strip

b. buffer strip

c. tree planting

d. channelization

c. tree planting

Which of the following are most sensitive to saline water?

a. cattle

b. pigs

c. salt tolerant plants

d. humans

d. humans