Certified Crop Advisor International Test

What is the soil uptake form(s) for N?

ammonium ion & nitrate ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for P?

phosphate ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for K?

potassium ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Ca?

calcium ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Mg?

magnesium ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for S?

sulfate ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for B?

boric acid or borate ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Cl?

chloride ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Cu?

cupric ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Fe?

Primarily ferrous ion; some ferric ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Mn?

Primarily manganous ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Mo?

molybdate ion

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Ni?

Nickel

What is the soil uptake form(s) for Zn?

zinc ion

Is N mobile in the plant?

yes, N is mobile

Is P mobile in the plant?

yes, P is mobile

Is K mobile in the plant?

yes, K is mobile

Is Ca mobile in the plant?

no, Ca is not mobile

Is Mg mobile in the plant?

yes, Mg is mobile

Is S mobile in the plant?

no, S is not mobile

What does N stand for?

Nitrogen

What does P stand for?

Phosphorus

What does K stand for?

Potassium

What does Ca stand for?

Calcium

What does Mg stand for?

Magnesium

What does S stand for?

Sulfur

What does B stand for?

Boron

What does Cl stand for?

Chlorine

What does Cu stand for?

Copper

What does Fe stand for?

Iron

What does Mn stand for?

Manganese

What does Mo stand for?

Molybdenum

What does Ni stand for?

Nickel

What does Zn stand for?

Zinc

Name the 6 macronutrients

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur

Name the 8 micronutrients

Boron, Chlorine, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Zinc

Finish the sentence: Macronutrients are required in _____________ amounts by plants.

Large

Finish the sentence: Micronutrients are required in ______________ amounts by plants.

Small

What three essential nutrients are obtained from the air as carbon dioxide and as water?

Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O)

Are Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) listed as micronutrients or macronutrients?

Macronutrients

What is the name of nutrients required by plants to complete their life cycle?

Essential nutrients or elements

Cations have a ___ charge

Anions have a ___ charge

positive, negative

What does Silicon (S) do for the plant?

cell wall strength, reduces lodging, improves adaptation to stresses like drought, improves pest resistance and helps improve plant vigor

What does Sodium (Na) do for the plant?

improves photosynthesis in C4 plants and maybe be able to substitute for potassium to some degree

What does Cobalt (Co) do for the plant?

it's essential for nitrogen fixing bacteria in legumes

What does Selenium (Se) do for the plant?

improves plant growth and is an essential element for animals that obtain Se from the feed

What is the function of Nitrogen?

it's used in the synthesis of amino acids, proteins, enzymes; found in chlorophyll (photosynthesis), ADP and ATP (energy transfer)

What is the function of Phosphorus?

it's an important component of energy transfer system (ADP, ATP); important to photosynthesis and respiration; part of cell nuclear material important to cell division

What is the function of Potassium?

it accelerates growth of meristematic tissue; regulation of stomatal opening (water loss); involved in nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism; catalyzes some enzymes

What is the function of Sulfur?

it's a component of several amino acids (cystine, cysteine, methionine) which are part of many proteins; involved in protein synthesis and enzyme activation; forms flavor compounds in mustard, garlic and onions

When do plant nutrient needs GRADUALLY increase?

Seedling Stage

When do plant nutrient needs RAPIDLY increase?

vegetative growth

When do plant nutrient needs DECREASE?

as reproductive growth dominates

What is soil solution?

the water in soil that contains dissolved ions, molecules and gases

Finish the sentence: Plant nutrients dissolved in the soil solution can be __________, __________ or ______________ molecules

cations, anions, uncharged

Nutrients from the soil solution are absorbed by plant roots through which three processes?

Mass flow, diffusion and root interception

Finish the sentence: Cations are held by _______ ___________ ______ on soil clay and organic matter

Cation exchange sites

Where do you find cation exchange sites?

on soil clay and organic matter

Finish the sentence: cations move to the soil solution by __________ ______________ and are readily ____________ to plants

cation exchange, available

Finish the Sentence: Cation exchange capacity is the amount of _________________ charged cations that can be held by a given weight of soil.

positively

Finish the sentence: As cation exchange capacity increases, the __________________________________________ decreases as they are held on the _________.

mobility of cations, CEC

Which three minerals are cations that are largely retained on the CEC of a soil and are immobile?

Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K)

What are three ways of routine additions of a cation can occur?

Fertilization, Liming, acidification

Finish the sentence: If routine additions of a cation occur, the added cation(s) can ___________________________ with the Ca, Mg or K on the CEC bringing Ca, Mg or K into the __________________________________.

change places, soil solution

Finish the sentence: any cation in the soil solution is _______________ and subject to __________________.

mobile, leaching

Name three soluble anions.

nitrate, chloride, sulfate

Why are soluble anions not evenly distributed in soil water?

Because they are excluded from water nearest negatively charged clay and organic matter

Which water moves fastest in the soil?

The water that contains the excluded anions

Water which contains excluded anions moves fastest in the soil. What is the net affect of this?

Soluble anion leaching is increased

Which nitrogen uptake form is mobile in the soil?

Nitrate

Which nitrogen uptake form is immobile in the soil?

ammonium

Finish the sentence: Phosphate is _____________________ in the soil except where P sorption capacity has been _____________________.

immobile, exceeded

Define: Sorption

absorption and adsorption considered as a single process

Finish the sentence: sulfate is ________________ in ____________ soils

mobile, most

Is calcium, magnesium and potassium which are held onto the CEC, immobile or mobile?

immobile

Is calcium, magnesium and potassium which are held in the soil solution, immobile or mobile?

mobile

Define: Texture

the proportion of sand, silt and clay in a soil

What is the arrangement of soil particles into aggregates?

Soil Structure

Finish the sentence: Soil structures that create large pores will _____________ the potential for nutrient losses through leaching.

Increase

Finish the sentence: Lack of structure can lead to increases in _______________ and ______________.

Runoff and erosion

What are the two nutrient loss pathways?

Runoff and erosion

What does anaerobic mean?

No oxygen

Finish the sentence: __________ and __________________ solubility increases in flooded soils.

Iron, manganese

Nutrient losses are associated with what?

Excessive drainage

Finish the sentence: Adequate soil moisture is especially important for nutrients that ___________________________________________________________.

move to roots by diffusion

Finish the sentence: Adequate soil moisture favors ________________________ and release of _____ , ____ and ______ from the material undergoing decomposition.

decomposition, N, P, S