CRSS 3060 Exam 2

Plant growth factors

Water, air, sunlight, nutrients

Macro elements

N, P, K

Secondary elements

Ca, Mg, S

Micronutrient cations

Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Co

Micronutrient anions

B, Cl, Mo

Solubility leads to

Availability

What is the largest reservoir of nitrogen in soil?

Humus

What is the most limiting nutrient?

Nitrogen

What competes for nitrogen with plants?

Bacteria and fungi

Solubility rates for phosphorus?

Low

What macro element is there second least of in soil?

Phosphorus

What does phosphorus associate along with?

Fungi

What macro element is there least of in soil?

Potassium

What does potassium regulate?

Electrolyte intake

How does mineral potassium appear?

feldspars and mica

What % of CEC cations is calcium?

50-80%

What % of CEC cations is magnesium?

5-15%

What pH are the metal cations and aluminum toxic at?

4.5

What are the pollutant metals?

Hg, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ag, U

Acronym to remember macronutrients

C HOPKiNS Car is an Mg

Acronym to remember micronutrients

Free Zen By Claude CuMoNi

Fertilizer response varies by:

Soil

5 Steps for Soil Testing

Sampling, Extraction, Analysis, Interpretation, Soil Test Report

Who developed the artificial nitrogen process

Haber-Bosch

Most common forms of artificial nitrogen

Anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea

Most common forms of artificial phosphorus

Ordinary superphosphate (OSP), triple superphosphate (TSP)

How is artificial phosphorus gathered?

mined from sedimentary rock

How is artificial potassium gathered?

mined and processed from evaporite salt deposits (ocean)

Nutrient/spreading equation

1lbs nutrient = lbs fertilizer (concentration/100)

What are organic fertilizers mostly consisting of?

Carbon

What process is most efficient for breaking down organic matter?

Aerobic decomposition

What microorganism is most responsible for the earthy smell of soil?

Actinomycetes

What cation makes up the majority of cations held on CEC sites in soil?

Calcium

Adding lime and fertilizer is an example of:

High input, short time frame

What is the costliest part of using organic fertilizers?

High transport costs

What is the largest part of organic matter in soil?

Humus

What is responsible for the water holding capacity of soils?

Electromagnetism and Gravity

What is the availability of a certain nutrient reliant on?

Solubility

What is fungi responsible for breaking down?

Lignin-rich organic matter

Capillary rise is:

inversely proportional to pore radius

Trade name for K

Potash

Greatest number of micro-organisms

Bacteria

Name of fertilizer that contains all three plant macro-nutrients

Complete

Nutrient enrichment in surface water that causes fish kills

Eutrophication

Property of water molecule that accounts for its attraction to soil particles

Polarity

Soil horizon most responsible for influencing soil productivity

A

Equation for hydraulic head in soil

head = z + Ψ

attraction of water molecules to each other

cohesion

attraction of water molecules to surfaces

adhesion

Chemical equation for pH

-log[H+]

Number of essential nutrients for plants

17

Nitrogen form produced after Haber-Bosch process

NH3 - ammonia

Soil fungi symbiotic with other plants

Mycorrhizae

Mineral mined from sedimentary rocks and mixed with sulfuric acid to produce P

Apatite

German chemist that invented "Law of the Minimum"

Von Liebig

Bulk density equation

BD = oven dried mass/soil volume

Cylinder volume equation

V=πr²h

Depth equation

depth = thickness (θv field capacity/θv wilting point)