• Plants require some elements in such minute or smaller amounts that these element have been designated as minor/trace element or Micro nutrient. In this piece, we discuss soil fertility as well as its productivity. Soil productivity is the ability of the soil to produce crop per unit area. The loss can be reduced by adding farm waste materials to the soil. Aeration and movement of water is good in the soil containing adequate amount of organic matter and this type of suitable condition of soil is beneficial for the growth of plant. A fertile soil always leads to high soil productivity However, soil productivity is affected or influenced y other factors other than the soil fertility. Organic matter is oxidised in high temperature. Factors Affecting Distribution, Activity and Population of Soil Microorganisms, Soil microorganisms (Flora & Fauna), just like higher plants depends entirely on soil for their nutrition, growth and activity. In an experiment in central farm, Coimbatore, it was found that the garden soil of nine inches depth contains 1400 lb (630 kg) potassium per acre. The acquired fertility has also a limiting factor. Decomposition of organic matter increases the nitrogen content of soil. Let us have a look at what is soil fertility and how can it be replenished. Irrespective of the size of your field or plot, supplying plants with the right amount of nutrients at the right time is the key to a successful vegetable production enterprise. The natural factors are those which influence the soil formation and the artificial factors is related to the proper use of land. excessive acidity or alkalinity, the presence of toxic substances, poor physical properties or an excess or deficiency of water. Moisture content - The amount of moisture that resides in the soil can also influence soil fertility. Save For Later Print. Because the nutrients remaining in upper layer of soil is lost by erosion and the fertility of soil decreases accordingly. Favourable Environment for Root Growth: The suitable condition for growth of plant depends on physical, chemical and biological condition of soil. The biochemical reduction of nitrate (NO3) and nitrite (NO2) to gaseous nitrogen is often termed denitrification. Besides this, organic matter improves the physical condition of soil. are associated with denitrification. Soil colloids are small particles and the most active portion of the soil. Soil pH - After testing the soil, you determine the existing pH level of the soil. If the parent rock contains more nutrient, the soil developed from rock contains more nutrient. The factors affecting soil productivity include all those which affect the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil environment in which plants grow. If this happens, it's going to be difficult for the roots to reach the nutrients it needs. In heavy rainfall areas, the nutrients are lost by leaching. This is determined by the source rock, the climate, biological and chemical processes. The factors affecting soil fertility may be of two types; i.e. As such it decreases the fertility of soil. Soil fertility and nutrient management is one of the important factors that have a direct impact on crop yield and quality. The soil's overall health depends on these factors a lot. Definition of Soil Fertility 2. Organic matter plays a key role in maintaining soil fertility. Not only that, we dive deeper into the influential and affecting factors of the fertility of the soil. In the following sections specific effects of some of these factors are discussed. Themajority (87%) of the respondents are farming on communal land with an averagefarm size of 2.9 ha. Soil productivity is heavily dependent on the fertility of the soil. Because the fertility of the soil decreases by the process of leaching and weathering in course of time. The fertility developed by application of manures and fertilizers, tillage, irrigation etc. iv. This will be acute if weeding is not done as soon as weeds emerge or germinate. The reactions are believed to occur as follows: All these changes apparently are directly biochemical and are encouraged by poor aeration and drainage and the presence of abundant amounts of easily affected nitrogenous compound. Soil fertility technologies have been generated and disseminated by various development institutions to reverse the – (a) Natural factor and (b) Artificial factor. Cultivation of same crop year after year in the same field decreases the fertility of soil. quartz) and basic igneous rock (i.e. The physical condition of soil should be suitable for the growth and development of plant. Losses of plant nutrients from the soil are the main cause of decreasing the fertility of soil. Factors Affecting Soil Fertility. The soil, as a nature of them, contains some nutrients which is known as ‘inherent fertility’. Thus the fertility of soil increases. Besides these, the upper layer is eroded which decreases the soil fertility. Keep in mind, however, that soil productivity can also be affected or influenced by other factors than the fertility of the soil. Microbial Mediated Micronutrient Transformation in soil Fe Zn Cu Mo Mn 2. Soil fertility depends on such factors affecting soil formation as climate, parent material, natural and cultivated plants, and topography. On the other hand, the activities of some of the microorganisms are beneficial to each other. become sandy and clayey in nature respectively. Four to five per cent of total nitrogen is lost from soil per acre annually through the harvested crops. Factors Affecting Soil Formation Soils form from the interplay of five main factors namely Parent Material, Time, Climate, Relief, and Organisms. xiii. Factors Influencing the Fertility of the Soil Soil pH- After testing the soil, you determine the existing pH levelof the soil. Soil fertility is affected by several factors such as climate, rainfall, soil biological, chemical and physical properties, etc, (Ramaru e t al., 2000). Rainfall and temperature has an effect on soil fertility. Fertile soil results in high yield and better quality of plants. Explain and give specific examples to support your case, and cite your sources in a 1-page essay. These micro-organisms play an important role to help plants consume nutrients which they need to grow. Leaching and erosion is most common in sloppy land. Improper supply of oxygen is unsuitable for the growth of plants as well as for the proper function of soil organism. In Africa, cocoa yields are low, partly due to soil fertility constraints and poor management. Plant nutrients are lost from the soil by the following ways: (i) Removal of Plant Nutrients by Harvested Crops: Plant absorbs nutrients from the soil and stores them in their different parts. Plant nutrient, particularly nitrogen remains on the upper layer of soil. The sandy soil is less fertile, whereas loamy soil is more fertile. See ESA simulation and pictures of comet landing : Soil erosion is the washing away of the most fertile part of the soil (the top soil). Factors Influencing the Fertility of the Soil. 9438 West SR 28West Lebanon, IN 47991PHONE: (800) SOIL - 130, © 2016 All Rights Reserved | Precision Agronomics, Inc. | 765.893.4791. Besides this, cultivation of crops without manuring decreases the fertility of soil. There are more nutrients present in soil with a higher CEC than its opposite. The factors affecting the fertility of soil are as follows: The property of soil depends on the property of parent rock. Thus a fertile soil may or may not be productive depending upon crops, marketing condition and several other factors (i.e. Weeds by nature of them grow fast and remove the plant nutrients from the soil. Soils are made up of sand, organic matter, silt and clay particles. As a result of which, the fertility of that soil becomes low. On the other hand, the fertility of level and becomes more, because the nutrient of high land in soluble form deposited in the level land, specially in low land. It shows the soil's ability to support plant and crop growth in its optimal environment. The contact request has been successfully sent. The fertility of soil depends mostly on the texture and structure of soil. Different types of bacteria, fungi and algae live in the soil. Super phosphate applied in acid soil is converted into iron or aluminium phosphate which is not soluble in water. In agriculture, depletion can be due to excessively intense cultivation and inadequate soil management. Even if the soil is fertile, the level of productivity can be disrupted by the presence of weeds and even certain farming methods. Soils with high sand content have low holding capacity for cations compared to clayey and silty soils. Clay content - Through the soil's clay content, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) is determined. It is the final stage of decayed plants and animals and the most effective material for improving soil. Taking medication. – (a) Natural factor and (b) Artificial factor. The soil developed from calcareous rock contains more phosphorus than the soil which is developed from granite rock. 3. This means that factors such as cost (amendments, fuel, and equipment) must be evaluated for their contribution to increased yields. Soil pH. This type of gaseous loss is strictly chemical and does not require either the presence of microorganism or adverse soil condition. It could either make a good crop or plant production or not at all. The fertility of soil increases if the soil contains more organic matter. There are majorly 12 factors influence Soil fertility Updated: July 18, 2019. In growing plants and crops in a loose layer of land, soil fertility is important. Precision Agronomics is located at 9438 West SR 28 in West Lebanon, IN and is proud to serve: Marshfield, Johnsonville, Foster, Stone Bluff, Bismarck, and the surrounding areas. Soil fertility 1. These factors may include soil structure as a framework for soil life, fuel in the form of organic matter to drive the entire system, and the diversity or population of soil micro- and macro-fauna. The soil developed from acid igneous rock (i.e. Soil fertility may be defined as the inherent capacity of soil to supply plant nutrients in adequate amount and suitable proportion and free from toxic substances. Off-site losses of nutrients can also occur through soil erosion, runoff, leaching and burning of crop residues. Plant kingdom is closely related with climate. Sandy soils have CEC between 1-5meq/100g.4 Clay soils such as smectite and illite can have CECs between 25-100meq/100g.3,4 Increasing the clay … Do you think we can state that there is soil or past/present conditions and components to create soil on Mars and comet 67 P/C-G? It is found by experiment that the yield does not increase remarkably by application of additional quantity of fertilizers. Furthermore, these are some external factors that can affect soil fertility: Climate (rainfall, temperature etc.) Soil depletion occurs when the components which contribute to fertility are removed and not replaced, and the conditions which support soil's fertility are not maintained. The plant do not absorb nutrient if it is not soluble in water. Social Factors: Social factors like religion, caste, race, family system, education, status of woman, … Read also: Earthworm Benefits to Soil Fertility and Plants in Agriculture. Indian soil contains 0.3 to 0.2 per cent nitrogen, 0.03 to 0.3 per cent phosphorus and 0.4 to 0.5 per cent potassium. is known as ‘acquired fertility’. Soil productivity mainly depends on soil fertility to a great extent. Factors affecting soil structure also include soil colloids. of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman. The following reaction is suggestive of what may happen to urea-. Fertilizers, both straight and mixed, are soluble in water and as such they are liable to loss by leaching in rain water or irrigation water. This article discusses how to adjust nutrients for appropriate soil fertility. Mineral composition – knowing the mineral composition of the soil, we can predict its ability to retain plant nutrients. The soil organism brings the unavailable nutrients into the available form. Soil has millions of tiny living organisms called micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi etc. By definition, soil fertility shows the ability of the soil to provide the right amount and balance of nutrients that the growth of crops and plants are going to depend on. Factors Affecting Porosity of Soil. Soil is the store house of plant nutrients. Photo credit: Roman Synkevych on Unsplash. As a result of which the fertility of that soil becomes low. Soil texture and soil fertility are examples of characteristics that we may attempt to enhance. They include all the practices that affect fertility, the water and air relationships and the activity of the biological agents such as insects, pests, diseases and microorganisms. As a result, phosphate remains in the soil in unavailable form to plant. Organic matter is a valuable part of soil. The way in which soil is used is particularly important. To optimize crop production, it is important to maintain fertile soil with the right combination of plant nutrients as well as an optimum soil pH. Soil Science, Soil Fertility, Types of Soil Fertility, Terms of Service Privacy Policy Contact Us, Copyright infringement takedown notification template, Pore Space: Types and Factors Affecting it | Soil, Soil Formation | Processes | Soil Science, Soil Formation: How is Soil Formed [with Factors and Processes for Class 7, 8 ,9, 10], Exam Questions with Answers on Soil Mechanics [Geotechnical Engineering], List of Objective Questions on Soil and Water Engineering (With Answers), Soil Compaction: Meaning, Compaction, Methods and Effect | Soil Engineering. Inherent Capacity of Soil to Supply Plant Nutrients: The nutrient contents of a soil vary according to the nature of soil. Competition begins when the supply of plant nutrients falls below the requirements of both weeds and crops. Articles. These can be reused for the next growing cycle. Parma Research and Extension Center, University of Idaho, Parma. . The following factors affect the soil fertility: The nutrient of the soil must be in the available form of plant. Soil productivity encompasses soil fertility plus the inherent and management-related factors affecting plant growth and development. (ii) Removal of Plant Nutrients by Weeds: Weeds compete with crops for mineral nutrients. The loss of organic matter mainly occurs through continuous cropping with stubble removal or burning, and is accelerated by frequent tillage. Along with that, you would discover the nutrients that are available that can be used for planting crops. Soil pH affects both the host plant and the bacteria involved in the symbiotic relationship. (Iii) Losses of Nutrient by Soil Erosion: Erosion is the physical removal of top soil by water and wind. Factors affecting soil fertility and productivity Soil fertility is the ability of the soil to provide nutrients in proper quantities and in a balanced way for the growth of plants. It is generally measured in terms of inputs versus outputs, which for agronomic situations generally refers to water and/or nutrient input versus crop yield. But every productive soil has to be fertile. It is a complex situation even the interaction of some of the factors also can influence the fertility of the soil. For the average person, it is simply treated as part of the ground and grows plants, trees, and crops. The availability of nutrients depend mainly on the following factors: The plant absorbs the nutrient from the soil. Geographic Location and Topography (sloping land, sloppy land etc) Factors Outside Of Soil Fertility That Can Impact How Productive … Little is known that there are certain factors that actually influence and affect the actual success of their production. 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