Soil science related short answer type questions very important for B.Sc. agriculture science

 Soil science related short answer type questions 

Here we provide authentic answer related to soil science also IGKV soil science terminology like Soil PH, Soil Humus, Soil porosity, Soil profile, Soil consistence, Soil pedology, Buffering capacity of soil, Soil organic matter, Cation exchange capacity, Base saturation, Soil is natural body, Soil water retention etc.

Soil PH - 

Soil pH is discovered by Sorensen, soil ph is a measure of the acidity or base of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the negative logarithm of the activity of hydronium ions in a solution.

Soil humus - 

Humus is a type of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Latin word that means the "earth" or "ground" is a substance made from dead leaves and plants, that put into the ground to help plants grow. Humus is partially decayed organic matter.

Soil porosity - 

Soil porosity  refers to the amount of pores, or open space, between soil particles. Pore spaces may be formed due to the movement of roots, worms, and insects; expanding gases trapped within these spaces by groundwater; and/or the dissolution of the soil parent material. 

Soil profile - 

The soil is the topmost layer of the earth’s crust mainly composed of organic minerals and rock particles that support life. A soil profile is a vertical cross-section of the soil, made of layers running parallel to the surface. These layers are known as soil horizons. The soil is found in layers, which are arranged during the formation of soil. These layers called horizons, the sequence of layers is the soil profile. The layers of soil can easily be observed by their color and size of particles.

Soil consistence - 

Soil pedology - 

Study of soil in relation to origin distribution and classification of soil is also known as soil pedology, Pedology is a discipline within soil science which focuses on understanding and characterizing soil formation, evolution, and the theoretical frameworks for modeling soil bodies, often in the context of the natural environment.

Buffering capacity of soil -  

Buffering capacity is defined as the soil's capacity to maintain a relatively stable pH despite the presence of acidifying or alkalizing factors. Soil buffering capacity is caused by the protonation of minerals and organic material that occurs in the soil or is intentionally added to the soil.

Soil organic matter - 

Soil organic matter is the fraction of the soil that consists of plant or animal tissue in various stages of breakdown or decomposition. Most of our productive agricultural soils have between 3 and 6% organic matter. Soil organic matter contributes to soil productivity in many different ways. In this fact sheet, we describe the various components of organic matter and the different roles organic matter plays in soil productivity.

Cation exchange capacity - 

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a measure of the total negative charges within the soil that adsorb plant nutrient cations such as calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and potassium (K+). As such, the CEC is a property of a soil that describes its capacity to supply nutrient cations to the soil solution for plant uptake.

Base saturation - 

Base saturation (BS) represents the percentage of CEC occupied by bases (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Na+). The %BS increases with increasing soil pH (Figure 5). The availability of Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ increases with increasing %BS. For example, an 80% BS soil provides cations to plants more easily than 40% BS soil.

Soil is natural body - 

 Dokuchaev considers the soil as a natural body having its own genesis and its own history of development, a body with complex and multiform processes taking place within it.

soil water retention - 

Soil water retention is essential to life. It provides an ongoing supply of water to plants between periods of replenishment (infiltration), so as to allow their continued growth and survival.