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| Why do you think some farmers consider soil the most important thing on their farm? |
Soil is made up of different sizes of particles and different layers. Farmers need to know what kinds of particles are in their soil and how thick the layers are in their fields in order to decide how much and how deep to plow or irrigate.
Eco Info
There are 20,000 different types of soil in the United States!
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What particles are in the soil near you? |
"The bacteria that digest organic material basically live in the top four to five inches, what we call the digestive system of the soil."
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Eco Info A half teaspoon of soil contains millions of bacteria and other microorganisms! |
| Organic Material |
Dead plants and manure are plowed under by the farmer to be converted by earthworms and bacteria into humus. |
| Topsoil | Humus is created by worms and bacteria and contains the important nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. |
| Subsoil | Minerals and soil particles are carried down from the topsoil by water. |
| Bedrock | Broken down rocks store water to be absorbed by long plant roots. |
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Eco Info Only one millimeter of topsoil is created on 2.5 acres every year! |
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In addition to having the enough nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and water for plants to grow, soil needs to have the correct balance of acidity, which is measured by testing the pH. Farmers may add nutrients to the soil or change the pH of the soil by adding chemicals. Other problems farmers may have with their soil are erosion and compaction. Soil compaction occurs when heavy tractors and combines make the soil hard by compressing the air and water spaces in the soil.
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| Back to The Farm Ecosytem |
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