21 Acres
Soil Assessment
Team: Martin Herrin, Melody Hearten-Johnson,
and Aileen Ponio
Water and Sustainability
BIS 392
Location: 21 Acres
• 21 Acres includes a bio-diverse
farmstead with trails for physical
activity, interpretive educational
signage, and cultivated farm plots
used to demonstrate sustainable
and organic farming practices.
• 21 Acres is committed to making
local, sustainable-grown food a
cornerstone of healthy lifestyles
and communities.
Soil Tests
•Texture
•PH
•Phosphorus
•Potassium
•Nitrate
•Ammonia Nitrogen
•Humus
•Nematodes
Texture
Weights
(g)
Wet
Dry
Totals
Texture
Field 1
Site A
171.7
102.6
69.1 Sandy Loam
Site B
181
107.1
73.9 Sandy Loam
Site C
163.9
85.9
78 Sandy Loam
Site A
136.1
89.7
46.4 Loam
Site B
144.5
99.7
44.8 Silt Loam
Site C
158.7
73.1
85.6 Sandy Loam
Site A
162.6
120.4
42.2 Loam
Site B
181.1
119.9
61.2 Silt Loam
Site C
181.5
118.2
63.3 Sand
Field 2
Field 3
• 200 ml of soil was measured.
pH
• Results
- Field 1:
Site A - pH = 5.0 - 5.2
Site B - pH = 5.2
Site C- pH = 5.1
- Field 2:
Site A - pH = 5.8 - 6.2
Site B - pH = 6.2 - 6.4
Site C- pH = 6.0 - 6.2
- Field 3:
Site A - pH = 6.0
Site B - pH = 5.8 - 6.2
Site C - pH = 6.0
• Role
The relative acidity or alkalinity of
soil is indicated by its pH. The pH
scale runs from 0 to 14. Any pH
reading below 7 is acidic and any
pH above 7 is alkaline. A pH of 7
indicates a neutral soil. The pH is
important because it influences the
availability of essential nutrients.
• Recommendations
Potatoes grow best in pH
conditions from 4.8-6.5,
Strawberries in 5.0-6.0, and
carrots and lima beans prefer soil
from 5.5-6.5 pH.
Phosphorus
• Results
– Field 1
Site A - 25 lb/a
Site B - 75 lb/a
Site C - 75 lb/a
– Field 2
Site A - 25 lb/a
Site B - 25-50 lb/a
Site C - 75 lb/a
– Field 3
Site A - 75 lb/a
Site B - 75 lb/a
Site C - 25 lb/a
Phosphorus is recorded in pounds
per acre (lb/a)
• Role
Phosphorus in soil is essential for
strong roots. It also helps protect
plants against disease and poor
weather conditions allowing them
to grow faster.
• Recommendation
Cover cropping either green
manure or clover. Adding bone
meal or phosphate rock will
increase phosphate levels. Bat
guano is also good.
Potassium
•
Results
–
Field 1
Site A - 160 lb/a
Site B - 180 lb/a
Site C - 150 lb/a
–
Field 2
Site A - <100 lb/a
Site B - <120 lb/a
Site C - <100 lb/a
–
Field 3
Site A -110 lb/a
Site B -130 lb/a
Site C -120 lb/a
Potassium is recorded in pounds per
acre (lb/a)
• Role
Potassium is essential for optimum
growth. Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant,
and beets thrive in high levels of
potassium. Potassium is also needed for
sugar formation in fruits and
vegetables, so more sufficient levels of
potassium equals better tasting fruits
and vegetables.
• Recommendation
Cover crop or use compost to increase
potassium in the soil. Add organic
fertilizers such as kelp meal, greensand,
or sulfate of potash.
Nitrate Nitrogen
• Results
– Field 1:
Site A: 40 pounds per acre
Site B: 40 pounds per acre
Site C: 40 pounds per acre
– Field 2:
Site A: 20 pounds per acre
Site B: 40 pounds per acre
Site C: 20 pounds per acre
– Field 3:
Site A: 40 pounds per acre
Site B: 40 pounds per acre
Site C: 20 pounds per acre
• Role
Nitrogen is essential to all crops
success.
• Recommendation
•Fertilizers… No Way!
•Sod, alfalfa grasses…Oh Yay!
Sod offers the soil the chance to
decompose organic matter as
opposed to using N fertilizers
made from fossil fuels.
Presence of Nitrate Nitrogen
• Nitrogen is essential
the success of any
crop.
• We observed
Rhizobium
bacteria() on the
crop roots at 21
Acres.
Nematodes
• We discovered
Nematodes in the soil at
21 Acres!
• Nematodes are an
excellent source of
plant-available Nitrogen
production in the soil.
Ammonia Nitrate
• Role
• Results
– Field 1
Site A: Very Low
Site B: Very Low
Site C: Very Low
– Field 2
Site A: Very Low
Site B: Very Low
Site C: Very Low
– Field 3
Site A: Very Low
Site B: Very Low
Site C: Very Low
Ammonia is another form of
nitrogen.
In forest soils ammonia is the most
abundant form of nitrogen. If there
is an adequate rate of nitrogen
transformation, the humus layers of
a forest soil will produce excessive
concentrations of ammonia
nitrogen.
• Recommendation
Cover cropping and Green manure
crops.
Humus
• Results
– Field 1
Site A: 1
Site B: 1
Site C: 2
–
Field 2
Site A: 1
Site B: 1
Site C: 1
–
Field 3
Site A: 1
Site B: 2
Site C: 2
Scale:
1-low, 2-Medium, 3-High (Agricultural
soils)
2-Low, 3-Medium, 4, high (Garden
greenhouse soils)
3-Low, 4-Medium, 5-High (Organic
soils)
• Role
Humus consists of the complex
remains of fresh plant and animal
residue after extensive chemical and
biological breakdown. It accounts for
60-70% of the total organic carbon in
soils. It can modify the physical
properties of soil, strongly affecting its
chemical and biological properties.
Mineralization process that converts
raw organic matter to the relativity
stable substance that is humus feeds
the soil population of micro-organisms
and other creatures, helping maintain
high levels of soil life.
• Recommendation
Cover cropping, Green manure
crop.
THANK YOU!
Eat some dirt and Hug a tree,
Team Dirty