Nutrition
the supply and absorption of chemical compounds needed for growth and metabolism
Nutrients
chemical compounds required by an organism
Metabolic processes
the mechanism by which nutrients are converted to cellular material or used for energetic purposes
Metabolism
encompasses the various reactions occurring in a living cell in order to maintain life and growth
Anabolism
build-up process
Catabolism
breakdown process
Plant nutrition
is a term that takes into account the interrelationships of mineral elements in the growth medium as well as their role in plant growth.
Soil fertility
The capacity of a soil to provide crops with essential plant nutrients in right amount and available form
Soil productivity
the capability of soil to produce specified crop yield under well defined and specified systems of management of inputs and environmental conditions.
loose surface of the earth as distinguished from solid bedrock
geologic definition
material which nourishes and support plant growth
traditional definition
mixture of mineral matter, organic matter, water, and air
component definition
living, dynamic system which forms at the interface between the atmosphere and lithosphere in response to forces exerted by climate and living organisms acting on parent material as conditioned by topography/relief over a period of time
soil definition
Mica, Amphiboles, Quartz, Feldspar, Carbonate minerals
primary minerals
Humin
causes the blackness of the soil from humus
Fulvic acid, Humic acid, Humin
components of humus
Clay minerals, Soil solution, OM surfaces
site for chemical reaction in soil
higher specific surface area
why do clay minerals have more CEC
Adsorption reactions
more important in controlling plant nutrient element availability than the release of nutrient element by mineral weathering
orthoclase, sanidine, microcline
feldspar
Muscovite, biotite, phlogopite
Micas
SiO4
quartz chemical comp
Soil minerals
are the products of the weathering of underlying rock in place, or the weathering of transported sediments or rock fragments.
Humus
When the organic matter is fully broken down, one of the things that is left is
carboxyl (-COOH), hydroxyl (-OH) and amide(-NH).
in humus CEC occurs in reactive groups such as
and also carbon dioxide
soil air contains a far great amount of water vapor than atmospheric air
SO4 2-
sulfur ion that can be absorbed
NH4+, NO3-
nitrogen ion that can be absorbe
H2PO4-, HPO42-
phosphorus that can be absorbed