Study Questions for Soil Management AGRY/HORT 3510 No.3

  1. Indicate a few qualities that container plant root media should have
  2. What is the primary reason that growing plants in containers is a challenge?
  3. How is it that plants can be grown without soil?
  4. Give a few reasons why soil is not good for containers
  5. What 4 properties does soilless media need to have?
    1. Why does the OM need to be stable?
    2. Name 2 media that DO NOT hold water well and 2 that do.
    3. Why is a high CEC desirable?
  6. Why OM, soil and inorganic media a good combination?
  7. Indicate a possible soil-based media mixture
  8. Indicate a possible soilless media mixture.
    1. What does each component provide?
  9. In the employment of container media, what 4 aspects of the media need attention?
  10. Why pasteurize a media?
    1. Discuss different ways to pasteurize a soil
  11. Discuss why water management important.
  12. Indicate standard watering guidelines
    1. Discuss the pros and cons of leaching
  13. Why is hand watering not a best practice?
  14. What is meant by “hydroponics”?


  15. Describe Geologic erosion
  16. Describe Accelerated erosion
  17. What is the generally accepted allowable rate of erosion per year?
    1. How is that determined?
  18. What has been the general trend in the ave erosion rate over the past 20 years
    1. why has that happened?
  19. Indicate 4 general ‘costs’ from erosion
  20. Discuss the significance of erosion on land degradation.
  21. Describe the significance of erosion on soil-vegetation inter-dependency
    1. What initiates the downward spiral?
  22. What is the difference between on-site and off-site erosion damage.
    1. List a number of on-site damages
    2. How can sediment cause damage?
  23. Describe how rain and water movement cause soil detachment
    1. What can result from the dis-integration of soil particles
  24. How do raindrops move soil
  25. Discuss sheet, rill and gully erosion.
  26. What is the final phase of water erosion?


  27. Define RUSLE.
    1. How is it calculated?
  28. What is the R factor?
  29. What soil properties determine the k factor?
  30. Discuss the relative effects of Slope and Length of slope on erosion
  31. Which practices determine the P factor?
  32. Which RUSLE factors can NOT be controlled by agriculturalists?
  33. Define water erosion “Tolerance”  
  34. Discuss methods to control erosion at Soil detachment
  35. Discuss methods to control erosion at Soil transport
    1. Name and Describe the 3 support practices  
  36. What 3 factors cause Wind erosion to be at its worst.
  37. Name and describe the 3 types of wind erosion movement
  38. What specific factors cause the SE to be vulnerable to wind erosion?
  39. Describe the 3 phase process of wind erosion.
  40. Describe the effect of wind velocity on erosion
  41. Define the Wind Turbulence factor
  42. What soil properties would REDUCE wind erosion
  43. Indicate 4 control measures for wind erosion


  44. What is the primary importance of fertilizer?
  45. What can be the result of mis-application of nutrients?
  46. Why does an agricultural ecosystem need management of the nutrient balance?
  47. How can nutrient balance be lost?
  48. Name the 4 goals of nutrient management
  49. In what ways are natural resources conserved and used efficiently?
  50. How do fertilizers affect nutrient budgeting?
  51. Discuss “positive nutrient budget”
  52. What are the keys to maintaining and enhancing soil quality
  53. Describe the general differences between the 3 management scale sizes
    1. What is the level of precision, operational cost and initial cost differences between them
  54. What is the current profitability for nutrient management using site-specific management?