Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
18
Components of soil fertility
What is soil fertility?
Soil fertility is the ability of the soil to sustain healthy plant growth. Some soils are
inherently more fertile than others, and, although soil fertility can be changed by
poor and good management, generally soils have an upper limit on how fertile they
can be on a sustainable basis.
Factors affecting soil fertility
Cation exchange capacity
A high cation exchange capacity means that the soil has a good supply of nutrient
elements available for plants.
It is important that adequate amounts of each plant nutrient are present, or else
the nutrients in short supply will limit plant growth. These nutrient elements can
be divided into major, or macronutrients that are required by plants in large
amounts, and trace, or micronutrients that plants require in small quantities, but
they are nevertheless essential for healthy plant growth.
Cation exchange capacity refers to the amount of plant nutrients available in
the soil.
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