Fertility of soil is measured by its ability to

Soil health is the foundation of productive farming practices. Fertile soil provides essential nutrients to plants. Important physical characteristics of soil-like structures and aggregation allow water and air to infiltrate, roots to explore, and biota to thrive. Diverse and active biological communities help soil resist physical degradation and cycle nutrients at rates to meet plant needs. Soil health and soil quality are terms used interchangeably to describe soils that are not only fertile but also possess adequate physical and biological properties to "sustain productivity, maintain environmental quality and promote plant and animal health" (Doron 1994). According to the (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service, "Soil quality is how well soil does what we want it to do." In order to grow our crops, we want the soil to hold water and nutrients like a sponge where they are readily available for plant roots to take them up, suppress pests and weeds that may attack our plants, sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and clean the water that flows through it into rivers, lakes, and aquifers. Healthy, high-quality soil has • Good soil tilth • Sufficient depth • Sufficient, but not excessive, nutrient supply • Small population of plant pathogens and insect pests • Good soil drainage • Large population of beneficial organisms • Low weed pressure • No chemicals or toxins that may harm the crop • Resilience to degradation and unfavorable conditions --from Soil Health Training...

Cations and Cation Exchange Capacity Key Points • Cation exchange capacity ( CEC) is the total capacity of a soil to hold exchangeable cations. • CEC is an inherent soil characteristic and is difficult to alter significantly. • It influences the soil’s ability to hold onto essential nutrients and provides a buffer against soil acidification. • Soils with a higher clay fraction tend to have a higher CEC. • Organic matter has a very high CEC. • Sandy soils rely heavily on the high CEC of organic matter for the retention of nutrients in the topsoil. Background Cation exchange capacity ( CEC) is a measure of the soil’s ability to hold positively charged ions. It is a very important soil property influencing soil structure stability, nutrient availability, soil pH and the soil’s reaction to fertilisers and other ameliorants (Hazleton and Murphy 2007). What are exchangeable cations? The clay mineral and organic matter components of soil have negatively charged sites on their surfaces which adsorb and hold positively charged ions (cations) by electrostatic force. This electrical charge is critical to the supply of nutrients to plants because many nutrients exist as cations (e.g. magnesium, potassium and calcium). In general terms, soils with large quantities of negative charge are more fertile because they retain more cations (McKenzie et al. 2004) however, productive crops and pastures can be grown on low CEC soils. The main ions associated with CEC in soils are the exchangeable...

Solution(By Examveda Team) The fertility of the soil is measured by its ability to support life. Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality. It also refers to the soil's ability to supply plant/crop nutrients in the right quantities and qualities over a sustained period. The ability to supply essential plant nutrients and water in adequate amounts and proportions for plant growth and reproduction. • Arithmetic Ability • Competitive Reasoning • Competitive English • Data Interpretation • General Knowledge • State GK • History • Geography • Current Affairs • Banking Awareness • Computer Fundamentals • Networking • C Program • Java Program • SQL • Database • HTML • CSS • Javascript • PHP • Computer Science • Electronics and Communications Engineering • Electrical Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Civil Engineering • Chemical Engineering • Automobile Engineering • Biotechnology Engineering • Mining Engineering • Commerce • Management • Law • Agriculture • Sociology • Political Science • Pharmacy

• Course • NCERT • Class 12 • Class 11 • Class 10 • Class 9 • Class 8 • Class 7 • Class 6 • IIT JEE • Exam • JEE MAINS • JEE ADVANCED • X BOARDS • XII BOARDS • NEET • Neet Previous Year (Year Wise) • Physics Previous Year • Chemistry Previous Year • Biology Previous Year • Neet All Sample Papers • Sample Papers Biology • Sample Papers Physics • Sample Papers Chemistry • Download PDF's • Class 12 • Class 11 • Class 10 • Class 9 • Class 8 • Class 7 • Class 6 • Exam Corner • Online Class • Quiz • Ask Doubt on Whatsapp • Search Doubtnut • English Dictionary • Toppers Talk • Blog • Download • Get App Doubtnut is No.1 Study App and Learning App with Instant Video Solutions for NCERT Class 6, Class 7, Class 8, Class 9, Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12, IIT JEE prep, NEET preparation and CBSE, UP Board, Bihar Board, Rajasthan Board, MP Board, Telangana Board etc NCERT solutions for CBSE and other state boards is a key requirement for students. Doubtnut helps with homework, doubts and solutions to all the questions. It has helped students get under AIR 100 in NEET & IIT JEE. Get PDF and video solutions of IIT-JEE Mains & Advanced previous year papers, NEET previous year papers, NCERT books for classes 6 to 12, CBSE, Pathfinder Publications, RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal, Manohar Ray, Cengage books for boards and competitive exams. Doubtnut is the perfect NEET and IIT JEE preparation App. Get solutions for NEET and IIT JEE previous years papers, along with chapter wise NEET MCQ solutions. G...

Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans, and connects agricultural and soil science to policy, stakeholder needs and sustainable supply-chain management. Historically, soil assessments focused on crop production, but, today, soil health also includes the role of soil in water quality, climate change and human health. However, quantifying soil health is still dominated by chemical indicators, despite growing appreciation of the importance of soil biodiversity, owing to limited functional knowledge and lack of effective methods. In this Perspective, the definition and history of soil health are described and compared with other soil concepts. We outline ecosystem services provided by soils, the indicators used to measure soil functionality and their integration into informative soil-health indices. Scientists should embrace soil health as an overarching principle that contributes to sustainability goals, rather than only a property to measure. Open Access articles citing this article. • • Ari Kurniawati • , Gergely Toth • … Zoltan Toth Organic Agriculture Open Access 04 May 2023 • • Yang Wang • , Qimei Lin • … Jianying Shang Biochar Open Access 07 April 2023 • • Yuri Pinheiro • , Fabio Faria da Mota • … Alexandre Soares Rosado Communications Biology Open Access 01 March 2023 Access options • Ladyman, J., Lambert, J. & Wiesner, K. What is a complex system? Eur. J. Philos. Sci. 3, 33–67 (201...