Question

What do fertile soils contain, and why are these soils important?

Answer 1

Answer: All crops require a well-balanced supply of the major plant nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). A "complete" fertilizer contains various amounts of the first three elements, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Explanation:

Answer 2

Answer: See below

Explanation:

Fertile soil possesses the chemical, physical, and biological properties required for crops to grow. One of its chemical properties is a high concentration of plant macronutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur (Allen and Pillbeam, 2007). Physical characteristics include a loamy texture and a granular structure that retains enough water while expanding roots. Fertile soil will also have at least 5% organic matter and an active colony of microbes that regularly recycle the nutrients from it (Hoorman and Islam, 2010).

Works Cited:

Allen V. Barker; D. J. Pilbeam (2007). Handbook of plant nutrition. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8247-5904-9. Retrieved 3 March 2022.

James J. Hoorman, R. I. (2010, September 7). Understanding soil microbes and nutrient recycling. Osu.Edu. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/SAG-16