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Soils - Part 1: The Origin and Development of Soil
(How Soil Gets a Life and a Name)
Soil means different things to different people. To some, soil is something that must be swept away; to others it is just a material that sticks to your shoes. In both instances, soil is associated with unpleasantness. To the engineer, soil is something to be moved, manipulated or built upon. To the farmer and rancher, soil is the source of nutrients which crops use to produce the grain and with it the livestock needed to produce a profit on the farm and in agribusiness. For some of us, soils provide recreation through the development of landscapes or vegetable gardens. For all of us, soils are the medium that provides the food production that has been so successful in feeding our population.[This lesson, as well as the other nine lessons in the Soils series, is taken from the "Soils Home Study Course," published in 1999 by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.]
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Soils - Part 2: Physical Properties of Soil and Soil Water
Soil may look simple; however, it is an extremely complex system. It
is most often described by its physical, chemical and biological
properties and processes. Soil is organic or inorganic; inert or...
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Soils - Part 3: Soil Organic Matter
To most gardeners, organic matter is like Husker football—everybody
is a fan, but not everybody understands the details of the game. Anyone
who uses a soil should have an interest in its organ...
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Soils - Part 4: Soil pH
Soil pH is one of the most important chemical characteristics of the
soil. For example, soil pH can affect availability of plant nutrients.
In addition, the soil pH can affect the performance of pre...
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Soils - Part 5: Nitrogen as a Nutrient
Nitrogen (N) is one of the most abundant elements on earth, and
after carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O), it’s the element living
creatures need most. The atmosphere over each square foo...
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Soils - Part 6: Phosphorus and Potassium in the Soil
Phosphorus fertilizers are second only to nitrogen in importance for
growing crops in Nebraska; however, the principles affecting efficient
phosphorus use are totally different. Nitrogen is a mobile...
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Soils - Part 7: Soil and Plant Considerations for Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Zinc, and other Micronutrients
Sixteen elements are known to be essential for plant growth. These are divided into two groups: macronutrients — those elements used in relatively large quantities and micronutrients — tho...
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Soils - Part 8: Characteristics of Fertilizer Materials
During the first seven lessons, we have discussed a variety of
topics related to soils, ranging from their formation to how nitrogen
reacts in the soil. In Soils - Part 8, we are going to shift
gea...
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Soils - Part 9: Fundamentals of Soil Testing
Soil tests are part of a four-step process of determining and providing nutrients to agronomic crops. The four steps are:1) soil sampling,2) soil analysis,3) result interpretation and decision making,...
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Soils - Part 10: The Scientific Basis for Making Fertilizer Recommendations
Soils - Part 9 addressed how soil testing works and the
proper method of taking soil samples. The purpose of soil testing is to
provide a rational basis for making fertilizer recommendations. The
i...
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