Media and Soils

1
Media and Soils

• Chapter 6

2
Learning Targets

• I can identify various types of growing media?
• I can explain the PH Scale?
• I can identify 3 sections of the Soil Triangle?

3
Growing Medium

• Material in which the roots plants grow.

4
Roles of Media

• Provides nutrients and a anchor for plant.

5
Nutrients

• Substance that roots absorb from the medium and
  water.

6
Anchor

• Roots hold plant in place.

7
Pore Space

• Air holes between the growing medium particles
  which allows oxygen to reach the roots of plants.

8
Soil Amendment

• Anything added to the soil to improve plant
  growth.
• Vermiculite
• Perlite

9
Soil

• Top few inches of earths surface that provide
  soil growth.

10
Soilless Medium

• Contains no soil.
• Made from
• Vermiculite
• Perlite
• Peat Moss
• Bark
• Can be pre-mixed

11
Hydroponics

• Nutrients are provided by nutrient solution.

12
Nutrient Solution

• Contains water with dissolved nutrients.

13
Hydroponic Advantages

1. Nutrients Control
2. Yield is greater
3. Roots do not spread
4. Reduced Weed, Insect, Disease

14
Mineral Materials

• Come from inorganic sources.
• 3 kinds of Mineral Materials

15
Sand 1

• Largest material in soil.
• Good for soil drainage.

16
Silt 2

• Smaller than sand.
• Areas near rivers are high in silt.

17
Clay 3

• Smallest size particle in soil.
• Holds water well.
• Fills gaps between Sand and Silt

18
Organic Matter

• Decayed remains from plants and animals.

19
Soil Texture

• of Sand, Silt, Clay present in the soil.

20
Soil Triangle

• Used to classify soil on the basis texture
  content.
• Most crops prefer a Loamy soil.

21
Loam Soil

• High in Silt lower in Sand and Clay.

22
Soil Structure

• Physical arrangement of soil particles.

23
Soil Aeration

• Movement of air in the soil.
• Clay soil least air movement.

24
Soil Compaction

• Soil compressed into a dense mass.

25
Wear

• Physical deterioration of a plant community.

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Soil Profile

• Vertical section of soil at a location.

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Soil Horizon (A)

• Topsoil 10
• Made of
• Humus
• Roots
• Organisms

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Soil Horizon (B)

• Subsoil 30
• Made of
• Fine Particles
• Leached materials
• Some Roots

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Soil Horizon (C)

• Parent Material 48
• Made of
• Bedrock
• Leached materials

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Soil Horizon (R)

• Bedrock
• Made of
• Solid Rock

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Plant Nutrients

• 17 elements are needed for plants to grow.

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Macronutrients

• Most important nutrients needed in large amount.

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Macronutrients

• (N) Nitrogen
• (P) Phosphorus
• (K) Potassium
• (Ca) Calcium
• (Mg) Magnesium
• (S) Sulfur

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Primary Nutrients

• N-P-K
• Needed in largest amounts.

35
Secondary Nutrients

• Ca-Mg-S
• Needed in moderate amounts

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Micronutrients

• Needed in smaller amounts.
• AKA-Trace Elements

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Micronutrients

• (Fe) Iron
• (Mn) Maganese
• (Zn) Zinc
• (Cu) Copper
• (B) Boron
• (Mo) Molybdenum
• (Cl) Chlorine
• (Ni) - Nickel

38
Soil Testing

• Determines what nutrients are present in the soil.

39
Nitrogen

• Key element
• Helps plant recover from damage.

40
Nitrogen Deficient Example

• Older leaves turn yellow. (Chlorosis)
• Death can happen

41
Phosphorus

• Helps plant hold and transfer energy for
  metabolism.

42
Phosphorus Deficient

• Reduced growth
• Dark to reddish leaf colorations.

43
Potassium

• Important for plant life process.

44
Potassium Deficient

• Reduced growth
• Increase disease
• Stress of plant

45
Soil PH

• Ph is used to measure the amount of Alkalinity or
  acidity in soil.

46
PH Scale

• 14 Point Scale

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PH Scale

• 7.0 Neutral

48
PH Scale

• Below 7.0 Acidic
• Above 7.0 Alkaline

49
Modifying PH

• Adding Lime will raise PH.
• Adding Sulfur will lower PH.

50
Modifying PH

• Most plants prefer PH of 5.5-8.0

51
Fertilizer

• Any material used to provide the nutrients plants
  need.

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Fertilizer

• Can be applied as
• Solid
• Liquid
• Gas

53
Elemental Fertilizer

• Provides only 1 plant nutrient.

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Complete Fertilizer

• Contains all 3 elemental nutrients.
• Nitrogen
• Potassium
• Phosphorus

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Active Ingredient

• Total of nutrients that is being applied to
  plants.

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Inert Ingredient

• The carrier or filler ingredient that allows for
  the spreading of the fertilizer.

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Complete Fertilizer Example

• 16 Nitrogen
• 4 Phosphate
• 8 Potash
• 28 Active Ingredient
• 72 Inert Ingredient or carrier

58
Application Equipment

• Sprayers for liquid fertilizer.

59
Application Equipment

• Dry fertilizer for Granular Equipment.
• Spreader

60
Granular Fertilizer

• Applied with Rotary, Gravity Flow Spreader.
• Most common way of spreading fertilizer.

61
Fertigation

• Application of fertilizer with the use of
  irrigation system.
• Very fast to use.
• Water and fertilize at the same time.