Agricultural Practices and Soil Health Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is a significant factor for the success of double crop soybean?

  • Sufficient soil moisture (correct)
  • Fertile soil
  • Adequate sunlight
  • Diversified crops

    • Contour cropping involves planting or tilling following the up and down slope of a field.

    False

    What are the three characterizations of crop rotations?

    Monoculture, Short rotation, Extended rotation

    Which of the following practices is NOT part of organic farming?

    <p>Chemical fertilizers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Intercropping is primarily used for cereal production.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    _____ cropping involves interseeding the second crop into the first crop before harvest.

    <p>Mixed and relay</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Soil Health?

    <p>The continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the cropping methods with their descriptions:

    <p>Contour Cropping = Planting following contour lines to reduce erosion Strip Cropping = Establishing alternating strips of crops Crop Rotations = Sequential planting of different crops Cover Crops = Crops planted to cover the soil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT an advantage of crop rotations?

    <p>Increases use of chemicals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Denitrification is a process where bacteria convert plant-available soil nitrate into __________.

    <p>nitrogen gases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Double cropping can only occur with water-stressed crops.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the terms related to soil and farming practices:

    <p>Corn yield = Expected to decrease in Indiana due to climate change Reduced plant-available water = Resulting from longer dry periods Cover cropping = A practice of improving soil health Denitrification = Bacterial conversion of nitrate into gases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What change is expected in Indiana's climate affecting farming?

    <p>Earlier spring soil warm-up</p> Signup and view all the answers

    List two advantages of using cover crops.

    <p>Improves soil health, Reduces erosion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Soil health is synonymous with soil quality.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a major impact of climate change on soil in Indiana?

    <p>Increased soil saturation early in the growing season.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is considered the 'Master variable' of soil health?

    <p>Organic matter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Denitrification can occur under high oxygen availability.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Name one of the nitrogen gases released during denitrification.

    <p>Nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), or di-nitrogen (N2)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Healthy soil contributes to clean air, clean water, and ________ crops and forests.

    <p>bountiful</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the soil functions with their descriptions:

    <p>Regulating Water = Controls water movement through soil Cycling Nutrients = Stores and transforms essential nutrients Filtering Pollutants = Degrades and detoxifies harmful materials Providing Stability = Supports plant roots and human structures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which condition is NOT required for denitrification to occur?

    <p>Abundant oxygen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The aggregation and structure of soil affect its resistance to disintegration.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does organic matter play in soil health?

    <p>Improves water holding capacity, provides nutrients, and serves as a food source for microbes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is hydrostatic potential?

    <p>Pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium due to gravitational forces</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Water exhibits a symmetrical structure.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What process describes water's ability to move up through soil due to adhesion and cohesion?

    <p>Capillary Flow</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The highest tile drainage density in the U.S. is found in __________, __________, __________, and __________.

    <p>Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the water properties with their definitions:

    <p>Cohesion = Attraction between water molecules Adhesion = Attraction of water molecules to a solid surface Hydrogen bonding = Intermolecular attractions due to polarity Polarity = Distribution of electrical charge within a molecule</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which soil type has the greatest capillary rise?

    <p>Clay Loam</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Surface runoff occurs after tile discharge.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define hypoxia.

    <p>A condition where oxygen levels in water are significantly low.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which nitrogen application strategy involves no fall nitrogen application?

    <p>Spring-only application</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Bioreactors are trenches filled with a carbon source that can help reduce nitrate levels in drainage water.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method can help reduce nutrient loss at the edge of tile-drained fields?

    <p>Buffers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The practice of raising the outlet after harvest is part of __________ management.

    <p>Drainage Water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following nutrient management strategies to their descriptions:

    <p>Bioreactors = Filled with woodchips to promote denitrification Wetlands = Natural areas designed to absorb excess nutrients Cover crops = Planted to prevent soil erosion and improve soil health Nitrification inhibitors = Chemicals that slow down nitrification process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which practice involves reduction of phosphorus rates?

    <p>Phosphorus rate reduction on fields with high soil test Phosphorus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Shallow drainage always increases the transport of nitrate.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the benefit of applying cover crops on tile-drained acres?

    <p>Preventing soil erosion and improving soil health</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main goal of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy by 2035?

    <p>Reduction of 45% in total nitrogen and total phosphorus losses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Eutrophication and anoxia conditions in the Gulf of Mexico have been observed since the 1950s.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of total nitrogen runoff comes from agriculture?

    <p>82%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico covers __________ square miles, making it the biggest ever measured.

    <p>8,776</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the nutrient with its agricultural contribution percentage:

    <p>Total Nitrogen = 82% from agriculture Nitrate-N = 80% from agriculture Total Phosphorus = 48% from agriculture</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the interim goal for phosphorus reduction by 2025?

    <p>25%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The nitrogen runoff into the Mississippi River has decreased since 1970.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of strategies does the Nutrient Reduction Strategy focus on?

    <p>Voluntary implementation of nutrient reduction strategies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Soil and Water Conservation Study Guide

    • This study guide covers tillage systems, principles, and their application, soil health, and cropping systems.
    • Exam will include material from previous midterms, but will emphasize the application of principles and concepts.
    • Soil health is evaluated by its continued capacity to improve human, animal, and environmental health.
    • Course evaluations contribute extra credit.

    Cropping Systems

    • Cropping systems are crop sequences and management techniques used over periods of years, traditionally designed for maximizing crop yield.
    • Monoculture is the practice of growing the same crop continuously in a field. While efficient in planting and harvesting, it eliminates crop diversity, degrades soil structure, reduces biological diversity, necessitates more inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, decreases crop yields, increases soil susceptibility to erosion, and reduces wildlife habitat.
    • Fallow systems are systems that allow the land to rest between crops, offering a chance to recover and replenish soil health.
    • Double or double cropping is planting two crops in the same field within a year. Efficient in profit in suitable environments, this approach is more common in some regions than others due to differences in growing seasons.
    • Contour cropping involves planting crops along the contour lines of a field, reducing water and wind erosion.
    • Strip cropping alternates rows of different crops in strips across a field, also reducing erosion.
    • Crop rotations are planting sequences of different crops in a field, improving soil health and reducing pest and disease issues.
    • Cover crops are planted to protect and improve soil between main crops. This method reduces soil erosion, improves soil properties, increases organic matter content, improves soil fertility, increases crop yield, reduces pest build-up, and improves wildlife habitats.
    • Mixed or Relay cropping involves planting two or more crops concurrently, using the first crop to prepare and support the second.
    • Organic farming methods include no-till, residue mulch, integrated nutrient management, and cover cropping.

    Soil Health

    • Soil health is the capacity of the soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.
    • It differs from soil quality, which focuses on the physical and chemical properties of the soil.
    • Soil health emphasizes biological and ecological characteristics.
    • Organic matter is a key variable for soil health. It improves water holding capacity, soil structure, and soil strength; is a food source for soil microbes, increases nutrient cycling, and is essential for water infiltration and microbial activity.
    • Denitrification is the process where bacteria converts plant-available soil nitrate into nitrogen gases. This process occurs in wet or waterlogged soils, where oxygen is poorly available.

    Soil Drainage

    • Soil water potential controls a soil's ability to facilitate water runoff. Gravitational potential relates to the force of gravity. Matric potential is the force exerted by water attraction to soil surfaces (cohesion and adhesion). Osmotic potential arises from solute concentration.
    • Water's asymmetrical structure (V-shape, 105 degrees) contributes to its polarity. Hydrogen bonding and cohesion enable water's movement. Adhesion/adsorption facilitates movement towards solid surfaces.
    • Capillary flow arises from cohesion and adhesion, moving water uphill in soil pores and affecting drainage.
    • Factors affecting soil drainage include slope, climate, time, and organisms (flora and fauna via root systems).

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    Final Exam Study Guide AGRY/NRES 450 PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on key agricultural practices such as crop rotations, intercropping, and the importance of soil health. This quiz explores significant factors that influence the success of farming methods and the impacts of climate change on agriculture. Dive into the world of sustainable farming and organic practices.

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