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 (B)

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 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Intercropping is primarily used for cereal production.

<p>False (B)</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 (D)</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 (B)</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 (A), Decreased rainfall frequency (C)</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 (B)</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 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Denitrification can occur under high oxygen availability.

<p>False (B)</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 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>True (A)</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 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Water exhibits a symmetrical structure.

<p>False (B)</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 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Surface runoff occurs after tile discharge.

<p>False (B)</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 (A)</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 (A)</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 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Shallow drainage always increases the transport of nitrate.

<p>False (B)</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 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>True (A)</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% (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>False (B)</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

Flashcards

Double Crop Soybean Success

High success in soybean double-cropping depends on abundant soil moisture during planting.

Contour Cropping

Planting/tilling along the field's contours, reducing erosion on slopes up to 10%.

Strip Cropping

Alternating strips of different crops on contour lines for erosion control.

Crop Rotation

Planting different crops in a sequence on the same land in alternating years.

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Monoculture

A single crop is planted repeatedly without crop diversity.

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Crop Rotation Advantages

Crop rotations improve soil, reduce pests, and increase yields.

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Relay Cropping

Planting a second crop into an existing crop before harvest.

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Crop Rotation: Short Rotation

A crop rotation pattern that typically includes two crops, such as corn and soybeans.

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Organic farming practices

Methods that avoid synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, promoting soil health using techniques like no-till, residue mulch, integrated nutrient management, and cover cropping.

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Intercropping

Growing multiple crops simultaneously in the same field.

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Climate change impact (Indiana)

Warmer springs and later fall frosts in Indiana. This leads to earlier soil saturation, reduced available water, and increased evaporation demands affecting crops.

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Soil health vs. soil quality

Soil health emphasizes the soil's living ecosystem function (e.g., supporting plants, animals), while soil quality focuses on physical and chemical properties for productivity.

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Denitrification

A soil process where bacteria convert plant-available nitrates into nitrogen gases, lost from the soil.

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Soil health definition

The capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem sustaining plants, animals, and humans.

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Corn yield trend (Indiana)

Projected decrease in corn yields across Indiana, both irrigated and non-irrigated.

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Aerated soil respiration

In well-oxygenated soil, bacteria break down organic matter to produce carbon dioxide, water and energy.

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Hydrostatic Potential

The pressure exerted by water at equilibrium due to gravity. This pressure is only present in water that is below the water table (saturated water).

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Capillary Flow

The movement of water upwards against gravity, driven by adhesion (water attracted to the soil) and cohesion (water molecules attracted to each other).

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Adhesion/Adsorption

The attraction between water molecules and solid surfaces. This is what allows water to climb up a plant stem, for example.

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Hypoxia

A condition where there is a low concentration of dissolved oxygen in water. This can be harmful to aquatic life.

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Factors Contributing to Hypoxia

Factors that contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico include excess nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from agricultural practices.

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Nitrogen and Phosphorus

These nutrients are abundant in the Midwest region of the US and contribute significantly to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Tile Discharge vs. Surface Runoff

Peak tile discharge often occurs concurrently with or even before peak surface runoff. This is because surface water quickly infiltrates the soil and drains into tile systems.

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Tile Drainage Density

The density of tile drainage systems is highest in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. This indicates a high level of agricultural activity and water management in these regions.

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Dead Zone

A region in a body of water with extremely low oxygen levels, making it difficult for most marine life to survive. This is caused by excessive nutrient pollution, leading to algal blooms that decompose and consume oxygen.

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Eutrophication

The process of excessive nutrient enrichment in a body of water, usually from agricultural runoff, leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

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Nutrient Reduction Strategy

A plan aimed at reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Mississippi River, thereby mitigating the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Nitrogen (N) Cycle

A natural process that describes the movement of nitrogen through the environment. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, and it cycles through various forms, including atmospheric nitrogen, soil nitrogen, and organic nitrogen.

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Phosphorus (P) Cycle

A natural process that describes the movement of phosphorus through the environment. Phosphorus is essential for plant and animal growth, and it cycles through various forms, including rock minerals, soil phosphorus, and organic phosphorus.

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Infield Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategies

Methods for reducing the amount of nutrients lost from agricultural fields during farming activities.

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Edge-of-Field Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategies

Methods for reducing nutrient runoff from agricultural fields by modifying the landscape surrounding fields.

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Denitrification Conditions

Denitrification occurs when soil has low oxygen (waterlogged), high organic matter, temperatures above 59 degrees Fahrenheit, available nitrates, and an acidic pH.

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Denitrification Products

Denitrification releases nitrogen gases like nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), and di-nitrogen (N2) into the atmosphere.

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Master Variable of Soil Health

Organic matter is the most important factor for maintaining healthy soil.

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Organic Matter: Water Holding Capacity

Organic matter improves the ability of soil to hold onto water, both physically by increasing porosity and biologically by enriching the microbial population.

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Organic Matter: Soil Structure

Organic matter helps bind soil particles together, creating a stable and healthy soil structure.

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Organic Matter: Soil Strength

Organic matter increases the ability of soil to resist compaction and erosion.

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Organic Matter: Food Source

Organic matter provides food for soil microbes, promoting their growth and activity.

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Soil's Essential Functions

Healthy soil performs five critical functions: regulating water, sustaining life, filtering pollutants, cycling nutrients, and providing physical stability.

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Nitrification Inhibitor

A chemical that slows down the conversion of ammonium to nitrates in soil, reducing nitrogen loss.

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Split Nitrogen Application

Applying nitrogen fertilizer in multiple doses throughout the growing season to reduce losses and optimize plant uptake.

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Cover Crops

Plants grown between cash crops to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and suppress weeds.

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Bioreactors

Trenches filled with woodchips that remove nitrates from drainage water by encouraging microbial activity.

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Wetlands

Areas of saturated land that naturally filter and remove nutrients from water.

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Controlled Drainage

Managing water levels in drainage systems by raising and lowering outlets to optimize water storage and plant growth.

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Reduced Drainage Intensity

Decreasing the depth of tile drainage to reduce water removal and nutrient losses.

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Edge-of-Field Nutrient Loss Reduction

Strategies implemented at the edge of fields to intercept and remove nutrients before they reach waterways.

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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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