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NSWAgricultureQuick questions
Core Part A: Plant Production
Quick questions on Soil management and fertility explained: HSC Agriculture Plant Production
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is soil structure?Show answer
Structure is how soil particles bind into aggregates, creating pores for air, water and roots. Well-structured soil lets roots penetrate, water infiltrate and excess water drain. Structure is degraded by working soil when it is too wet, by heavy machinery causing compaction, and by loss of organic matter. Sodic soils (common in inland NSW) disperse when wetted, sealing the surface and reducing infiltration.
What is nutrient management?Show answer
Plants remove nutrients in every harvest or in animal product, so fertility must be replaced or it declines. The key macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. A producer manages nutrients by soil and tissue testing, then replacing what is removed through fertiliser, legume nitrogen fixation, or recycling animal manure. The aim is a balanced supply, because the most limiting nutrient caps growth (Liebig's law of the minimum).
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