The Importance of Soil in Crop Production

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The ability of plant roots to grow, take up nutrients and water, and “breathe”, is influenced by the physical and chemical properties of the soil. It is therefore essential that these properties are well understood.

In most cases, the soil available for crop cultivation is not ideal. This means the farmer must correct or improve on these soil conditions.

In almost all cultivation practices, plants require soil to grow in. Plants need soil for four main purposes. They are:

Soil is the result of the soil formation processes because of local environmental factors (rain, temperature, etc.). Soil types differ from one place on the surface of the earth to the other, because of the differences in both environmental factors and the nature of the parent rock material.

Different crops grow better in different types of soils. It is very important to identify which soil type is most suitable for your crop type. Once you have identified the soil type, it is important to find the ways best suited to maintain soil fertility and prevent erosion in the area where you are, given the prevailing conditions (climate, rainfall, etc.).