a. State the roles played by the following factors in soil formation (i)Time (ii) Rainfall...
a. State the roles played by the following factors in soil formation (i)Time (ii) Rainfall (iii) parent material
b. Principles which should be followed in a good crop rotation plan |
c.Uses of forage crops
Explanation
a(l)Time
- Determines the development of the soil
- Determines the decomposition of organic matter
- Determines the disintegration of rocks to form soil
- Determines the leaching of minerals to form soil
- Determines the formation of immature or mature soil
(ii) Rainfall
- influences the weathering of rocks to form soil
- Running water from rainfall causes the disintegration of rocks to form soil
- Increases the deposition of soil particles
- hydrolysis of the minerals in rocks to form soil
(iii) Parent material
- Determines the chemical composition of soil that is formed
- Determines the fertility of the soil
- Determines the soil structure
- hardness of parent material affects the rate of soil formation
- Determines the soil texture
- Determines the type of soil formed
b.
-Shallow-rooted crops should not follow each other
- Crops that are attacked by the same pests should not follow each other
- Crops that are affected by the same diseases should not follow each other
- Legumes should be included in the crop rotation plan in order to add nutrients to the soil
- Crops that belong to the same family should not follow each other
- There must be a fallow period in the plan
c.
- For livestock feeding
- Helps to control soil erosion
- Conserve soil moisture
- Can be used as green manure to improve soil fertility
- Dry grasses serve as bedding material/litter for farm animals
- Dry grasses serve as roofing materials
- Serves as cover crop etc.