Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

It is imperative to understand that soil conservation plays a pivotal role in the sustenance of agriculture. Soil is our prime natural and economic resource. Soil supplies essential nutrients required for plant growth. But many nutrients are limited in supply in soils due to chemical, physical or biological reactions and constraints. The soil texture and composition contributing for best soil condition has a determining role in plant growth. The plants absorb nearly all mineral nutrients from the upper layer of soil and this fertile layer has to be preserved. The most fertile soil being loam, which has pores, allows good aeration, drainage and water storage. Inorganic components involve positively and negatively charged mineral ions that forms soil solution which is readily absorbed by roots. In cation exchange, cation minerals attached to soil particles are displaced by H+. Cation nutrients are better retained in soil than anion nutrients because soil particles are usually negatively charged. Organic components are mainly found within humus, composed of decomposing organisms. Humus provides crumbly soil with pores that can retain water and aerate soil while increasing cation exchange and act as a mineral reserve. In conclusion, soil is a reservoir of nutrients with cation exchange capacity that holds positively charged nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and ammonium preventing their leaching loss from soil. Hence, in order to sustain agriculture it is crucial to know about soil parameters and also various methods to prevent soil degradation.

Biography

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