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Soil Analysis Lab

Soil Analysis Lab. Purpose: 1) To examine, discover, and compare the physical and chemical properties of soil. 2) Discover whether your soil meet the requirements needed to grow broccoli. Review Soil. Top layer of Earth’s surface Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, air, and water.

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Soil Analysis Lab

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  1. Soil Analysis Lab Purpose: 1) To examine, discover, and compare the physical and chemical properties of soil. 2) Discover whether your soil meet the requirements needed to grow broccoli.

  2. Review Soil • Top layer of Earth’s surface • Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, air, and water.

  3. Review Soil’s Importance • Basis of life • Filters water • Water storage • Habitat “Our soil is not just dirt, it is a factory where everything needed to feed plants, animals and humans is being made.”

  4. Review Soil Formation

  5. Review Topsoil

  6. SETP 1: Collecting Soil: Materials • Soil samples can be collected in school yard, garden, lawn, flower pot etc. • Use clean trowel, spoon or dull knife to loosen soil • Dig about 2 to 6 inches into topsoil • Do not touch • Place about a cup into paper bag • Record location and name on bag

  7. Collecting Soil Procedures • Place name, location and date on bag • Collect about 1 cup of soil • Let dry out (no need to seal bag) • Note any plant growing nearby

  8. STEP 2: SOIL COLOR, ORAGNIC MATERIAL AND TEXTURE The color, texture and materials in the soil can tell a lot about the soil

  9. Soil Color • Generally the darker the soil the better (more organic materials) • Gives clues to soil origin

  10. Soil Organic Material • Very important part of soil

  11. Soil Texture

  12. STEP 3: Soil pH • Measure of acid/base/neutral • Determines if nutrients are available to plant • Most prefer 6.0 to 6.8

  13. Soil Nutrients • Minerals such as Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus • Key to plant health • Fertilizers (manure, man-made) add nutrients

  14. How Plants Get Nutrients From Soil • Extracted in solutions • Through Roots • pH too high/low

  15. You are a farmer…the soil is your “factory”

  16. STEP 4: Extracting Soil Nutrients • To test nutrients we must first extract soil solution • Use larger plastic tube • Follow directions • Will use this extraction for rest of lab

  17. Step 5: Nitrogen • Key nutrient for plants • Green leaves • Most common nutrient • Broccoli needs high levels

  18. Step 6: Phosphorous • Critical for root development • Helps grow strong and produce flowers and fruit • Broccoli needs high amounts

  19. Step 7: Potassium • Needed for new cell growth • Whole plant needs it • Without enough it grows slowly • Broccoli needs high amounts

  20. Conclusions/Sharing Data

  21. Name Soil Sample Location Texture Result pH result Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium ** Share your data with the class using the SMART Board **

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