Agricultural Engineering Question:

The quality of a soil is usually determined by examining its fertility and texture. A soil's fertility is determined by a combination of essential nutrients and a pH that makes these nutrients available to the plants. The basic nutrients required by plants are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Nitrogen is responsible for the healthy growth of the plant's leaf and stem, phosphorous is important for the root growth of the plant, and potassium is required for the overall health of the plant, keeping the plant growing and boosting its immune system. In addition to these three nutrients, plants also require trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, molybdenum, and zinc in order to be healthy. The pH of a soil tells us its acidity or alkalinity level and is measured on a scale between 1.0 and 14.0. A pH level of 7.0 is considered neutral. Soil with a pH higher than 7.0 is considered acidic and soil with a pH higher than 7.0 is considered to be alkaline.