Restoring Fertile Lands Quiz Quiz

Explore methods and principles used in agricultural soil reclamation to enhance productivity and restore degraded lands. Assess your understanding of key techniques and environmental considerations in sustainable soil management.

1. Principle of Soil Reclamation

   Which primary principle guides the reclamation of saline soils used for agriculture?

   1. Enhancing compaction via heavy machinery
   2. Increasing soil acidity using lime
   3. Reducing organic matter with burning
   4. Lowering soil salinity through leaching

   Explanation: Lowering soil salinity through leaching is fundamental for reclaiming saline soils, as excess salts hinder crop growth. Increasing acidity using lime is used for alkaline soils, not saline types. Compaction reduces soil quality, making it unsuitable for crops. Burning organic matter diminishes soil health and fertility.

2. Role of Plants in Reclamation

   How do some deep-rooted plants assist in reclaiming degraded soils in agricultural fields?

   1. By breaking compacted layers and improving soil structure
   2. By removing all organic content
   3. By increasing surface water runoff
   4. By raising salt levels in the topsoil

   Explanation: Deep-rooted plants can break up compacted layers, improving aeration and water infiltration, which aids reclamation. Removing all organic content or increasing runoff harms soil health. Raising salt levels makes soils less suitable for crops, not more.

3. Use of Amendments

   Which amendment is often applied to sodic soils to improve their structure and crop productivity?

   1. Gypsum
   2. Silica sand
   3. Compost tea
   4. Rock phosphate

   Explanation: Gypsum supplies calcium, which replaces sodium on soil particles in sodic soils, thereby improving structure. Compost tea adds nutrients but does not directly fix sodicity. Silica sand alters texture but not salinity or sodicity. Rock phosphate primarily adds phosphorus, not improving soil structure.

4. Physical Reclamation Methods

   What does deep plowing aim to achieve in the process of reclaiming agricultural lands?

   1. Increase immediate nutrient levels without disturbing structure
   2. Seal the soil surface to reduce evaporation
   3. Break up compacted hardpans to enhance root penetration
   4. Spread pests evenly throughout the soil

   Explanation: Deep plowing breaks up hardpans and compaction, allowing roots and water to penetrate deeper, assisting reclamation. Sealing the surface is not a goal and can exacerbate crusting. Spreading pests is detrimental. While deep plowing might increase mineralization, its main purpose is to improve structure.

5. Environmental Impact Considerations

   Why is careful water management essential during soil reclamation in agriculture?

   1. It makes soils permanently acidic
   2. It increases weed growth deliberately
   3. It ensures faster machine operation
   4. It prevents nutrient leaching and downstream pollution

   Explanation: Careful water management is necessary to avoid excessive leaching of nutrients, which can pollute waterways. Faster machine operation is unrelated to water strategy. Increasing weed growth is generally undesirable. Making soils permanently acidic is not an intended outcome of sound water management.