STUDENT PUBLISH

WORK

Secondary School
Agriculture notes

2023
Grade 9 C (Mac Arthur house)George Brown
STUDENT NAME:
WENDY. KILANG

These notes are for agriculture students only and it has been
abstracted from notes written and taught by teachers.
GBSEC

Agriculture Grade 9 C

Strands: 1.Crops 4.Natural Resources Management

2.Animals

3 . Aquaculture

Types of
crops
Plant Crop farming
farming
and and
technology technology

Plant farming Crops

practices and
management
system
soil

Types of crop farming and

plants management
/crops system

What is the study of soil?

What is Soil?
1. Soil Science is a branch of agriculture that studies soil as the natural material on the
surface of the earth in which plants grow on. It is made up of tiny particles of rocks,
dead and living plants, and animals.
2. Inorder for plants to grow well on the soil, the must have nutrients.
3. Some ways/method to give nutrients back to the soil are:

-Crop rotation -fertilizers 1.Inorganic

-Bush fallow 2.Organic

-Applying mulch

-Animal manure

1
 GBSEC

HOW IS SOIL FORMED?

-Soil is made through the process of weathering, the breaking down of rocks on the upper layer of the
solid mass of the earth. This rock is called Parent Materials. This process takes hundreds or thousands of
years.

Water &
ice

Plants or
Carbonation
Animals 5 things that
causes
weathering to
take place

Heat of the
Cooling sun

Topic: What is in a soil?

The soil is made up of components these components are:

1. Air 4.Organic matter

2. Water 3.Inorganic matter (minerals)

Air 25%

Inorganic
Water25%
matter45%

Organic
matter 5%

2
GBSEC

NAME OF SOIL COMPONENT FUNCTION

SOIL WATER  FOUND IN PORES BETWEEN SOIL PARTICLES

 IMPORTANT SOURCE OF FOOD( NUTRIENT )
 HELPS COOL PLANT
 ENABLES PLANT TO BE FIRM & RETAIN THEIR FORMS
AND SHAPES
 INVOLVES IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS
SOIL AIR  MADE UP OF SEVERAL GASES (O2,CO2,N)
 MORE AIR LESS WATER, LESS AIR MORE WATER
 LIVING ORGANISMS USED AIR FOR RESPIRATION
 NITROGEN IS USED BY NITRO FIXING BACTERIA IN
LEGIUMES TO PRODUCE PROTEIN
ORGANIC MATTER  COMES FROM THE REMAINS OF DEAD PLANTS OR
ANIMALS

 MAKES THE SOIL BLACK IN COLOR, WHICH

When organic matter is
placed on the soil as mulch,
it provides these main
functions
INORGANIC MATTER ( MINERAL MATTER )
MEANS IT IS RICH WITH NUTRIENTS. SOIL WITH
NO ORGANIC MATTER ARE LIGHT IN COLOR
 A SOURCE OF MANY PLANT NUTRIENTS
INCLUDING:
-NITROGEN
-PHOSPHORUS
-SULPHUR
 IMPROVES THE STRUCTURE OF THE SOIL
 MAIN SOURCE OF CARBON AND ENERGY FOR
MANY MICRO-SCOPIC SOIL
ORGANISMS(HETEROTROPHIC MICRO-
ORGANISMS
 PROTECTS THE SOIL BY REDUCING SOIL
EROSION
 IMPROVES SOIL STRUCTURE
 REDUCES SOIL TEMPERATURE
 DOES NOT ALLOW WEEDS TO GROW
 REDUCE THE FORCE OF RAINDROPS
 ABSORBS AND RETAIN WATER
 IMPROVE SOIL HABITATS
 MADE UP OF PARTICLES OF ROCKS AND
MINERALS, THE MINERALS OF DIFFERENT SIZE
CONSIST OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS &
COMPOUNDS

 SINCE MINERALS ARE A PART OF THE SOIL, ITS

MAIN FUNCTION IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR
THE REST OF THE SOIL AROUND IT.

3
GBSEC

LIVING THINGS IN THE SOIL

Living organisms in the soil are grouped into two categories,

 Macro-organisms- organisms that can be seen with the eye.

e.g., Earth worms, Centipedes, Millipedes etc…
 Micro-organisms-organisms that cannot be seen with the eye, but with a microscope.
e.g.; Bacteria, Protozoa, Virus, Fungus etc…

THE SOIL IS MADE UP OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OR ASPECTS THAT WE CAN SEE AND FEEL .

FIVE MAIN PHYSICAL PROPERTIES O F SOIL ARE;

1 .SOIL TEXTURE

2 .SOIL STRUCTURE

3. SOIL COLOR

4.SOIL POROSITY

5.SOIL PERMEABILITY

1.SOIL TEXTURE

 Refers to the relative porpotions or perentage of the mineral particles(Slit,Sand,Clay)that makes up

the soil.

 SANDY SOIL 70%

 CLAY SOIL 35%

 LOAM SOIL IS A MIXTURE OF SAND, SLIT AND CLAY

I. SANDY PARTICLES-A large, irregular, and uneven shape. Sandy soil particles do not fit
closely in a soil and has a lot of pore space between them. They allow water to flow
through which have rapid drainage, and does not retain water or nutrients. Crops do not
grow well on sandy soil but, peanuts, banana or ground nuts grow well on it.

II. SILT PARTICLES-Silt particles are smaller in diameter of size than sand particles. The
particles are a bit closely together than that of sand partcles.This reduces the drainage

4
GBSEC

rate of the soil .Slit holds the greatest of water available for plants, but prone to erosion
and may require management practices to control erosion.

III. CLAY PARTICLES-Clay particles are smallest particles in the soil. When placed together
clay particles fit closely, creating very small pores. Clay particles have the slowest rate of
drainage.

IV. LOAM SOIL-Loam soil are the best because they consist of a mixture of clay, sand and
organic matter.

HOW TO DETERMINE SOIL TEXTURE USING THE FOUR METHODS;

1. Feel method

2. Molding method

3. Sedimentation or hydrometer methods

4. Sieve method

Classification of soil mineral particles by size;

DIAMETER OF SOIL PARTICLES NAME OF SOIL PARTICLES

Over 2.00mm Stones and gravels

0.20-2.00mm Coast sand

0.02-0.20mm Fine Sand

0.0002-0.02mm silt

Below 0.002mm Clay

2. SOIL STRUCTURE
 Refers to the structure arrangement of primary soil particles or units called pods. Soil can naturally
be formed into structures with each describe terms such as;
 Aggregates
 Crumbs
 Blocks
 Prism
 Granuallss
5
 GBSEC

 A clod is also a description of the structure of a solid, but clods are formed artificially.
 Good soil can improve drainage and encourage good root growth in soils with increasing clay
percentage

3. SOIL COLOR

 The color of the soil is usually determined by looking at the soil and comparing its
color. Soil varies a lot and depends on two major factors;
1. The amount and type organic matter in the soil
2. The amount and state of iron compounds in the soil.
 A soil that is dark in color is more likely to have high amounts of organic matter and
rich in nutrients.
 Soils that are reddish in color contain high amount of iron oxide.
 NUTRIENTS; Elements of soil
 Plants need a large amount of nutrients and small amount of nutrients. These
nutrients are grouped into two groups;
1. Macronutrients: are all essential to plants
2. Micronutrients :nutrients that are needed in small amounts

Macronutrients Micronutrients
1.Carbon -C 1.Iron-Fe
2.Hydrogen-H 2.Manganese -Ma
3.Oxygen-O 3.Boron-B
4.Nitrogen-N 4..Zinc-Zi
5.Phosphorus -P 5.Copper-Cu
6.Potassium-K 6.Molybdenum
7.Magnesium -Mg 7.Chlorine-Cl
8.Calcium-Ca

9.Sulfur-S

6
GBSEC


 Some elements and there function is shown on the table below:

Element Name Function

Nitrogen Growth of plant parts
Phosphorus Seeds, roots
Potassium Stalks and disease resistance
Iron Energy, Chlorophyll
Sulfur Energy transfer
Calcium Cell walls
 Elements are regarded as essential in a plant, it must fulfill the following conditions ;
1. It must be required for the normal plant growth and completion of the cycle of
the plant.
2. It cannot be replaced by another element under normal plant growth.
3. It must play a biological role in the plants, such as farming parts of structure
or perform a certain performance.
 When the amount of nutrients in plants is insufficient for the plant, the plant can
mobilize or move some elements from where they are present and sends the
nutrients to where they are needed in the plant.
 Nutrients that can move are called mobilized elements.
 Nutrients that cannot move or are fixed in one location are called immobilize
elements.

 Some younger plants have deficiency symptoms , this happens when some nutrients
or elements are not present in plants.

 Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen are usually the only elements that are always
present in plants and are not lacking in plants.

7
GBSEC

 The table below shows the nutrients or elements that plants lack and
their signs of deficiency.

Name of element Signs of Deficiency

Nitrogen -Older leaves of plants become light green or yellow in color;
the yellow starts from the leaf and progress along the
midribs.
-Standard growth
Phosphorus -Older leaves develop purple color
-Plants develop short or thin stems
Potassium -Older leaves turn yellow
-Plants are sturted
Magnesium -Older leaves turn yellow between leaf veins
-Plants sturted and have short thin stems.
Calcium -Young plant parts do not grow properly(root tips & shoot
tips)
-Young leaves may not open
Sulfur -Yellow in young and old leaves

4.SOIL POROSITY
 The rate at which soil absorbs and let water drained.

5.SOIL PERMEABILITY
 The ability to let water flow through .

ACTIVITIES:
Pg1-3
1.How is soil formed?

8
GBSEC

2. List five things that cause weathering to take place.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
3.List down the factors that cause soil formation.
4.Explain the process of photosynthesis and write its word equation .
5.Explain the respiration and write its word equation.
6.How do nitrogen get into our bodies since we cannot get it in gases
form?

Pg4-8
1. What function does mulch(Om)performed in the soil?
2. Define the following and give examples of each if necessary ;
 Macro-organisms-
 Micro-organisms-
 Flora-
 Fauna-
 Mineral/Organic matter-
 Organic matter-
 Decomposition -

3.What is a soil profile?

9
GBSEC

4.Label the parts of this soil profile

10
GBSEC

Topic: Importance of soil to plant growth

5.Explain how these gases are useful to plants and animals.

(Carbon dioxide ,Oxygen & Nitrogen).

6.Name two types of Micro-organism that helps to decompose

plants and animals.
1.
2.
7.Name some plants that are used as medical plants and what
sickness can they cure.




Topic: Function of nutrient element in plants

1.Match these words to their definitions by choosing the words
from the word lists and write it next to its definition.
Immobile elements, Essential nutrients elements, Micro-
nutrients, Macro-nutrients, Mobile elements, Deficiency
symptoms
11
GBSEC

Words Definition’s
Elements fixed in one location
,and does not move.
This are signs shown when
nutrients elements are lacking
in plants or the soil where
plants grow.
Nutrients required by plants in
relatively large amounts.
An element that is required for
normal growth and development
of plants.
Nutrients that are needed by
plants in relatively small
amounts.
Nutrient that can move from one
part of a plant to another ,where
it is needed.

12
GBSEC

Topic: Type of fertilizer

 A fertilizer is a type of plant spread or material that is used for
fertilizing the soil and giving back nutrients to it.There are two
types of fertilizers,

1.Organic fertilizers –made or produce from plant and animal

origin.
E.g. Animal manure,plant remains etc…
2.Inorganic fertilizers-are mined or dug from deeper layers of the
earth or produced in a chemical factory
E.g. Urea, ammonium nitrate ,potassium chloride etc…

 Organic fertilizers are good for the soil. Inorganic fertilizers are
also good but it has some very bad disadvantages such as;
 It can sometimes reduce nutrients in the soil.
 Can cause skin Irritation or side effects.
 Can cause breathing problems.
 Water pollution
 Soil acidity

13
GBSEC

14
GBSEC

15
GBSEC

16
GBSEC

17
GBSEC

18
GBSEC

19
GBSEC

20
GBSEC

21