The soil condition is essential for healthy plants. Many factors can affect the soil condition including nutrient levels, pH, precipitation, temperature, and water retention. Soil pH is an excellent indicator of the suitability of a
given location for plant growth. For most plants, a soil pH of 6 to 7.5 is optimal. When the pH levels are too high
or too low, this leads to a deterioration of soil health including a deficiency of many nutrients, a decline in
microbial activity, and a decrease in crop yields. Additionally, some diseases thrive in alkaline or acidic soils.
Mrs. Brown's class is studying how the soil pH affects microbial activity and nutrient availability. After planting
seedlings in a wide range conditions including strongly acidic soil, weakly acidic soil strongly basic soil, weakly
basic soil, and neutral soil. The class observed the growth of the seedlings over the next two weeks both
qualitatively and with quantitative measurements
The class found that the pH directly affects ion and nutrient availability. Most minerals are more soluble in acld
sous but soils with high acidity tend to have toxic amounts of some ionske aluminum and manganese Plants
which need calcium need moderate salinity Nitrogen and phosphorus are considered essential nutrients for
plant health and growth Nitrogen is part of chlorophyll which is crucial to photosynthesis
but nitrogen cycling is
ted by low pH Prophorus is also important to photosynthesis and encourages plant and root growth
pH values below 55 and between 75 and 8.5 limit the availability of phosphate for plants. Many
its for plant health macro- and micronutrients. These trace essential
affected
High results in low micronutrient mobility, while