Soil Basics
Soil Basics
Soils come in many different colors, described by hue, value, and chroma (Munsell color system).
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Color Clues Video |
Using the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) online Web Soil Survey (WSS) to discover the types of soil around their home and to explore limitations of the soils.
ActivitiesWhy Should I Care About My Soil Attachments |
Reduced Tillage Video |
Most insects are beneficial but some can be pests. Agricultural pests include insects, weeds, and fungal diseases.
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Fighting Plant Disease |
Soil has four primary components: minerals, water, and organic matter. Students will study how water can fill pore spaces.
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Soil Water and Air VideoScience of Healthy SoilWater Movement in Soil |
Soil erosion by water, splash, and wind. And, the effects of slope and soil cover on erosion.
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Soil Erosion Video |
The importance of earthworms on soil formation and an introduction to the soil food web.
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Soil Formation Video |
Soil permeability, pore space, soil adhesion, and soil cohesion all effect a soil's water holding capacity and water movement in soil.
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Soil Water VideoCapillary Rise VideoSoil Moisture and Dying VideoTile Lines VideoWater Movement in Soil |
Plants use nutrients from the air, water, and soil to make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. The essential elements are introduced.
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Getting Handle on Mineralizable Nutrients in Soil Video |
Healthy soil is full of life, containing millions of species and billions of organisms.
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Soil Microbiology VideoSoil Macrobiology VideoNightcrawlers and Water Flow VideoBeneficial Soil VideoSoil Microbes and OM Video |
Soil look, feel, and productivity depends on soil parent material, climate, relief, age, and organisms that helped it form.
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Soil Origins Video |
Processes that form soil and how it affects soil profiles.
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Soil Profiles VideoSoil Horizons Video |
Soil erosion by water, splash, and wind. And, the effects of slope and soil cover on erosion.
ActivitiesActivitiesMore Information on Soil Texture |
Soil Structures Video |
Quick LinksSoil Health BasicsAdditional ResourcesREQUEST TEACHER'S GUIDE |
North central Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education
Educator resources were developed with a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2016-38640-2538 through the North Central Region SARE program under subaward number ENC16-152, PI: Natalie Carroll, Ph.D.. |
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Dan DeSutter - Attica, IndianaDan DeSutter farms 4,500 acres in west central Indiana, using no-till, cover crops and manure to improve soil quality while maintaining high levels of crop production. |
Jamie Scott - Pierceton, IndianaJamie Scott, of Pierceton, Ind., farms 2,000 acres as part of a family operation. All tillable acres are no-tilled or strip tilled and have had cover crops planted for the past seven years. |
Purdue ExtensionPurdue Extension is a service tailored to meet the needs of Indiana, needs we know firsthand. Our educators, specialists, and volunteers live and work in all 92 Indiana counties. Purdue Extension provides the link between Land Grant research and Indiana citizens. |
North Central SARESome of the images found on this website were supplied from the SARE Photo Library and Educator resources were developed with a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2016-38640-2538 through the North Central Region SARE program under subaward number ENC16-152, PI: Natalie Carroll, Ph.D.. |