The diagram below illustrates the process of compost making. Use it to answer questions (a) to (d)
(a) Name the end-product obtained.
(b) State five advantages of the end-product mentioned in (a)
(c) A vertical section was made through a piece of virgin land.
(i) By means of a labeled diagram, illustrate what would be observed from the vertical section.
(ii) What is the name given to the diagram made in (c)(i)?
(d) During a trip to the school farm, it was observed that maize plants were stunted and the leaves were yellowish in colour.
(i) What mineral deficiency is responsible for these changes?
(ii) How can the deficiency symptoms be corrected?
Explanation
.(a) The end product of compost making is organic manure or compost
(b) Advantages of Organic manure:
- It promotes the activities of living creatures or microorganisms in the soil.
- It adds more humus to the soil, thus increasing the nutrients for plants growth.
- It improves soil structure by binding loose particles together.
- absorbs heat readily during the day and loses it slowly during the night due to its dark colour.
- It controls soil temperature.
- It helps to conserve soil water.
- It balances the acid/base condition of the soil.
- it prevents erosion by improving the structure and reducing run-off.
- It aids aeration of the soil.
(c)(i) Vertical section through a virgin land
(ii) The diagram is a soil profile
(d)(i) The crops are deficient in nitrogen,
(ii) Deficiency symptoms are corrected by the application of nitrogenous fertilizers, e.g. NPK, Urea, (NH\(_{4}\)), SO\(_{4}\), Ammonium nitrate.