a. State the roles played by the following factors in soil formation (i)Time (ii) Rainfall (iii) parent material
b. Principles which should be followed in a good crop rotation plan |
c. Uses of forage crops
Explanation
a(l) Time
- Determines the development of the soil
- Determines the decomposition of organic matter
- Determines the disintegration of rocks to form soil
- Determines the leaching of minerals to form soil
- Determines the formation of immature or mature soil
(ii) Rainfall
- influences the weathering of rocks to form soil
- Running water from rainfall causes the disintegration of rocks to form soil
- Increases the deposition of soil particles
- hydrolysis of the minerals in rocks to form soil
(iii) Parent material
- Determines the chemical composition of soil that is formed
- Determines the fertility of the soil
- Determines the soil structure
- hardness of parent material affects the rate of soil formation
- Determines the soil texture
- Determines the type of soil formed
b.
- Shallow-rooted crops should not follow each other
- Crops that are attacked by the same pests should not follow each other
- Crops that are affected by the same diseases should not follow each other
- Legumes should be included in the crop rotation plan in order to add nutrients to the soil
- Crops that belong to the same family should not follow each other
- There must be a fallow period in the plan
c.
- For livestock feeding
- Helps to control soil erosion
- Conserve soil moisture
- Can be used as green manure to improve soil fertility
- Dry grasses serve as bedding material/litter for farm animals
- Dry grasses serve as roofing materials
- Serves as cover crop etc.