Introduction

Components of soil

     Many people use the words soil and dirt interchangeably; but, fact is they are two different components of nature. Soil is in a sense living, containing microorganisms, organic matter, and insects. Contrary to this, dirt is basically dead soil that is left without the characteristics above that give soil the "living" definition. along with microorganisms and organic matter, soil has other defining qualities as well. Soil's other main components are water, air, and mineral matter. Soil is formed from rocks and minerals weathering; when rocks break down into smaller pieces and mix with organic matter, it very slowly creates the thin layer. as more accumulates and plants and animals decay, it adds to the soil, making it richer. The formation is impacted by parent material, living organisms, climate, time, and topography. When looking at soil texture we focus mostly on particle size, which effects the porosity. With large particles like sand, water falls through; whereas with clay, small particles, it holds in water. The color can also tell us about how rick a soil is. Generally, dark soil is richer than light soil, which can show leaching. pH matters as well because, although soil wants some H+ ions from plants, too much causes the soil to become acidic, which harms the soil and plants.
   

Illinois Drummer Soil

Illinois is dominated by the Dummer soil, characterized for its deep but poorly drained soil. The soil is usually thick, silty, and darker up top and gradually gets darker. The soil is generally good for farming. In Hawaii the main soil is Hilo, which is deep and either dark or sometimes reddish brown. Hawaii however has very diverse types of soil because of the difference in rainfall in different regions of the islands. The climate and soil in Hawaii allows for different farming of more tropical plants unlike the traditional farming of corn in the Midwest. In Georgia the main soil is tifton which is dark gray or brown, and sandy. Soil in Arizona is very deep and well drained. The southern half of Arizona is better for growing crops.

Georgia Tifton Soil

Arizona Soil

Hawaii Hilo Soil

     Farmers should be interested in soil analysis because it can tell them about the nutrients present in their soil and can give insight into which crops will grow best. Knowing what is in your soil can save a farmer time because they will not have to be guessing which nutrients are lacking. It also helps with nutrient runoff because you will not be wasting or adding too much nitrogen or phosphorus by guessing how much to add to crops. Economically it will make a farmer's field more efficient because they will be growing crop and fertilizing them correctly so they will be saving money and producing a better product.