Identifying fertile soil without a test

Soil fertility refers to the ability of the soil to sustain agricultural plant growth – to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality.

Fertile soil has the ability to supply essential plant nutrients and water in adequate amounts and proportions for plant growth and reproduction, according to Wikipedia.

A fertile soil does not contain toxic substances that may inhibit plant growth.

According to an agronomist and Chief Executive Officer, Tommy Farms and Consult, Mr Olugbodi James, all soils contain nutrients that make them naturally fertile and have the ability to enhance crop yield without the addition of synthetic fertilisers.

Referencing an article by Gbabiaka Abdulquadri, James, however, points out that as planting commences on the soil, the nutrients present in the soil depletes because planting is a process that takes up nutrients in the soil without replacing it unless it is added by the farmer, using any of the fertiliser application methods.

According to him, identifying soil with naturally occurring nutrients that can give good crop yield requires site selection.

He says, “Site selection is one of the essential pre-planting operations in agriculture; you cannot just plant on any type of soil and expect an amazing harvest.

“Crops prefer some soils to others. There are some soils that are suitable for planting some particular type of crops; some crops would thrive well on clay soil but others might not. Why? Because the clay soil is not fertile enough for that crop in question; hence, determining the fertility of the soil is the first step to having a good yield.”

Agritech.tnau.ac.in says apart from the natural nutrient, fertile soil can be identified by its naturally occurring mineral content, including boron, chlorine, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, sulphur and zinc, adding that they promote plant nutrition.

It contains soil organic matter that improves the structure of the soil. This enables the soil to retain more moisture. The soil pH is in the range of 6.0 to 6.8.

Other features are: good soil structure, which results in well-drained soil, and large amounts of topsoil.

According to James, one of the widely accepted characteristics of fertile soil is a dark colour, in some cases.

The dark colour of the soil indicates the presence of humus, a decomposed organic compound present in the soil.

The most important characteristic of fertile soil is the presence of microorganisms in that soil.

When dark soil is fertile

Microorganisms are the living components of the soil; they supply the soil “life” to make it survive and perform optimally. Microorganisms provide the soil moisture, bring air into the soil, decompose organic matter to make humus, help to aggregate the soil to form a good structure, and break down the large particles of the soil to make it even for good anchorage.

The absence of microorganisms in the soil makes the soil useless and unproductive. The simple trick of increasing your yield is to ensure the presence of microorganisms in your soil. Fertile soil is rich in organic nutrients as a result of the numerous activities of the soil’s microorganisms.

What indicates the activities of microorganisms in the soil?

Microorganisms are copious and present in the soil at high density, according to James.

He says, “There is a structure in the soil that shows that the soil is fertile as a result of the presence and activities of microorganisms. It is called worm casts; it is a small structure that erupts on the soil surface as a result of the high presence and activities of microorganisms.”