ASCOT Library Zabali Campus

Chapter 1 soil fertility and plant nutrition –
Soil fertility defined –
Historical development –
Soil as a nutrient reservoir –
Nutrient uptake from soils –
Importance of fertilizers –
Chapter 2 ion exchange –
Cation exchange capacity defined –
Source and amount of negative charge –
Cation exchange capacity of soils –
Ion distribution near cation exchange surfaces –
Characteristics of cation exchange reactions –
Exchangeable cation suites –
Exchangeable cations as a source of plant nutrients –
Anion exchange –
Chapter 3 soil pH and its management –
pH defined –
Determination of soil pH–
The soil pH continuum –
Extreme weathering effects of pH and cation exchange –
Soil fertility and soil classification –
Effects of soil pH on plant growth –
Use of lime –
Acid rain inputs –
Soil acidification –
Chapter 4 soil and fertilizer nitrogen –
The soil nitrogen cycle –
Nitrogen uptake –
Basis of nitrogen fertilizer recommendations –
Nitrogen fertilizers –
Nitrogen carrier comparisons –
Chapter 5 soil and fertilizer phosphorus –
Inventory of the earth's phosphorus –
Phosphorus cycling in soil development –
Phosphorus in fertilized agricultural soils –
Phosphorus uptake by plants –
Basis of phosphorus fertilizer recommendations –
Phosphorus fertilizers –
Use of phosphorus fertilizers –
Environmental concerns about soils containing large amounts of phosphorus –
Chapter 6 soil and fertilizer potassium –
The Potassium cycle –
Forms of soil potassium –
Plant and soil potassium relationships –
Factors affecting uptake of potassium –
Basis of potassium fertilizer recommendations –
Potassium fertilizers –
Chapter 7 sulfur and micronutrients in soils and fertilizers –
Sulfur –
Micronutrients –
Essential micronutrients –
Trace elements that may be toxic –
Soil testing for micronutrients –
Tissue testing for micronutrients –
Tissue testing for micronutrients –
Micronutrient deficiency symptoms –
Chapter 8 mixed fertilizers –
Grade and ratio –
Major fertilizer systems –
Addition and incorporation of micronutrients –
salt index –
Acidity and basicity –
Fertilizer and pesticide combinations –
Chapter 9 soil fertility evaluation –
Plant deficiency symptoms –
Soil tests –
Plant analysis –
Chapter 10 application and use of fertilizers –
Fertilizer application practices –
Fertilizer recommendation philosophies –
Fertilizer and plant – water relations –
Economics of fertilizer use –
Environmental concerns.

"This book has been written to serve as a text for a soil fertility course at the junior-senior level and at the master's level for students who have had an introductory course in soil science and several basic science courses. We have chosen to cover the most essential topics and not produce an all-inclusive text to serve as a reference book. The treatment is an evolutionary one which considers soils as dynamic, ever-changing bodies.
There has been major progress over the past three decades in the accumulation of new knowledge and development of theories in the fields of soil science, agronomy, plant physiology, and plant nutrition. Thus, the production of this book has been an exciting challenge to integrate the most recent information about soil fertility with the knowledge and theories about weathering and soil evolution, mineralogy, exchange chemistry, soil taxonomy, fertilizer technology, and plant growth and nutrition.
Soils are one of the world's most important resources. We hope that the information put forth in this book will help to increase the food supply for the world's expanding population.
We extend our special thanks to Mary Foth for the graphic art work and to Nate Rufe for photographing the mineral models."
- Henry D. Foth
- Boyd G. Ellis