HAVE YOU TAKEN THE LITMUS TEST?Soil pH

摘要

Soil pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a soil. It is defined as the negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration. The pH scale ranges between 0-14 and a pH of 7 is generally considered neutral. A pH of below 7 is acid and above is alkaline.Soil pH is considered to be a major variable in the soil environment due to its control over many chemical processes. It most specifically affects plant nutrient availability due to its effect on their solubility. Fourteen of the seventeen essential plant nutrients are obtained from the soil. Before a nutrient can be taken up by a plant, however, it must first be dissolved in the soil solution. Figure I shows the availability of nutrients across the pH range.