USDA Fellows Classroom Lesson 2
Link to download pdf: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P9Q2MCrLfUry1UYnUU_buynS-BsxIL5yWdt5T0zDOFU/edit?usp=sharing
Soil Texture Activity
- Carefully locate your group’s jar and place it on a stable table
- Mark the layers of sand, silt, clay with a sharpie
- With a ruler measure the height of each layer and record in lab worksheet
- Calculate the percentage of each minerals
- Determine soil texture
Best Soil Texture For Agriculture
Soil and Crops
Different kinds of soils have optimal conditions for certain crops, but other factors also come into play:
- temperature
- humidity
- rainfall
- sunlight
- winds
Rhizotron Project
- Choose a rhizotron with soil
- Use the end of a pencil to make 3 holes in the soil and plant 1 seed per hole
- Each group will be assigned a treatment
- Soil Texture
- Salinity
- Fertilizer
- Compaction
- Place rhizotron in a storage container
- Water your rhizotron thoroughly to make sure the seeds germinate
Next Time…
Review the scientific method and make hypothesis for the rhizotron project
Learn about agriculture worldwide and its impact of the carbon cycle
Start collecting out observations from the rhiotron project