Name Date
Soil Analysis Lab
Directions: Investigate to determine the best soil type and additives to use for three
different crops. Make a recommendation to the farmer that takes into consideration both
the crop yield and the environmental impact.
Data Collection
Using the Soil Analysis Lab Activity, you will be collecting data about crop yield and
environmental impact of soil types and adjusting soil additives for threedifferent crops.
Corn
Part 1: Soil Type
Best Soil Type
Part 2: pH and Nutrients
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Soil pH
Soil Nutrients
Crop Impact
Environmental
Impact
Soybeans
Part 1: Soil Type
Best Soil Type
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Part 2: pH and Nutrients
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Soil pH
Soil Nutrients
Crop Impact
Environmental
Impact
Sunflowers
Part 1: Soil Type
Best Soil Type
Part 2: pH and Nutrients
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Soil pH
Soil Nutrients
Crop Impact
Environmental
Impact
Data Analysis
Before drawing conclusions or making a recommendation, you will need to look for
patterns and trends in the data. Write a paragraph describing the data and any patterns
or trends you see for each of the three crops.
© 2019 Pearson Online & Blended Learning K–12 USA. All rights reserved.3
Corn
Soybeans
Sunflowers
Drawing Conclusions and Making a
Recommendation
Having studied the data for patterns and trends, you should now be able to draw some
conclusions and make recommendations to the farmer about what soil and soil additives
he should use for each crop to attain the best crop yield with the lowest environmental
impact. Include the following:
● What was the best soil type for each crop?
● What were the optimum soil conditions for each crop?
● How did crop impact relate to environmental impact?
● If the farmer chooses to grow only one crop, which one would you recommend
Based on the data collected, the best soil type for corn was loamy soil, for soybeans it was sandy soil, and for sunflowers it was clay soil. The optimum soil conditions for each crop varied slightly, with corn requiring a slightly acidic pH of 6.0-6.5 and high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, soybeans requiring a neutral pH of 6.5-7.0 and adequate levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, and sunflowers requiring a slightly alkaline pH of 7.0-8.0 and high levels of phosphorus and potassium.
In terms of crop impact, corn had the highest yield potential but also had a higher environmental impact due to the need for more fertilizer and water. Soybeans had a moderate yield potential and environmental impact, while sunflowers had a lower yield potential but a lower environmental impact due to their ability to tolerate poorer soils.
If the farmer chooses to grow only one crop, I would recommend soybeans as they offer a good balance between crop yield and environmental impact. However, if the farmer is willing to invest more resources and is looking for higher yield potential, corn would be the best choice. Sunflowers would be a good option for areas with poor soil conditions and limited resources, as they require less maintenance and have a lower environmental impact.