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Agriculture vocabulary · Soil and Land Management

soil pH

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

nounCommon term

In agriculture, soil pH means: A measure of how acidic or alkaline a soil is, on a scale from 0 to 14; it affects which nutrients plants can take up.

In Turkish: toprak pH'sı, toprak reaksiyonu

How it is used

Given in every soil test report. Most field crops grow best at a pH of about 6 to 7.5. Farmers raise the pH of acid soils with lime and lower it with sulfur. Say 'a pH of seven point eight', reading the letters as 'pee aitch'.

Example sentences

  1. The soil pH is 8.1, so iron deficiency is likely in the peach trees.

  2. Blueberries need a low soil pH, around 4.5 to 5.5.

Common collocations

  • soil pH
  • high pH
  • acid soil
  • alkaline soil
  • raise the pH
  • soil analysisA laboratory test of soil samples that measures nutrients, pH, organic matter, lime, salinity and texture, used as the basis for fertilizer recommendations.
  • nutrient deficiencyA condition in which a plant does not get enough of a particular nutrient, shown by symptoms such as yellow leaves, poor growth or low yield.
  • micronutrientA nutrient that plants need only in very small amounts but cannot grow normally without, such as iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron and molybdenum.
  • salinityThe amount of dissolved salts in soil or water; high salinity makes it hard for plants to take up water and lowers yields.
  • soilThe loose upper layer of the earth, made of minerals, organic matter, water and air, in which plants grow and take up water and nutrients.

More terms: Soil and Land Management

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