Soil Science: The Importance Of Soil Testing

Complete a 3 – 4 page written answer for the following question and submit your answer to the appropriate Dropbox folder by the due date indicated in the Outline .
Your friend has just inherited some rural agricultural land that is currently being cropped for agriculture. He wants to continue agricultural cropping on the site for the near future and is planning to enter into a share cropping agreement with a neighbouring farmer who has mentioned a variety of concepts they should use to plan for cropping. The share cropper has mentioned soil testing and soil test reports, accredited labs, nutrient management (especially N, P and K, pH and buffer pH), organic vs inorganic fertilizers, fertilizer grade and environmental concerns, just to mention a few things.
Your friend is a bit overwhelmed and embarrassed that he does not understand a lot of what the share cropper is talking about. He knows that you have been studying soil science and asks you to help him understand these concepts, how they relate to crop growth, why they are important and what are the advantages and disadvantages associated with all of this. What would you tell him?
Grading
Written Assignments will be marked according to the University of Guelph grade range definitions published in the Undergraduate Calendar and as listed below.
80 - 100 (A) Excellent: An outstanding performance in which the student demonstrates a superior grasp of the subject matter, and an ability to go beyond the given material in a critical and constructive manner. The student demonstrates a high degree of creative and/or logical thinking, a superior ability to organize, to analyze, and to integrate ideas, and a thorough familiarity with the appropriate literature and techniques.
70 - 79 (B) Good: A more than adequate performance in which the student demonstrates a thorough grasp of the subject matter, and an ability to organize and examine the material in a critical and constructive manner. The student demonstrates a good understanding of the relevant issues and a familiarity with the appropriate literature and techniques.
60 - 69 (C) Acceptable: An adequate performance in which the student demonstrates a generally adequate grasp of the subject matter and a moderate ability to examine the material in a critical and constructive manner. The student displays an adequate understanding of the relevant issues, and a general familiarity with the appropriate literature and techniques.
50 - 59 (D) Minimally Acceptable: A barely adequate performance in which the student demonstrates a familiarity with the subject matter, but whose attempts to examine the material in a critical and constructive manner are only partially successful. The student displays some understanding of the relevant issues, and some familiarity with the appropriate literature and techniques.
0 - 49 (F) Fail: An inadequate performance.