Question

Fertility of soil is measured by its ability to
A.Retain nutrients
B.Hold organic materials
C.Hold water
D.Support life

Answer 1

Hint: Fertility of soil has various aspects and is a major concern for the farmers these days due to its importance in growth of agricultural crops and increased crop yield and quality.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the options to find out the correct option.

Option A: Fertility of the soil is also described by its ability to retain nutrients. These nutrients present in the soil are used up by the plants for their growth, development and repair. However, this ability of soil to retain the nutrients is not the only factor that describes fertility of the soil. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option B: Holding organic materials in the soil also describes the fertility of that soil. These organic materials are used up by the plants and also the symbiotic microorganisms that live in the soil. However, holding of organic materials in the soil does not alone define the fertility of the soil. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option C: Roots of the plant hold the water in order to supply this to the plants during the process of photosynthesis and also for other parts of the plant. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option D: Fertility of the soil is largely defined by the fact that it supports life of microorganisms. Soil having huge thriving plants, microorganism, etc with the availability of adequate resources is considered as the fertile soil. Therefore, this is the correct option.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D)

Note: When the fertility of the soil is high, it provides plant habitat to organisms and results in sustained and consistent yield of the crop benefiting the farmers. Biofertilizers are greatly used these days by the farmers to increase the yield of crops without any harmful effects to the environment.