12.2: Terms — Read — Invisible Network

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Aggregates	“Clumps” in the soil; see soil structure definition.
Clay	Smallest particle in soil; has high nutrient holding capacity.
Compost	A type of organic matter that builds soil structure and assists in retaining moisture and nutrients.
Cover cropping	Crop used to benefit the soil rather than the main crop species.
Fertilizer analysis	N-P-K content of a bag of fertilizer; shown in percentages by weight.
Granular aggregation	Interaction of small soil aggregates; it is important to have a mixture of large and small holes between the aggregates to allow for water and gas exchange.
Green manure	Crop grown to purposefully be tilled back into the soil to increase the organic matter (and thus change the soil structure); can also smother weeds.
Humus	Sticky material made from organic matter that helps bind soil particles together into aggregates; can absorb and hold up to 6x its weight in water, releases nitrogen, and holds positively charged cations for plant growth.
Nitrogen (N)	One of the most important elements for plant growth (by quantity); a key element found in protein.
Organic molecule	Chemical compound associated with living organisms that contain carbon atoms.
Organic material/matter	Material that has come from a recently living organism (such as plants) that may be partially or fully decomposed.
Phosphorus (P)	One of the most important elements for plant growth (by quantity); a key component in energy transfer molecules like ATP and as part of the DNA backbone.
Potassium (K)	One of the most important elements for plant growth (by quantity); a key part of the mechanism for moving nutrients into and out of cells.
Sand	Largest particle in soil; helps increase aeration.
Silt	Particle of intermediate size in soil.
Soil compaction	When the pore spaces between soil aggregates are compressed.
Soil organic matter	Carbon-based plant, animal, and/or microbe tissues that are in the process of breaking down; increasing soil organic matter improves and stabilizes soil aggregation.
Soil structure	The way in which the soil particles and other materials, like the organic matter in the soil, bind together into clumps.
Soil texture	Relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay particles in the soil.
Tillage	Process of incorporating the residue from the top of the soil into the soil; there are many types.

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