I85PREP
⌘ K
Maharashtra HSC Multi-Skill Gardening (NSQF) study materials
Maharashtra HSC Multi-Skill Gardening (NSQF) study resources

Maharashtra HSC Multi-Skill Gardening (NSQF) practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Maharashtra HSC Multi-Skill Gardening (NSQF) understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which branch of horticulture deals specifically with the cultivation of fruits such as mango, guava and citrus?

  1. Floriculture
  2. Olericulture
  3. Pomology Correct answer.
  4. Arboriculture

Explanation

Horticulture is divided into specialised branches, and pomology is the branch concerned with the production, culture and study of fruit crops. Olericulture deals with vegetables, floriculture with flowers and arboriculture with trees and shrubs. Recognising these divisions helps a gardener select the correct cultural practices for a crop group.

Question 2Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

A garden bed has sticky, waterlogged clay soil. Which single amendment most directly improves its drainage and workability?

  1. Well-decomposed organic matter Correct answer.
  2. Muriate of potash
  3. Coarse river sand
  4. Powdered limestone

Explanation

Organic matter such as compost or farmyard manure binds clay particles into stable aggregates, opening pore spaces so water drains and roots penetrate more easily. It improves structure rather than merely adding a nutrient. Limestone and potash are fertilisers and do not correct the physical problem of poor structure.

Question 3Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which tool is the most appropriate for loosening soil around established plants without lifting them?

  1. Garden rake
  2. Hand fork or cultivator Correct answer.
  3. Pruning saw
  4. Spade

Explanation

A hand fork or cultivator is designed to break up and aerate the surface soil between and around growing plants without digging them out. A spade is for digging and lifting soil in bulk, while a rake levels and gathers material. The choice of tool should match the operation and the delicacy required around roots.

Question 4Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which method of plant propagation produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent?

  1. Seed sowing after cross-pollination
  2. Vegetative propagation by stem cuttings Correct answer.
  3. Raising seedlings from hybrid seed
  4. Raising plants from open-pollinated seed

Explanation

Vegetative propagation uses somatic tissue of the parent, so the new plant carries the same genetic constitution as the parent and is essentially a clone. Seeds, by contrast, arise after fertilisation and show genetic recombination and variation. This is why vegetatively propagated cultivars retain their exact fruit or flower quality.

Question 5Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

In gardening terminology, a plant described as 'annual' completes its life cycle in one growing season. Which crop is grown as an annual?

  1. Rose
  2. Jasmine
  3. Mango
  4. Tomato Correct answer.

Explanation

An annual germinates, grows, flowers, sets seed and dies within a single season, and tomato is commonly grown this way in Indian gardens. Rose, mango and jasmine are perennial woody plants that live and bear for many years. Knowing the life cycle helps the gardener plan spacing, staking and replanting.

Question 6Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

A gardener wants to raise healthy seedlings in a nursery bed. Which practice best reduces the risk of 'damping off' disease?

  1. Using sterilised, well-drained medium and avoiding overwatering Correct answer.
  2. Sowing seed very densely to save space
  3. Applying heavy nitrogen fertiliser immediately after sowing
  4. Keeping the bed covered and permanently saturated

Explanation

Damping off is caused mainly by soil-borne fungi that thrive in wet, poorly aerated and unsterilised media. Sterilised, free-draining nursery medium combined with moderate watering keeps the collar region dry and limits fungal attack. Dense sowing and heavy nitrogen both create soft, humid conditions that favour the disease.

Question 7Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which of the following is a macronutrient supplied to garden plants primarily through bulky organic manures?

  1. Zinc
  2. Nitrogen Correct answer.
  3. Molybdenum
  4. Boron

Explanation

Nitrogen is one of the primary macronutrients required in large quantities, and farmyard manure, compost and green manure are important organic sources of it. Zinc, boron and molybdenum are micronutrients needed only in trace amounts. Manures supply macronutrients and also improve soil physical condition.

Question 8Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

A home gardener has limited space on a terrace. Which gardening system allows growing vegetables in a nutrient-rich water solution without soil?

  1. Hydroponics Correct answer.
  2. Vermicomposting
  3. Mulching
  4. Ridge sowing

Explanation

Hydroponics is the soilless cultivation of plants in a nutrient solution, and it suits terraces and urban spaces where soil is unavailable. Vermicomposting is a composting process, mulching is a soil-surface cover and ridge sowing is a field planting method. Hydroponics requires careful management of solution strength and aeration.

Question 9Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which practice correctly describes 'hardening off' of nursery seedlings before transplanting?

  1. Applying a fungicide drench two days before lifting
  2. Gradually exposing seedlings to harsher outdoor conditions before transplanting Correct answer.
  3. Transplanting seedlings at midday in full sun
  4. Withholding all water for a week to make roots firm

Explanation

Hardening off acclimatises tender nursery seedlings to outdoor sun, wind and lower humidity by gradually reducing protection and watering over several days. This reduces transplant shock and improves establishment in the field. It is a gradual process, not a sudden exposure or an extreme withholding of water.

Question 10Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which type of pruning cut is made to remove a branch back to a healthy side shoot or bud, without leaving a stub?

  1. Root pruning
  2. Heading back cut
  3. Shearing cut
  4. Thinning cut Correct answer.

Explanation

A thinning cut removes an entire branch at its point of origin or at a side shoot, leaving no stub, so the plant can seal the wound naturally. Heading back shortens a branch and stimulates side growth, while shearing is a surface trimming of hedges. Correct cut selection determines the plant's shape and wound healing.

Question 11Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

A gardener observes white powdery patches on the upper surface of cucurbit leaves during humid weather. Which disease is most likely?

  1. Powdery mildew Correct answer.
  2. Bacterial wilt
  3. Root rot
  4. Downy mildew

Explanation

Powdery mildew appears as a white, powdery fungal growth on the upper leaf surface, especially in warm, humid but not wet conditions. Downy mildew typically shows angular yellow patches with greyish growth on the lower surface. Correct identification guides the choice of fungicide and cultural control.

Question 12Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which irrigation method delivers water directly to the root zone through emitters and is most water-efficient in a garden?

  1. Furrow irrigation
  2. Flood irrigation
  3. Overhead sprinkler irrigation
  4. Drip irrigation Correct answer.

Explanation

Drip irrigation applies water slowly and directly near the roots through emitters, minimising evaporation, runoff and wetting of non-root areas. Flood and furrow methods lose water through deep percolation and uneven distribution, while overhead sprinklers wet foliage and waste water. Efficiency matters where water is scarce.

Question 13Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which of the following is a key advantage of adding vermicompost to a kitchen garden bed?

  1. It supplies plant nutrients and improves soil structure Correct answer.
  2. It raises soil pH sharply
  3. It replaces the need for any sunlight
  4. It sterilises the soil against all pathogens

Explanation

Vermicompost is a nutrient-rich organic product that improves soil structure, water-holding capacity and microbial activity while supplying plant nutrients. It is a soil amendment and mild nutrient source, not a sterilant or a substitute for light. Its use is a core practice in organic kitchen gardening.

Question 14Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which of the following is a correct example of a 'catch crop' or intercrop suited to a kitchen garden?

  1. Radish sown between rows of slow-growing cabbage Correct answer.
  2. A pure stand of sugarcane
  3. A block of only lawn grass
  4. A sole crop of mango trees

Explanation

A catch crop is a quick-maturing crop grown between the rows of a slower main crop to use space and time efficiently. Radish matures rapidly and can be harvested before the cabbage needs the full area. Pure stands and tree blocks are not intercrops, as they occupy the land with a single crop.

Question 15Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which propagation structure provides bottom heat and a humid enclosed atmosphere for rooting softwood cuttings?

  1. Shade net house used for hardening
  2. Cold frame
  3. Open nursery bed
  4. Propagation frame or mist chamber Correct answer.

Explanation

A propagation frame or mist chamber maintains high humidity and often bottom heat, which prevents cuttings from drying out and encourages rapid root initiation. An open bed loses moisture quickly, and a cold frame or shade house lacks the controlled humidity needed. The right structure improves rooting percentage and uniformity.

Question 16Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

A gardener wants to control aphids on a vegetable crop with minimum harm to natural enemies. Which approach best fits integrated pest management?

  1. Spraying a broad-spectrum insecticide weekly as a routine
  2. Increasing nitrogen fertiliser to outgrow the pest
  3. Removing the crop and abandoning the bed
  4. Using yellow sticky traps and releasing ladybird beetles after monitoring Correct answer.

Explanation

IPM combines monitoring, physical traps and biological control agents such as ladybird beetles before resorting to chemicals. Routine broad-spectrum sprays kill natural enemies and promote resistance, so they are avoided. This approach keeps pest populations below economic thresholds with least ecological disruption.

Question 17Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which factor is the main reason for rotating vegetable crops from different botanical families in successive seasons?

  1. To ensure the same nutrients are removed each year
  2. To keep the soil pH fixed at one value
  3. To break pest and disease cycles and balance soil fertility Correct answer.
  4. To avoid the need for any irrigation

Explanation

Crop rotation alternates plant families so that soil-borne pathogens and pests specific to one family do not build up in the same bed. Different families also draw nutrients from different depths and return varied residues, balancing fertility. Rotation is a preventive cultural practice, not a substitute for water or pH management.

Question 18Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which of the following best explains why grafted fruit plants are preferred over seedlings for commercial orchards?

  1. Grafted plants need no pruning or training
  2. Seedlings cannot be grown in soil
  3. The rootstock controls vigour and soil-borne problems while the scion retains fruit quality Correct answer.
  4. Grafted plants always flower within one month of planting

Explanation

In grafting, a rootstock is chosen for vigour control, disease resistance or adaptation to soil, while the scion preserves the desired cultivar's fruit characters. This combination gives uniform, true-to-type orchards with better soil adaptation. Grafting does not eliminate pruning or make plants flower immediately.

Question 19Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

Which potting mixture component is added mainly to improve aeration and drainage in container gardening?

  1. Fresh cow dung slurry
  2. Garden clay soil
  3. Coir pith or perlite Correct answer.
  4. Fine sand only

Explanation

Coir pith and perlite are light, porous materials that open up a potting mix, improving aeration and drainage while retaining some moisture. Heavy clay soil compacts in pots and restricts root growth. A good container medium balances drainage, water retention and nutrient supply.

Question 20Introduction to Gardening and Horticulture

A gardener finds that a shade-loving ornamental develops pale, scorched leaves after being moved to full afternoon sun. Which interpretation is most reasonable?

  1. The plant is wilting because of excess potassium
  2. The plant is suffering from photoinjury because it was not acclimatised to high light Correct answer.
  3. The plant has a nutrient deficiency that only sunlight reveals
  4. The plant needs more nitrogen to green up in sun

Explanation

Plants adapted to shade have leaves that cannot dissipate excess light energy, so sudden exposure to strong sun causes bleaching and scorching, known as photoinjury. The remedy is gradual acclimatisation or returning the plant to suitable light. Nutrient deficiency and excess potassium do not produce this pattern of sudden light-related damage.

Question 21Plant Biology and Identification

In gardening terminology, which part of a typical flowering plant is the main site of photosynthesis?

  1. The leaf lamina Correct answer.
  2. The petal surface
  3. The root hair zone
  4. The tap root

Explanation

The leaf lamina is broad and thin and contains mesophyll cells packed with chloroplasts, so most photosynthesis happens there. Roots and petals lack the dense chloroplast arrangement and stomatal supply needed for bulk sugar production.

Question 22Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener wants to identify a plant as a dicot rather than a monocot by looking at its leaves. Which feature should be checked?

  1. The leaf has no petiole and clasps the stem
  2. The leaf has parallel veins running tip to base
  3. The leaf has a branched, net-like vein pattern Correct answer.
  4. The leaf base wraps the stem as a sheath

Explanation

Dicot leaves typically show reticulate or net-like venation with a branching midrib, while monocot leaves show parallel venation. Leaf sheaths and clasping bases are also monocot traits, so those choices point the wrong way.

Question 23Plant Biology and Identification

Which soil texture is described as having the smallest particles and therefore the highest water-holding capacity but poor drainage?

  1. Sandy loam
  2. Clay Correct answer.
  3. Coarse sand
  4. Gravel

Explanation

Clay particles are the smallest soil separates, so the total pore space is large but the pores are tiny, giving high water retention and slow drainage. Sand and gravel have large pores that drain quickly and hold little water.

Question 24Plant Biology and Identification

A plant is described as having a tap root system. Which statement correctly describes this system?

  1. Many thin roots of similar size spread out from the stem base
  2. One main root grows downward with smaller lateral roots branching from it Correct answer.
  3. Roots are absent and water is absorbed through the leaf surface
  4. Roots arise only from the nodes of a creeping stem

Explanation

A tap root system develops from the radicle into one dominant main root, with lateral roots branching off it, as seen in most dicots. The fibrous, many-thin-roots pattern is typical of monocots such as grasses.

Question 25Plant Biology and Identification

Which plant family is characterised by flowers with five sepals, five petals, many stamens and a fruit that is a berry or capsule, and includes tomato and brinjal?

  1. Solanaceae Correct answer.
  2. Poaceae
  3. Brassicaceae
  4. Fabaceae

Explanation

Solanaceae, the nightshade family, includes tomato, brinjal, chilli and potato and typically has five-merous flowers with a superior ovary and berry or capsule fruit. Fabaceae has papilionaceous flowers and pods, Poaceae has grass spikelets, and Brassicaceae has four petals.

Question 26Plant Biology and Identification

In gardening, a plant that completes its life cycle within a single growing season is called:

  1. An annual Correct answer.
  2. A perennial
  3. A succulent
  4. A biennial

Explanation

An annual germinates, flowers, sets seed and dies within one season, for example marigold and sunflower. Biennials take two seasons and perennials live for several years, which is a different life-cycle pattern.

Question 27Plant Biology and Identification

Which structure on a stem gives rise to a new branch or a flower, and is therefore important when a gardener prunes for branching?

  1. The root cap
  2. The stipule scar
  3. The lenticel
  4. The axillary bud Correct answer.

Explanation

Axillary buds sit in the angle between leaf and stem and can grow into branches or flowers, so pruning above them directs new growth. Lenticels are breathing pores, stipule scars are leaf-fall marks, and the root cap protects the root tip.

Question 28Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener finds that a plant's leaves are yellow between green veins, a pattern typical of a nutrient deficiency. Which nutrient shortage most commonly produces this interveinal chlorosis on older leaves first?

  1. Iron
  2. Magnesium Correct answer.
  3. Nitrogen
  4. Calcium

Explanation

Magnesium is mobile in the plant and is moved from older leaves to young tissue, so older leaves show interveinal chlorosis first. Nitrogen deficiency gives general pale yellowing of older leaves, while iron and calcium affect young leaves because they are immobile.

Question 29Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener needs to identify a plant with opposite, simple leaves and square stems for a herb garden. Which plant best fits this description?

  1. Mint Correct answer.
  2. Maize
  3. Neem
  4. Rose

Explanation

Mint belongs to Lamiaceae, which is known for opposite leaves, square stems and aromatic foliage. Maize is a grass with parallel-veined alternate leaves, rose has alternate compound leaves, and neem has alternate pinnate leaves.

Question 30Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener wants to grow a legume cover crop to improve soil nitrogen. Which group of plants should be chosen for this purpose?

  1. Plants of the family Solanaceae with tap roots
  2. Plants of the family Fabaceae with root nodules Correct answer.
  3. Plants of the family Poaceae with fibrous roots
  4. Plants of the family Brassicaceae with tap roots

Explanation

Legumes of Fabaceae form root nodules with Rhizobium bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen into forms the plant and soil can use. Grasses, nightshades and mustards do not form these nitrogen-fixing nodules.

Question 31Plant Biology and Identification

A leaf is described as compound with leaflets arranged along both sides of a central rachis, ending in a single terminal leaflet. What is this leaf type called?

  1. Parallel-veined leaf
  2. Palmate compound leaf
  3. Simple leaf
  4. Odd-pinnate compound leaf Correct answer.

Explanation

An odd-pinnate leaf has leaflets arranged in pairs along the rachis plus one unpaired terminal leaflet, as in rose and neem. Palmate leaves have leaflets radiating from one point, and a simple leaf has a single undivided blade.

Question 32Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener observes that a plant wilts in the afternoon even though the soil is moist. Which explanation best fits this observation?

  1. Transpiration rate exceeds water uptake, causing temporary loss of turgor Correct answer.
  2. The roots have rotted because the soil is too dry
  3. The stomata are closed and photosynthesis has stopped
  4. The plant has begun its natural death after flowering

Explanation

On a hot afternoon transpiration can outpace absorption, so cells lose turgor and the plant wilts temporarily, recovering by evening. Because the soil is moist, drought and dry-soil root death do not explain the pattern.

Question 33Plant Biology and Identification

Which flower structure receives pollen grains during pollination?

  1. The anther
  2. The stigma Correct answer.
  3. The ovary
  4. The filament

Explanation

The stigma is the receptive tip of the carpel where pollen lands and germinates. The anther produces pollen, the ovary holds ovules, and the filament supports the anther.

Question 34Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener notices that a plant's leaves have a waxy, thick cuticle and are reduced to spines on some branches. Which habitat is this plant most likely adapted to?

  1. A shaded forest floor
  2. A waterlogged marsh
  3. A cold alpine snowfield
  4. A dry, arid habitat Correct answer.

Explanation

A thick waxy cuticle limits water loss and spines reduce leaf area and may deter herbivores, which are classic adaptations to dry habitats such as deserts. Shaded, marshy and snow environments select for different traits like broad thin leaves or air spaces.

Question 35Plant Biology and Identification

Which term describes a plant that bears male and female flowers on separate individual plants, such as papaya?

  1. Hermaphrodite
  2. Dioecious Correct answer.
  3. Monoecious
  4. Apomictic

Explanation

Dioecious plants have male and female flowers on different plants, so both a male and a female plant are needed for fruit set, as in papaya. Monoecious plants have both flower types on the same plant, and hermaphrodite flowers contain both sexes in one flower.

Question 36Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener compares two plants: one has a fibrous root system and leaves with parallel veins, the other has a tap root and net-veined leaves. Which conclusion is correct?

  1. The first is a monocot and the second is a dicot Correct answer.
  2. Both are monocots
  3. The first is a dicot and the second is a monocot
  4. Both are dicots

Explanation

Fibrous roots and parallel venation are monocot features, while a tap root and net-like venation are dicot features, so the two plants fall into different groups. The two sets of traits are consistent within each plant, allowing a confident classification.

Question 37Plant Biology and Identification

Which plant part is modified into a tendril in plants such as pea and grapevine?

  1. The root
  2. The seed
  3. The flower
  4. The leaf or leaflet Correct answer.

Explanation

In pea the terminal leaflets and in grapevine the stem or leaf parts are modified into tendrils that help the plant climb. Roots, flowers and seeds have other primary functions and are not the climbing tendrils seen in these plants.

Question 38Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener wants a quick, reliable way to identify whether an unknown plant is a grass. Which combination of features is most diagnostic?

  1. Broad net-veined leaves and a square stem
  2. Compound leaves with stipules and prickles
  3. Opposite leaves and a milky sap
  4. Narrow leaves with parallel veins, sheathing leaf base and jointed round stem Correct answer.

Explanation

Grasses of the family Poaceae show narrow parallel-veined leaves, a leaf base that sheaths the stem, and round, jointed stems with nodes. The other combinations describe Lamiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Rosaceae features.

Question 39Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener observes that a seedling grown in darkness is tall, pale and thin. Which explanation best accounts for this?

  1. Roots are absorbing too much water and pushing the stem upward
  2. Stem elongation is promoted while chlorophyll formation is limited in the absence of light Correct answer.
  3. The plant is fixing nitrogen from the air through its leaves
  4. The plant has already flowered and is setting seed

Explanation

In darkness, elongation of the stem is stimulated while light-dependent chlorophyll synthesis fails, so the seedling becomes etiolated, pale and spindly. Water uptake, flowering and leaf nitrogen fixation do not explain this pattern.

Question 40Plant Biology and Identification

Which statement correctly distinguishes transpiration from guttation in a garden plant?

  1. Transpiration occurs only at night, while guttation occurs only in daylight
  2. Transpiration releases liquid water through hydathodes, while guttation releases vapour through stomata
  3. Transpiration releases water vapour mainly through stomata, while guttation releases liquid water through hydathodes Correct answer.
  4. Both processes release water vapour through the same stomatal pores

Explanation

Transpiration is loss of water as vapour, mostly through stomata, whereas guttation is loss of liquid water droplets from leaf margins through hydathodes, usually at night when root pressure is high. The two processes differ in both form and route.

Question 41Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener is told a plant has a racemose inflorescence. Which description matches this arrangement?

  1. Flowers all arising from a single point at the tip of the stalk
  2. Flowers borne along an elongated axis with the oldest at the base and the youngest at the tip Correct answer.
  3. Flowers borne on an axis in which the terminal flower opens first
  4. Flowers hidden inside a hollow receptacle and pollinated by wasps

Explanation

In a racemose or indeterminate inflorescence the main axis keeps growing and flowers open from the base upward, so the oldest flowers are at the base. A single-point arrangement is cymose or umbellate, and a terminal flower opening first is cymose.

Question 42Plant Biology and Identification

Two soil samples are compared: sample A holds water strongly but drains slowly, sample B drains fast but dries quickly. Which management step best improves both for general gardening?

  1. Add more clay to sample B and more sand to sample A
  2. Add well-decomposed organic matter to both samples Correct answer.
  3. Water both samples heavily every day
  4. Compact both samples by treading firmly

Explanation

Organic matter improves structure in both directions: it binds sandy particles to raise water retention and opens up clay to improve drainage and aeration. Adding more of the limiting texture or compacting the soil would worsen the problem.

Question 43Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener notes that a plant's leaves fold or droop at night and reopen in the morning, and that stomata close in darkness. Which explanation best fits both observations?

  1. The plant is absorbing water only through its leaves at night
  2. The plant is permanently wilting because of root damage
  3. An internal circadian rhythm and light-driven stomatal control regulate the daily cycle Correct answer.
  4. The plant is flowering and has stopped growing

Explanation

Nyctinastic leaf movements and stomatal closure follow an internal circadian rhythm that is reset by light, so the pattern repeats daily. Permanent wilting, flowering and leaf water absorption do not explain a reversible daily cycle.

Question 44Plant Biology and Identification

A gardener must decide whether a plant with showy, five-petalled flowers and a berry fruit is more likely to be Solanaceae or Rosaceae. Which feature decides it?

  1. The presence of a tap root decides the family
  2. The presence of green leaves decides the family
  3. A berry fruit with a superior ovary points to Solanaceae, while Rosaceae typically forms pomes, drupes or achenes Correct answer.
  4. The presence of five petals alone decides the family

Explanation

Solanaceae commonly produces berries or capsules from a superior ovary, whereas Rosaceae fruit types are pomes, drupes, achenes or follicles. Petal number, leaf colour and root type are shared by many families and cannot separate these two.

Question 45Soil, Media, and Plant Nutrition

In a nursery bed for vegetable seedlings, which growing medium component mainly improves water retention while holding nutrients on its surfaces?

  1. Coarse river sand
  2. Well-decomposed leaf compost Correct answer.
  3. Perlite
  4. Vermiculite

Explanation

Organic matter such as well-decomposed leaf compost holds water in its pores and carries negative charges that retain cations like calcium and potassium against leaching. Sand and perlite are mineral particles with little nutrient-holding capacity, and vermiculite holds water and some nutrients but is a mineral rather than the compost component asked about.

Question 46Soil, Media, and Plant Nutrition

A gardener tests soil with a pH meter and reads 5.2. What is the most practical consequence for nutrient availability in that soil?

  1. Phosphorus and molybdenum become less available while manganese and aluminium may become excessive Correct answer.
  2. Nitrogen fixation stops completely at any pH below 7
  3. Potassium availability increases sharply as pH falls
  4. All major nutrients become equally available across the whole pH range

Explanation

In strongly acidic soil, phosphorus is fixed by iron and aluminium compounds and molybdenum becomes scarce, while manganese and aluminium dissolve to levels that can injure roots. Most nutrients are most available near pH 6.0 to 7.0, so a reading of 5.2 shifts the balance against the crop.

Question 47Soil, Media, and Plant Nutrition

Which material is added to a potting mixture specifically to increase pore space and drainage without adding significant nutrients?

  1. Vermicompost
  2. Farmyard manure
  3. Bone meal
  4. Perlite Correct answer.

Explanation

Perlite is expanded volcanic glass that creates coarse pores, improving aeration and drainage, and it supplies essentially no plant nutrients. Vermicompost, bone meal and farmyard manure are nutrient-bearing organic materials, so they do not serve this purely physical role.

Question 48Soil, Media, and Plant Nutrition

A gardener wants to raise the pH of a soil that has become too acidic for a vegetable crop. Which amendment is most suitable?

  1. Aluminium sulphate
  2. Ammonium sulphate fertiliser
  3. Agricultural lime (calcium carbonate) Correct answer.
  4. Elemental sulphur

Explanation

Calcium carbonate in agricultural lime neutralises soil acidity and raises pH towards neutral. Elemental sulphur, aluminium sulphate and ammonium sulphate all acidify soil further through oxidation or nitrification, so they act in the opposite direction.

Question 49Soil, Media, and Plant Nutrition

In a soil test report, cation exchange capacity (CEC) is given as 4 cmol(+)/kg. How should this soil be managed for fertility?

  1. It needs no organic matter because CEC is already adequate
  2. It holds many nutrient cations, so heavy single applications of fertiliser are safe
  3. It has low nutrient-holding capacity, so fertiliser should be applied in small frequent doses Correct answer.
  4. It will retain potassium strongly and never leach it

Explanation

A CEC of about 4 cmol(+)/kg indicates a sandy or low-organic-matter soil with limited ability to hold nutrient cations. Small, frequent fertiliser applications and added organic matter reduce leaching losses. High CEC values, typically above 20 cmol(+)/kg, are the ones that support larger reserve applications.

Question 50Soil, Media, and Plant Nutrition

Which of the following is a primary macronutrient supplied to garden plants in relatively large amounts?

  1. Iron
  2. Nitrogen Correct answer.
  3. Boron
  4. Zinc

Explanation

Nitrogen is one of the six macronutrients and is required in large quantities for protein and chlorophyll synthesis. Boron, zinc and iron are micronutrients needed only in small amounts, so they do not belong to the macronutrient group.