Answer-A soil sample has a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 20 cmol(+)/kg, of which 16 cmol(+)/kg is occup...

Base saturation percentage is calculated as the proportion of the total CEC occupied by basic cations, here 1620 100 80 a comparatively high base saturation percentage generally indicates a more fertile soil with a good reserve of exchangeable basic nutrients, in contrast to soils with low base saturation, which tend to be more acidic and less fertile.

Question

A soil sample has a cation exchange capacity (CE

C of 20 cmol(+)/kg, of which 16 cmol(+)/kg is occupied by basic cations such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, with the remainder occupied by acidic cations such as hydrogen and aluminium. What is the base saturation percentage of this soil, and what does a comparatively high base saturation percentage generally indicate about the soil's fertility status?

A 20%, indicating a highly infertile, strongly acidic soil

B 16%, indicating extremely low fertility

C 80%, indicating a generally more fertile soil with good nutrient-supplying capacity

D 100%, indicating complete nutrient saturation with no further fertiliser needed

E 4%, indicating an almost entirely acidic soil

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