Consider The Following Scenario: You Are The Director Of SUS ✓ Solved

Consider the following scenario: You are the director of Sus

Consider the following scenario: You are the director of Sustainability Solutions, Inc., a scientific research and consulting firm. Your new client is a family that recently purchased a horticultural farm just outside of your hometown. The farm has had several years of crop failure. Your client’s goal is to incorporate sustainable soil and agricultural practices to improve the soil fertility of the farm. Your client wishes to grow a variety of horticultural crops including tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, and sunflowers.

Your client has already had the soil tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The soil test shows that sustainable soil management practices were not followed. The soil is highly compacted and dry. There are low percentages of soil biota, including few species of fungi, bacteria, and beneficial nematodes. Arthropods appear to be missing altogether. Harmful nematodes, bacteria, and parasitic fungi were also detected. The A horizon soil profile is thin and contains little organic matter. In addition, there is a very high carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio). The client has asked you if adding nitrogen will balance the high C:N ratio. Write a 750-1,000-word analysis report in which you make recommendations for sustainable methods that your client can use to restore soil fertility.

Your analysis report should: Explain how key agricultural practices maintain soil fertility by promoting the following: soil organisms, soil organic matter, soil water, nutrient cycling, plant growth. Describe mycorrhizal fungi and explain their role in nutrient cycling and plant growth. Identify steps to improve the presence and effectiveness of mycorrhizal fungi. Explain the relationship that protozoa have with bacteria and nitrogen. Explain how this relationship influences nutrient cycling and affects the plants your client wishes to grow. Explain the implications of the absence of arthropods and suggest methods your client can use to address this problem. Explain the role of organic matter and provide three sustainable methods your client can use to improve soil organic matter. Explain how organic matter interacts with water in the soil. Identify at least three ways plants use water. Identify the role organic matter plays in these functions. Suggest sustainable methods your client can take to control harmful species without the use of conventional pesticides. Recommend specific biological controls. Explain how these controls will address your client’s problem. Explain the short- and long-term outcomes of adding nitrogen to soil with a high C:N ratio. Offer at least two alternative suggestions and explain why these sustainable methods will improve the soil and benefit the plants your client wishes to grow. Summarize the key sustainable methods your client needs to take to restore the farm’s soil fertility.

Paper For Above Instructions

Soil fertility restoration on a small horticultural farm demands a systems-based, biology-centered approach. The core aim is to repair soil structure, reestablish a diverse soil food web, increase soil organic matter, improve moisture retention, and promote nutrient cycling that supports the crop mix (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, and sunflowers). A balanced strategy minimizes synthetic inputs and relies on living soil processes to rebuild fertility over time. Drawing on established soil science and agroecology principles, the following recommendations address the conditions described—compacted, dry soil with low biota, absence of arthropods, and a high C:N ratio—while aligning with sustainable production goals and the client’s crop preferences. (Smith & Read, 2008; van der Heijden et al., 2008).

Promoting soil organisms, soil organic matter, soil water, nutrient cycling, and plant growth

First, reduce soil disturbance and implement a long-term cover and rotation plan to protect soil biota and build organic matter. Minimal-till or no-till practices, combined with diverse cover crops, foster a living soil that hosts bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and arthropods essential for nutrient cycling and disease suppression (van der Heijden, Bardgett, & van Straalen, 2008). Leguminous and non-leguminous cover crops can fix atmospheric nitrogen and add biomass, while non-legumes contribute carbon to soil organic matter. Such rotations and cover crops improve soil aggregation, porosity, and water-holding capacity, supporting plant growth and resilience (Paul & Clark, 1996).

Secondly, inoculate or encourage native populations of mycorrhizal fungi to expand the root surface area for phosphorus and immobile micronutrients. Mycorrhizal associations enhance nutrient uptake, improve drought tolerance, and contribute to soil structure through hyphal networks that stabilize aggregates and promote water infiltration (Smith & Read, 2008). Steps to enhance mycorrhizal presence include reducing excessive phosphorus fertilization, avoiding high-salt amendments, maintaining living roots through continuous cover, and using organic matter-rich amendments that feed fungal communities (Rillig, 2005).

Thirdly, boost soil microbial diversity and activity by adding compost and properly treated organic matter. Organic matter serves as a reservoir of energy and nutrients for bacteria and fungi, improves water retention, and fosters a more resilient soil food web. Targeted additions of well-decomposed compost, composted green manures, and locally sourced organic amendments consistently increase microbial biomass and soil aggregate stability (Lal, 2015; Six et al., 2002).

Fourth, integrate moisture management strategies to address the dry soil condition. Conservation practices such as mulching and mulch-derived organic matter reduce evaporation, moderate soil temperature, and sustain microbial activity. Drip irrigation paired with mulch irrigation scheduling ensures water is available during crop-critical growth stages and supports the bacterial and fungal communities that drive nutrient cycling (Marschner, 2012).

Mycorrhizal fungi: role in nutrient cycling and plant growth; improving presence and effectiveness

Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic networks with plant roots, extending a hyphal surface that increases nutrient absorption, particularly phosphorus and micronutrients that are otherwise relatively immobile in soil. These networks also improve water uptake, enhance soil structure, and contribute to plant resilience against drought and some pathogens. To improve presence and effectiveness, reduce phosphorus overload, avoid sterilizing soils, encourage continuous living roots through cover crops, and apply quality organic amendments that feed fungal communities (Smith & Read, 2008; van der Heijden et al., 2008).

Steps to enhance mycorrhizal colonization include selecting crop varieties with reliable mycorrhizal associations, employing rotation that includes grasses and legumes, inoculating with commercial mycorrhizal formulations when transplanting, and maintaining soil moisture and organic matter to support fungal proliferation (Oehl et al., 2015).

Protozoa–bacteria–nitrogen relationships and nutrient cycling

Protozoa prey on bacteria, releasing nitrogen in mineral forms that can be taken up by plants. This grazing-stimulated turnover accelerates mineralization of organic nitrogen and stimulates bacterial production of exudates that feed the microbial food web. The result is faster nutrient cycling and improved nitrogen availability during key crop growth stages. Maintaining a diverse microbial community, avoiding excessive chemical sterilants, and feeding soil biology with organic matter support this protozoan–bacterial–nitrogen loop, enhancing plant growth (Paul & Clark, 1996; Rillig, 2005).

Absence of arthropods: implications and remediation

Arthropods, including beneficial predatory insects and soil-dwelling arthropods, contribute to pest suppression, soil mixing, and organic matter breakdown. Their absence can lead to imbalanced pest populations and slower nutrient cycling. To address this, establish habitat for beneficial predators (e.g., flowering strips, diverse cover crops) and reduce broad-spectrum pesticide use. Provide refuges, reduce soil disturbance, and avoid unnecessary soil-drying management to support arthropod populations (Six et al., 2002; van der Heijden et al., 2008).

The role of organic matter and three sustainable methods to improve soil organic matter

Organic matter is central to nutrient storage, water retention, and soil biology. Three sustainable methods to raise soil organic matter are: (1) return of crop residues and green manures to the field, (2) integration of composted amendments and well-decomposed plant materials, and (3) use of cover crops that add biomass and fix nutrients while feeding soil biology. These approaches increase microbial activity, improve soil structure, and support nutrient cycling (Lal, 2015; Paul & Clark, 1996).

Organic matter–water interactions and plant water use

Organic matter improves soil water-holding capacity by increasing pore space and binding water within microaggregates. It also slows drainage, reduces crusting, and stabilizes soil structure, enabling better water infiltration and storage for plant uptake. Plants use water for photosynthesis, turgor maintenance, nutrient transport, and metabolic processes; organic matter supports these functions by maintaining a favorable soil moisture regime and providing a reservoir for mineralized nutrients (Marschner, 2012).

Three ways plants use water and the role of organic matter

Plants use water for photosynthesis (transpiration-linked CO2 uptake), turgor maintenance (cell expansion and stomatal regulation), and nutrient transport within the xylem. Organic matter supports these processes by enhancing soil moisture, reducing water stress, and facilitating nutrient availability; a well-structured soil with higher microbial activity reduces drought-related yield losses and stabilizes crop growth (Marschner, 2012).

Sustainable methods to control harmful species; biological controls

To reduce reliance on conventional pesticides, implement biological controls such as introducing or conserving natural enemies (predatory insects, nematodes, and microbial biocontrol agents), applying microbial products that suppress pathogens, and using habitat management to support beneficials. These controls address pest pressure by enhancing the natural enemy complex and reducing pest reproduction, improving crop health and reducing chemical inputs (Six et al., 2002; Smith & Read, 2008).

Outcomes of adding nitrogen to soil with a high C:N ratio; alternatives

Adding nitrogen to a high C:N soil can lead to temporary mineralization and potential nitrogen immobilization if carbon inputs outpace microbial demand, delaying nitrogen availability to crops and potentially reducing nitrogen use efficiency. Long-term dependence on inorganic nitrogen can degrade soil biology and increase leaching risk. Alternatives include integrating cover crops (especially legumes) to fix atmospheric nitrogen, compost and well-decomposed organic matter to supply balanced nutrients, and enhancing organic matter inputs to improve soil structure and microbial activity (Marschner, 2012; Lal, 2015).

Summary of key sustainable methods for soil fertility restoration

In sum, adopt minimal disturbance with continuous living roots, implement diverse cover crops and crop rotations, promote mycorrhizal associations through reduced phosphorus inputs and organic matter feeding, improve soil organic matter with compost and green manures, manage moisture through mulch and drip irrigation, and utilize biological pest controls with habitat features to support beneficial arthropods. These practices collectively rebuild soil biology, improve water relations, and restore soil fertility for the client’s crop mix (Smith & Read, 2008; van der Heijden et al., 2008).

References

• Smith, S. E., & Read, D. J. (2008). Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. 2nd ed. Academic Press.
• van der Heijden, M. G. A., Bardgett, R. D., & van Straalen, N. M. (2008). The unseen majority: soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and health. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 23(9), 468-476.
• Marschner, P. (2012). Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants (3rd ed.). Academic Press.
• Rillig, M. C. (2005). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nutrient cycling. New Phytologist, 168(3-4), 357-372.
• Oehl, F., et al. (2015). Global distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soils. Mycorrhiza, 25(3), 151-163.
• Paul, E. A., & Clark, F. E. (1996). Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry. Academic Press.
• Six, J., Conant, R. T., Paul, E. A., & Yamazaki, D. (2002). Stabilization mechanisms of soil organic matter: implications for soil quality. Ecology, 83(12), 1856-1863.
• Six, J., Feller, C., Denef, K., et al. (2002). Soil organic matter dynamics in agroecosystems. Global Change Biology, 8(7), 875-885.
• Lal, R. (2015). Restoring soil organic matter for sustainable agriculture. Science, 350(6265), 834-835.
• USDA NRCS. (2019). Soil Health Principles and Practices. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/health/