WAEC Agricultural Science 1991 (August) Question 6

Question 6

Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition

What happens to the nitrogen and sulphur contents of vegetation when burning is used as a means of land clearing? They

  1. A.are released by burning and lost as gases
  2. B.remain in ash as nitrates and sulphates
  3. C.raise the pH of an acid soil
  4. D.are released into the soil thus increasing the nutrients of the soil
  5. E.activate the soil microbes after burning.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A (are released by burning and lost as gases)

Explanation

Burning turns nitrogen and sulphur into gases that escape into the air.