LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS FOR AGRI.

CROP PRODUCTION 9
FOURTH QUARTER, WEEK 1

Name: Grade and Section: _____________

School: _____________________________________ Date: ______________
Teacher: CAROLINE D. CULIBRA Score: _____________

I. TITLE: WASTE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

II. MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY:

LEARNING OUTCOMES LO 3. Store and stockpile materials

3.1. Store plant debris and waste material produced during nursery activities according to nursery /OHS
procedure

III. PROCEDURE/INSTRUCTIONS:
COPY THE GIVEN CONCEPTS ON YOUR TVL NOTEBOOK AND ANSWER THE ACTIVITIES ON AN
INTERMEDIATE/YELLOW PAPER.

CONCEPTS/INFORMATION BOX

CONCEPTS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Definition of Terms
1. Plant Nursery - a place where any kinds of plants are grown for the sake of being moved or transplanted
later.
2. Plant litter (Debris) – characterized as fresh, undecomposed, and easily recognizable (by species and type)
plant debris.
3. Organic Matter – dead remains of plants, crops and animal residue which undergo biochemical process and
decompose into humus.
4. Mulching. This is the practice of placing mulch materials above the soil such as straw, paper, sawdust, leaves,
and the like to protect the roots of plants from excessive heat and cold or from drought. This practice also
controls the growth of weeds. When the organic mulch decompose, they will turn into organic fertilizer.

Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity in soils. It is another factor that affects the growth of plants. The
pH scale ranges from zero to 14 where 7.0 are neutral.
Soil pH is important because it affects the solubility of plant and microbial activities in the soil. Under both extremes
of the pH scale, plants can suffer from lack of nutrients even if the fertilizers have been applied. As soil alkalinity
increases the amount of available nitrogen, together with some minor elements like iron, manganese, copper and
zinc correspondingly decreases. Whereas when the soil is acidic, it is generally lacking in calcium, magnesium and
phosphorus.
The pH value of most Philippine soil is below 7.0 with an average of near 5.75. Some soils have a pH value as low as
3.8 while others as high as 8.2. The pH of normally productive soil ranges from 5.6 to 7.0. For Practical purposes, soils
with pH value lower than 5.0 should be limed before planting your crops to improve utilization of any fertilizer
material that may be applied to it.
How to determine Soil reaction by the use of a Litmus Paper.
Soil pH is measured in many ways, the most sophisticated is with the use of the electronic pH meter. But for practical
purposes, the use of litmus paper can serve the purpose.
a. If a blue litmus paper is moistened in the wet soil and becomes red, the soil is acidic.

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 b. If a red litmus paper is moistened in the wet soil and becomes blue, the soil is alkaline.

Extreme acid - pH 4.5 and below

Very strongly acid - 5 – 5.0
Strongly acid - 5.1 – 5.5
Medium acid - 5.6 – 6.0
Slightly acid - 5.6 – 6.0
Neutral - 6.6 – 7.3
Mildly alkaline - 7.4 – 7.8
Moderately alkaline - 7.9 – 8.4
Strongly alkaline - 8.5 – 9.0
Very strongly alkaline - 9.1 and above

LEARNERS FIELD PERFORMANCE

A. The Alkalinity and Acidity of Soil
Materials Needed
- Litmus Paper
- Soil Sample from the field
Procedure
- Moisten the litmus paper in a wet soil.
Expected Result
- If the Litmus Paper becomes red, soil is acidic.
- If the Litmus Paper becomes blue, soil is alkaline.
 Student Performance
- Perform the activity and determine if the soil in your field is acidic or alkaline.
- Record your activity.
- Write your observation.
B. The Relationship between Soil pH And Relative Plant Nutrient Availability
Instruction
 Learners shall undertake an experiment on the use of nitrogen in pots.
 5 potted plants are applied with nitrogen.
- Fertilizer rate at 5 g or 1 Bottle cap.
 5 potted plants are not applied with nitrogen.
 After 3 weeks, observe the following data:
 Growth
 Color of leaves
 And other observations
 Record all the observation.
A. Potted Plants with Nitrogen
 Growth
 Color of leaves
 And other observations
B. Potted Plants without Nitrogen
 Growth
 Color of leaves
 And other observations
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Effects Of Soil Reaction On Microorganisms And Crops
Bacteria in the soil, especially those associated with legumes, cannot live when the soil is strongly acidic or even
moderately alkaline. These organism can thrive well only when pH is between 5.6 to 7.3 slightly acidic to neutral
reaction.
Different crops have different preferences for soil reaction. Rice and tobacco for example would prefer slightly to
medium acidic soils or pH 5.5 to 6.1 but can also thrive at pH 4.8. Most legumes like beans, peanut, and fruit trees
like citrus prefer neutral soils. The majority of crops however, prefer moderately acid soils from 5.6 to slightly over
7.0
Organic Matter In Maintenance In The Soil
What is organic matter?
It is an essential part of a productive soil. It contributes to the desirable physical properties of soil and acts as
reservoir of many plant foods.
Many times we think of organic matter as the plant and animal residues we incorporate into the soil. pile of leaves,
manure, or plant parts are actually organic material, not organic matter.
What's the difference between organic material and organic matter? Organic material is anything that was alive and
is now in or on the soil. For it to become organic matter, it must be decomposed into humus. Humus is organic
material that has been converted by microorganisms to a resistant state of decomposition. Organic material is
unstable in the soil, changing form and mass readily as it decomposes. As much as 90 percent of it disappears quickly
because of decomposition.

What are the Benefits of Organic Matter?

 Nutrient Supply
Organic matter is a reservoir of nutrients that can be released to the soil. Each percent of organic matter in the soil
releases 20 to 30 pounds of nitrogen, 4.5 to 6.6 pounds of P 2O5, and 2 to 3 pounds of sulfur per year. The nutrient
release occurs predominantly in the spring and summer, so summer crops benefit more from organic-matter
mineralization than winter crops.

 Water-Holding Capacity
Organic matter behaves somewhat like a sponge, with the ability to absorb and hold up to 90 percent of its weight
in water. A great advantage of the water-holding capacity of organic matter is that the matter will release most of
the water that it absorbs to plants. In contrast, clay holds great quantities of water, but much of it is unavailable to
plants.
 Soil Structure Aggregation
Organic matter causes soil to clump and form soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil
structure, permeability (infiltration of water through the soil) improves, in turn improving the soil's ability to take
up and hold water.
 Erosion Prevention
Role of Organic Matter In Soil Fertility
Soil organic matter is a store house of chemical elements essential to the growth of plants. The availability of some
these elements held in inorganic form is also influenced by humus through its interaction with the organic
complexes.
Organic matter is the primary source of available nitrogen in soil. As the decay of most kinds of organic matter
progresses, some nitrogen is liberated as ammonia. This is subsequently oxidized to the nitrate form. It is desirable
for most crops that these changes be active and that level of nitrate production remain high through the growing
season. The relative availability of nitrogen in soil depends largely on the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in soil organic
matter and its rate of decomposition.

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Crop Residues
Crop Residues are a major source of organic matter, far exceeding farm manures and green manures in total addition
to soil.
Crop residues remaining after harvest can act as mulch that counteracts the destructive impact of rain and wind on
soils and also help retain soil moisture, enhancing yields for subsequent crops.
Crop Residues are materials left on cultivated land after the crop has been harvested. Retention of crop residues
after harvesting is considered to be an effective anti-erosion measure. Crop residues can improve soil structure,
increase organic matter content in the soil, reduce evaporation, and help fix CO2 in the soil.
Straw Application
Straw Application stalks of grain after threshing broadly: dry stalky plant residue used like grain straw (as for bedding
or packing) b: a natural or artificial heavy fiber used for weaving, plaiting, or braiding. 2: a dry coarse stem especially
of a cereal grass. 3a (1): something of small worth or significance.
It’s more than just the leftover from wheat harvest. This agricultural byproduct has a huge number of uses. While
some are quite traditional like the bedding for animals and mulch in the garden, it can also be used as a quality cattle
forage, heating fuel, ethanol production, or even as a building material. Far from waste, straw has so many better
uses than being burned in the field.
Mechanism of the Benefits of Straw Application
The increase in grain yield caused by straw application is attributed to one or more of the following:
1. Increase in N supply
2. Favorable N – release pattern.
3. Increase in K supply
4. Increase in supply of other nutrients
5. Improvement of soil structure

It pays to apply organic matter

Soils without the application of organic matter Soils with plenty of organic matter
1. Poor plant growth 1. Good plant growth
2. Poor nutrient supply 2. Sufficient nutrient supply
3. Low yield potential 3. High yield potential
4. Low profit 4. High Profit

Let us do this!

IV. ACTIVITIES
Activity 1. Make a stand!
True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if wrong.
1. Plant Nursery is a place where plants are grown and be transplanted later.
2. Plant Debris characterized as fresh, undecomposed, and easily recognizable plant.
3. Organic Matter are dead remains of plants and animal residue which undergo biochemical process and
decompose into humus.
4. Mulching is the practice of placing straw, paper, sawdust, leaves, and the like above the soil.
5. Temperature is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity in soils.
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 6. The pH scale ranges from zero to 14 where 7.0 are neutral.
7. Soil pH is important because it affects the solubility of plant and microbial activities in the soil.
8. Under both extremes of the pH scale, plants can suffer from lack of nutrients even if the fertilizers have been
applied.
9. As soil acidity increases the amount of available nitrogen, together with some minor elements like iron,
manganese, copper and zinc correspondingly decreases.
10. When the soil is acidic, it is generally lacking in calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
Activity 2. Let’s Match!

MATCHING TYPE. Match the items in Column A to Column B. Write only the letter of the correct answer on your
answer sheet.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. The most sophisticated method in determining soil pH a. 5 – 5.0
2. Practical method in determining soil pH b. 5.1 – 5.5
3. A blue litmus paper becomes red when moistened c. electronic pH meter
4. A red litmus paper becomes blue when moistened d. humus
5. Extreme acid e. organic material
6. Very strongly acid f. organic matter
7. Strongly acid g. litmus paper
8. Anything that was alive and is now in or on the soil. h. soil is acidic
9. Organic material that has been converted by microorganisms i. soil is alkaline
10. A decompose plant and animal residues we incorporate into the soil. j. pH 4.5 and above
k. pH 4.5 and below

Activity 3. Discuss!

Crop Residue

 Describe and briefly discuss how farm waste becomes useful to plant and environment

RUBRIC/Criteria for Activity 3.

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2 TOTAL
Clarity Clear relationship Relationship Unclear Little or No
between between relationship attempt at all
concepts. concepts is between concepts to explain
evident
Presentation Presentation is Presentation is Presentation is not Little or No
orderly and orderly orderly attempt at all
effective to explain
TOTAL SCORE

V. REFLECTION.

In this lesson I learned that…

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VI. REFERENCE FOR LEARNERS:

 TLE-ACP COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIAL THIRD YEAR, pp. 130-140

 TLE-Soil Management, pp. 56 -90
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ANSWER KEY

Activity 1. Make a Stand! Activity 2. Let’s Match!

1. God is Good 1. electronic pH meter

2. God is Good 2. litmus paper
3. God is Good 3. soil is acidic.
4. God is Good 4. soil is alkaline.
5. I Can do it 5. pH 4.5 and below
6. God is Good 6. 5 – 5.0
7. God is Good 7. 5.1 – 5.5
8. God is Good 8. organic material
9. I Can do it 9. humus
10. God is Good 10. organic matter

Activity 3. Discuss! Answers may vary.

Development Team of the Activity Sheet

VITALIANO C. TORREFRANCA JR., SST II
KEZIA L. TORREFRANCA, SST III

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