Soil is the main raw material from which all food is produced and so is the basis of all agriculture. Agriculture is blessed with a raw material that, with careful husbandry and supplementation of some of its ingredients, will regenerate itself to be used year after year.

The soil is not a simple inert medium, for plants to grow in it, it must have a characteristic called fertility. Essential that a good farmer understands the basics of soil science so that he/she can assess & maintain the soil's fertility. Fertility is a complex feature, influenced by the following factors:

• Texture
• Structure
• Organic matter content
• Mineral content
• Availability of air and water
• Acidity