(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1985-12-10) Aduayi, E. A.
Plants are able to live without MAN, but MAN cannot live without plants. If, therefore, MAN has to survive on earth, he has to ensure that the medium in which plants grow, namely the soil, is kept nutritionally balanced. It is on this premise that my lecture will be based. And taking cognizance of the expected heterogeneity of my audience, I will try not to be too technical. With this in view, I shall attempt to develop the topic by posing the questions: What is a soil? And how does the soil acquire its fertility status for the nourishment of plants?