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Subjects · Leaving Cert Agricultural Science

Leaving Cert Agricultural Science: Soil testing & fertilisers

How often Soil testing & fertilisers comes up on the Agricultural Science papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2023. most years

OL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Soil testing & fertilisers, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Soil testing & fertilisers.

(a)How should a soil sample be taken from a grassland field?
  1. One deep core taken at the gateway
  2. About 20 cores in a W pattern, to 10 cm deep
  3. Cores taken only from the dung patches
(b)A soil test shows phosphorus at Index 1. What does this mean?
  1. Excess P; no P fertiliser needed
  2. Optimum P; maintenance dressing only
  3. Very low P; build-up fertiliser is needed
(c)What do the numbers on a bag of 18-6-12 fertiliser stand for?
  1. % N, % P and % K
  2. % Ca, % P and % K
  3. % N, % K and % P
Show the answers

(a) About 20 cores in a W pattern, to 10 cm deep

(b) Very low P; build-up fertiliser is needed

(c) % N, % P and % K

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Soil testing & fertilisers.

Higher Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2023. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Q5, Q8
2022Q11b
2021Q17

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q13, Q17c
2024Q12
2023Q15
2022Q7a, Q13b, Q13c
2021Q16, Q18d

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Soil testing & fertilisers questions

Soil testing & fertilisers, 2 marks

What are the three main nutrients in a compound fertiliser?

  1. Calcium, iron, zinc
  2. Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen
  3. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
Show the answer

Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium

N, P and K are needed in large amounts, so they are the major nutrients. Compound fertilisers supply all three in one bag.

Soil testing & fertilisers, 2 marks

A fertiliser bag is labelled 10-10-20. What % potassium does it contain?

  1. 40%
  2. 20%
  3. 10%
Show the answer

20%

The numbers are always in the order N-P-K. So 10-10-20 has 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium.

Soil testing & fertilisers, 2 marks

A soil test shows Index 1 for phosphorus. This means the soil is?

  1. Very low in phosphorus
  2. Too high in phosphorus
  3. At the target level
Show the answer

Very low in phosphorus

Soil index runs from 1 to 4. Index 1 is very low, Index 3 is the target for most crops, and Index 4 is high, so less fertiliser is needed.

Other Agricultural Science topics

All of Leaving Cert Agricultural Science