Background: Alkali, or Alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH (> 8.5), a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate, which causes the soil to swell[1] and difficult to clarify/settle. They derive their name from the alkali metal group of elements, to which sodium belongs, and which can induce basicity. Sometimes these soils are also referred to as alkaline sodic soils.
Alkaline soils are basic, but not all basic soils are alkaline.

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil is more alkaline, the one on Pat's or the one on Tim's?
Answer: Tim's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil is more basic, the one on Pat's or the one on Tim's?
Answer: Tim's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil is more acidic, the one on Pat's or the one on Tim's?
Answer: Pat's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which farmer will get more crops this year?
Answer: Pat

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which farmer will get fewer crops this year?
Answer: Tim

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil from these two parcels has a better structure?
Answer: Pat's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil from these two parcels has a poor structure?
Answer: Tim's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil from these two parcels has a high infiltration capacity?
Answer: Pat's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which soil from these two parcels has a low infiltration capacity?
Answer: Tim's

Situation: Pat has 2 acres of land next to Tim's property. Tim's land is of similar size. The clay soil on Tim's property is very alkaline, so he had to amend it with aluminum salts to make it more acidic in order to grow crops. The soil on Pat's parcel has a good structure and high infiltration capacity. Pat gets twice as much food of his land every year.

Question: Which of these two parcels has low presence of sodium carbonate in the soil?
Answer: Pat's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which parcel had a more alkaline soil?
Answer: John's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which parcel had a less alkaline soil?
Answer: Mike's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil had more unfavorable physico-chemical properties?
Answer: John's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil had less unfavorable physico-chemical properties?
Answer: Mike's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil had less favorable physico-chemical properties?
Answer: John's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil had more favorable physico-chemical properties?
Answer: Mike's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil was more basic?
Answer: John's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil was less basic?
Answer: Mike's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil was less alkaline sodic?
Answer: Mike's

Situation: Mike grew tomatoes on his parcel of land and so did John. Mike's attempt was very successful, because he adjusted the soil's pH to a viable level for growing vegetables, and John didn't. Both parcels had soils with lots of sodium carbonate in them. John's experiment failed.

Question: Which soil was more alkaline sodic?
Answer: John's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land is more fertile?
Answer: Bob's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land is less fertile?
Answer: Jim's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land is more acidic?
Answer: Bob's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land is less acidic?
Answer: Jim's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land is less alkaline?
Answer: Bob's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land is more alkaline?
Answer: Jim's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land has a low filtration capacity?
Answer: Jim's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land has a high filtration capacity?
Answer: Bob's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land has a high pH?
Answer: Jim's

Situation: Two brothers have a piece of land each, situated 2 miles from each other. Jim's land is not very fertile because it has clay soil with a high pH, while Bob's land has very fertile soil and has a good productivity on it.

Question: Which of the two pieces of land has a low pH?
Answer: Bob's