The

physical properties
of
soil
Soil Color
Soil Texture
Soil Structure
Soil Density
Soil Porosity
Soil Moisture
 Significance

• Soil functions in an ecosystem and its

management in agroecosystem.
– Distribution of soil particles
• Air spaces – soil pores
– Aeration / Drainage / Water Movement / Water Retention

The success and failure of agricultural and

engineering projects is often hinged on the
physical properties of the soil
 Soil Texture
• It is defined as the relative proportion of
sand, silt and clay in the mineral
matter fraction of the soil

Soil Textural Class

1. Sandy soils - coarse textured soils/light soils
2. Loamy soils - medium textured
3. Clayey soils - fine textured/heavy soils
Using the textural triangle, find the soil texture if
% clay = 30%, % silt = 25% and % sand= 45%
Characteristics of soil separates

Name Diameter (mm) Diameter (mm) Number of Surface area

ISSS USDA particles/gra (mm²/g)
m
Coarse gravel 15 - - -
Fine gravel 2-15 2-1 90 11.3
Coarse sand 0.2-2 1-0.5 72 22.4
Medium sand - 0.5-0.25 2 45.4
Fine Sand 0.02-0.2 0.25-0.1 57 90.7
Very fine sand - 0.1-0.05 77 226.
Silt 0.002-0.02 0.05-0.002 46
clay ≤0.002 ≤0.002 ,2
13
72
2,
07
4
5,
77
6,
67
4
50
,2
60
,8
53
,8
60
 Generalized influence of soil separates on some
properties and behavior of soils
Property/ Behavior Rating Associated with Soil Separates
Sand Silt Clay
Water holding capacity Low Medium to high High
Aeration Good Medium Poor
Drainage rate High Slow to medium Very slow
Soil OM Low Medium to high High to medium
Decomposition of OM Rapid Medium Slow
Warming up in spring Rapid Moderate Slow
Compactibility Low Medium High
Susceptibility to wind erosion moderate high Low
Susceptibility to water erosion Low High Low if aggregated
Shrink-swell potential Very low Low Moderate to V high
Sealing of ponds/dams Poor Poor Good
Suitability to tillage after rain Good Medium Poor
Pollutant leaching potential High Medium Low
Ability to store nutrients Poor Medium to high High
Resistance to pH change low medium High
Sieve method
3. Hydrometer method
Hydrometer Method - Stoke’s law

V = kd²
where: k – constant that is relative to
the acceleration due to
gravity and density and
viscosity of water
d – Diameter of particle
 Soil Structure
Definition
Soil structure is the arrangement of the primary soil particles
(sand, silt, and clay) and other soil materials into discrete
aggregates.
 Soil Structure Classification –
Peds/Aggregates
Strength Size Shape
GRADE CLASS TYPE
• Strong • Fine • Granular
• Moderate • Medium • Platy
• Weak • Coarse • Blocky
• Structureless • Very Coarse • Prismatic
• Columnar

Soil Structure Naming:

• For naming a soil structure the sequence followed is
grade, class and type;
• strong coarse angular blocky
• moderate fine platy, weak fine prismatic.
 Different Types of Soil Structure
1. Spheroidal/Granular – soil separates combine to
form small, rounded and loose or porous aggregates.
Most surface soils have this kind of soil structure.
- This enhances aeration and drainage. Soils rich in
organic matter and calcium assumes this form of
structure
2. Platy – The soil separates assumes the form of
sheets one on top of the other lying horizontally .
Soils of this structure have poor drainage and root
penetration.
3. Blocky – Soil separates combine together to form
cube-like blocks. This kind of structure is generally
found in the subsoil and has something to do with
good soil drainage, aeration and root penetration
a) angular blocky – with distinct and sharp
angles
b) sub-angular blocky – with somewhat
rounded
edges
4. Prism like – soil separates assume a post-like
appearance standing upright
a) columnar – with rounded tops
b) prismatic - with flat tops
5. Structureless – soil separates do not assume
any definite form
a) single grained – typical to most sandy
soils
b) massive – typical to most lowland rice
soils
Factors affecting aggregation
1. Climate – alternate wetting and drying due to
rainfall causes the soil to expand and contract
allowing the particles to group or orient themselves
into aggregates
2. Vegetation – aside from the effect of OM on
aggregation, the physical effect of plant roots assists
in the process of aggregate formation
3. Microbial activity- microorganisms excrete
substances as by-product of metabolism and these
are very useful as cementing materials. Fungi
and other filamentous organisms produce
mucilaginous substances for aggregate formation
 Soil Physical Property
Flocculated
&
Structured
Soil
• Stable Porosity
• Size Distribution
• Good Permeability
• Pore Interconnection

Flocculated &
Structured
Soil
Favorable Soil
AIR-WATER
Porosity Permeability Condition
Nutrient Availability
 Density and Pore Spaces
Particle Density (g/cc)– weight per unit volume
of soil particles not including the pore spaces.
 the particle density of most mineral soils
varies from 2.6 to 2.75 g/cc
 the particle density of OM varies from 1.2 to
1.7 g/cc

PD = Mass of solid/volume of solids

• Bulk Density (Apparent density)– ovendry weight
of a unit volume of soil including the pore spaces

BD = Mass of solid/total volume of soil

 The bulk density of uncultivated soil varies from
1.0 to 1.6 g/cc.
 BD increases with compaction
 It helps in estimating the weight of soils per
unit area
Porosity – refers to the percentage of soil
volume which is occupied by pore spaces.

% pore space = 100 – (BD/PD x 100)

 Porosity varies with texture, shape of

individual particles, soil structure, amount of
OM an degree of compaction
 Sample Problems
• 1. Calculate the weight of 1 hectare furrow
slice to a depth of 15 cm if the soil BD is 1.4
g/cc. What is the percentage porosity if PD is
2.65g/cc.

2. Fresh soil sample weighs 300 g and has a

volume of 150 cc. If the ovendry weight is
200g, what is BD?
Distribution
Wate
r
Cycle
“water that is held
in the spaces
between soil
particles”
Forces on Soil Water
 Chemical Properties
• Water's chemical description is H2O
• One atom of oxygen bound to two atoms of
hydrogen
• Hydrogen atoms are "attached" to one side of
the oxygen atom
– Positive charge - side of hydrogen atoms
– Negative charge - side, of oxygen atom
• Since opposite electrical charges attract, water
molecules tend to attract each other
• Positive charge attracts the oxygen
side
(negative charge) of a different water molecule.
– This is called cohesion.
• The attraction of a water molecule to another
surface is called adhesion.
 Forces on Soil Water
• Cohesion – Capillary water
• Adhesion – Hygroscopic water
• Gravity – Gravitational water
 Soil
Moistur
e
Constant
 Ways to measure soil moisture:
• Soil Moisture Potential
– Quantifies the tendency
of water to move from
one area to another
(due to osmosis, gravity,
mechanical pressure, or
matrix effects such as
capillary action) caused
by suction or tension
• Soil Moisture Content
– Quantifies the amount of
water in the soil (usually
 Soil Water Potential / Soil Moisture
Tension
– When working with
soil water, we are
interested in the
force(s) with which
water is held in the
soil.
• It is the
amount of
energy or the
resulting forc
• It is the measurement of the
that hold e
amount of energy available in the
in the wate soil to do work.
soil. r
Expression (units) of forces holding water
in the soil:
• Soil water potential (tension / suction) is
expressed by different units.
– Bars / Atmospheres / pF / Pascal / Column
of water
– 1 bar = 0.987 atm = 3.01 pF = 100,000 pascal = 100
Kpa
 Water Tension and Water
Content
• from 0 to 1/3 bar all gravitational water drains
• from 1/3 to 31 bars capillary water
• from 31 bar on we have hygroscopic water

Soil Water Potential Moisture Condition

0 bar saturation
1/3 bar field capacity
15 bar (220 psi) wilting point
31 bar air dry
Soil Tensiometer
Soil Water Potential - Moisture Constants
Expression (units) of forces holding water
in the soil:
• Bars / Atmospheres / pF / Pascal / Column of
water
– 1 bar = 0.987; atm = 3.01; pF = 100,000 pascal = 100
Kpa
• PF Scale
– The free energy is measured in terms of the height of a column of
SM water o prodBuacre aCroylusmucntoi ressurepdF ce aKpt
of nHoOr p
re q u ir
con st a nt s e necess ifferen aascpaal/rctbicaur
2
soil moisture level. lar
dt

Saturation
– of the 0 t water 0 lumn m) to 0 e the essar 0
Logarithm of heigh (c co nec giv ction.
y su
Field Capacity 1/3 336.51 2.53 33
Wilting Point 15 15,295.74 4.18 1,500
Hygroscopic 31 31,611.20
 Soil Moisture Quantification
• Gravimetri
c Method
– Oven Drying
Procedure
@105 oC at
it s c onstant
%MC = F W - 100
wO eDi
O
DWgWht
 Sample Problems

Soil Moisture Quantification

 MC of Different Soil Moisture Constants

Soil # % MC FC (%) PWP (%) Available Gravitationa

Water l water (%)
(%)
1 22 25 12 10

2 30 25 12 5

3 32 27 15

4 25 12 10 0

5 23 10 6 7

6 24 26 9

7 32 10 3

8 25 35 15
After a large soaking rain, a soil was sampled as it dried.
The
following weights were obtained:
a) immediately after the rain – 300 g
b) 2 days after the rain - 270g
c)5 days after the rain - 250g
d) when plant growing wilts - 230g
e) when the soil is airdry - 220g
f) when the soil is ovendry - 200g
Calculate the moisture content (%) at saturation, field
capacity, 5 days, PWP and airdryness. Also find the available
moisture at FC, 5 days, and gravitational water.
• What would be the weight of water if the
moisture content of a HFS is 35%?
– Wt of HFS = 2,000 tons
– %MC = wt of Water / wt of OD soil
– Wt of water = HFS (0.35) = 700 tons = 700
cu.m
• The MC of a 5m X 7m area at 20cm soil
depth is 27%. What would be the
moist weight of the soil if its BD is 1.25
g/cc?
– Volume of the soil = 5x7x0.20 = 7cu.m
– Wt of the soil (dry basis) = 7 cu. m (1.25
tons/cu. m)
– Moist wt of the soil = wt of OD soil
(1.27) =
11.11 tons
Translating between water tension (aka
potential)
and water content using a “characteristic
curve A characteristic
” curve (aka water
release curve)
describes the
relationship
between water
tension and water
content for a
specific soil.
 Sample Problems
- WRC
• How much water is in
the clay soil @
saturation, field capacity
and wilting point?
Assuming that the
weight of soil sample
(ODW) is 50kg.
• Compute for the ODW of
sand, loam and clay
samples at %MC where
the column of water is at
If %MC of a HFS loam soil is 320cm? Assuming that
the soil has 35g of water.
15%, how much water to
irrigate to reach its FC?
END