Principles of Soil Science Module 2 Soil Properties
Principles of Soil Science Module 2 Soil Properties
Principles of Soil Science Module 2 Soil Properties
PROPERTIES OF
SOILS
Ms. Rochelle Joie A. Saracanlao
IMPORTANT SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
1. Soil Texture
2. Soil Structure
3. Soil Densities (Bulk and Particle density)
4. Soil Porosity (total, macro and micro-porosities)
5. Soil Consistency
6. Soil Color
7. Soil Water
SOIL TEXTURE
• a stable property
• soil- composed of primary (individual or discrete) particles
which forms the skeletal framework of soil mass
Sand
-Very little in physical and chemical reactions;
increases macropores thus facilitating air
movements and drainage of water
FUNCTION OF SOIL SEPARATES
Silt
-reservoir for water and nutrients which are held on the
surfaces of clay particles
Clay
- Increases the available water-holding capacity
METHODS OF DETERMINING SOIL TEXTURE
Feel method
done by rubbing a moist soil between fingers
concerns in the primary (individual) particles
which vary in size, shape and composition
METHODS OF DETERMINING SOIL TEXTURE
Roll method
-kneading a moistened soil sample into a soil wire/rod
and molding it into a ring
Hydrometer method
-based on the principle that when in water suspenssion
sand, silt and clay particles can be separated because of
the difference in their settling velocity
HYDROMETER METHOD
USDA ISS
SILT 0.05- 0.002 0.02- 0.002 Smooth, powdery, mostly primary minerals
(quartz and feldspars), cubic to spherical in
shape
CLAY < 0.002 <0.002 Sticky and plastic when moist, mostly secondary
“clay” minerals very high specific surface area
hence the most reactive component of the soil ,
plate like or flake like and tubular in shape
PROPERTIES RENDERED BY SOIL SEPARATES
SAND LOAMS CLAY
Lower total porosity (more macro- High total porosity (more micro-
pores) pores)
Low water holding capacity High water holding capacity
(droughty)
Very good aeration Poor aeration and drainage
Easy to till (light soil) Difficult to till (heavy soil)
Soils with high silt and low OM are weakly aggregated; subject to erosion
damage
Structural damage results in: soil dispersion, surface sealing and more
run-off
SOIL STRUCTURE
Refers to size, stability and spatial arrangement or state of packing
of soil particles
Bulk density and porosity reflects the soil’s structure
affected by the kind and amount of cementing materials, the
position of the soil in the profile, and by the management the soil
has been subjected to
Higher amount of cementing material, the greater the aggregation,
the higher the soil’s stability
Ex of cementing materials: colloidal clay, oxides of Fe and Al,
organic matter
SOIL STRUCTURE
unstable property
deteriorates with poor soil and crop management
sustainable soil management depends on how to manage good
soil structure
influence water transport, air transport and mechanical
impedance to seedling emergence and root growth
DESIRABLE STRUCTURE CONDITION
High proportion of medium-size aggregates
Low bulk density
Appreciable number of large pores
UNDESIRABLE STRUCTURE CONDITION
Low content of water stable aggregates
High bulk density
Few large pores
KINDS OF SOIL STRUCTURE
Granular
- Resembles cookie crumbs, usually less than 0.5 cm in dm.
- Commonly found in surface horizons where roots have been
growing
Blocky
- Cube like, edges are sharp and rectangular faces are distinct,
some are more or less rounded
- common in clayey subsoils particularly in humid regions
- has considered effect on drainage aeration and root penetration
KINDS OF SOIL STRUCTURE
Prismatic
- Vertical columns of soil that might be a number of cm long
- usually found in lower horizons
Columnar
- Vertical columns of soil that have a salt “cap” at the the top
- found in soils of arid climates
KINDS OF SOIL STRUCTURE
Platy
- thin, flat plates of soil that lie horizontally
- usually found in compacted soil
Single Grained
Cropping system
- Continuous corn- less water aggregates
- corn in rotation and grass cover – larger aggregates
PD= Ws/Vs
Where:
PD - particle density
Ws - oven dried weight of soil in gm
Vs - volume of soil solids in cm3
-expressed in g/cm3 or ton/m3
PARTICLE DENSITY
Soils derived from heavy minerals may have Dp values exceeding
2.75 g/cm3
BD= Ws/Vt
Where:
BD: bulk density in g/cm3 ; ton/m3; Mg/m3
Ws: oven-dried weight of soil in gm
Vt: total volume of soil in cm3
FACTORS AFFECTING BULK DENSITY
1. Soil texture
-the coarser the texture, the higher is the bulk density and vice-versa
Significance:
Indirect measure or indication of other properties
One of the most important soil characteristics for identification,
especially if combined with structure
SOIL COLOR
Munsell Color Chart
standard color comparison chart
-Held by surface tension forces as a continuous film around the particles and
in the capillary pores (micropores)
Gravitational
- Not held by the soil but drains under the influence of gravity
SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT
The amount of water that is present in the soil
%θv= % θm x ; %θv= % θm x ρb
Where:
% θm- gravimetric moisture content
- bulk density of soil
– density of water
SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT CALCULATION
Hw = θv x Ht
Where:
Ht – total depth of soil
SOIL MOISTURE TENSION (SMT)
A measure of the energy state of water in the soil
Soil moisture that surrounds soil particles is held at varying
degrees of tenacity or energy. The farther away the moisture
film from the surface of the soil particle, the weaker is the
energy of attraction between soil and water
It is the energy of state of water in the soil
commonly used unit is BAR
SOIL MOISTURE COEFFICIENTS
1. Saturation (SAT)
- Moisture content when pore spaces are fully filled-up
with water (soil contains the max amt of water it can
hold)
- SMT = 0 BAR
SOIL MOISTURE COEFFICIENTS
GW= Sat – FC
Where:
Sat – saturated moisture content
FC – field capacity
IMPORTANT SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATION
AWC = FC – PWP
Where:
FC – field capacity
PWP – permanent wilting point
WATER FLOW IN SOILS
Factors affecting water flow
1. Driving Force
-Change in water potential per unit of distance
2. Hydraulic conductivity
- Ability of the soil to transmit water (cm/hr)
WATER FLOW IN SOILS
Sandy loam
-There is less movement sideways, more
movement downwards
Clay loam
- More movement sideways, less movement
downward
SOIL WATER
Water management is the control of water for optimum crop yield
and the best use of a limited supply of water
Basic strategies :
Conservation of rainfall
Addition of irrigation to supplement RF
Removal of excess (drainage)
SOIL WATER
Considerations in conserving soil water
1. Soil infiltration
- nature of pores and water content of soil are major determinants
2. Tillage
- gives a rough soil surface which controls run off
-also loosens soil and increases total soil porosity and thickness
of plow layer for greater water shortage
SOIL WATER
3. Residue mulches
- placed before the end of rainy season
- mulch conserves at water by controlling runoff,
increasing infiltration, reducing weed growth and
decreasing evaporation
SOIL
CONSISTENCY
SOIL CONSISTENCY
the manner in which forces of cohesion and adhesion are
manifested in soils at various soil moisture content
a soil behaves differently at different soil moisture content
hard when dry
friable when moist
sticky and plastic when wet
viscous (flows like liquid) when super saturated
SOIL CONSISTENCY
1. Dry Consistency
- Sandy soil have less loose consistence and crumble easily
- Clayey soils are hard
4. Wet Consistency
-Plasticity or stickiness
- Plasticity is the ability to be molded
- Sandy soils are non-plastic and non-sticky when wet