Principles of Soil Science Module 2 Soil Properties

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PHYSICAL

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

• “texture” - refers to the sensation when one rubs the


material with the fingers
• Soil may be soft, coarse, smooth, powdery or sticky
depending on the dominant particle size
SOIL TEXTURE

 Relative proportion of sand, silt and clay


 12 textural classes for soil

 Influences other soil properties, e.g. movement and


storage of water, flow of air, and nutrient supplying
power
 Soil particles are divided into size groups which are
FUNCTION OF SOIL SEPARATES

 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

 Could be approximated in the field by “feel method” or


the “roll method”
 Can be precisely determined by the hydrometer or
pippete method
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

 Stoke’s Law: V= KD2

 where V= velocity of setting


D= diameter of the soil particle
K= constant to correct the effect of the
temperature
TEXTURAL TRIANGLE
 shows the percentage of
sand, silt and clay at
various textural classes.
To find the textural class
of soil in the Textural
Triangle given their
respective percentages of
soil separates, simply find
the intersection point
where the soil separates
meet.
EFFECTIVE DIAMETER LIMITS AND GENERAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT SOIL SEPARATES
Soil Separate Diameter range (mm) Characteristic and Feel

USDA ISS

SAND 2- 0.05 2- 0.02 Coarse, gritty, mostly primary minerals (quartz


and feldspars), cubic to spherical in shape

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)

Non-sticky and non-plastic Very sticky and plastic


Low nutrient holding capacity (less High nutrient holding capacity
fertile) (more fertile)
TEXTURAL GROUP TEXTURAL CLASS
1. SANDS 1. Sand (S)
2. Loamy Sand (LS)
2. LOAMS 3. Sandy Loam (SL) Classification
4. Loam (L) of soil into
5. Silt Loam (SiL) textural groups
6. Silt (Si) and classes
7. Sandy Clay Loam (SCL)
8. Silty Clay Loam (SiCL)
9. Clay Loam (CL)
3. CLAYS 10. Sandy Clay (SC)
11. Silty Clay (SiC)
12. Clay (C)
SIGNIFICANCE OF SOIL TEXTURE
 affects water retention and permeability, movement (infiltration,
percolation, drainability)
 crop suitability
 indicate native fertility of soil (clayey soils are generally more
fertile, sandy soils are usually K-deficient)
 affects aeration (sandy soils are more porous)
SIGNIFICANCE OF SOIL TEXTURE
 Erosion susceptibilities of soil toward water
Soils with moderate clay, moderate silt and high organic matter are well-
aggregated and are not subject to erosion damage

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

- soil is broken into individual particles that do not stick together


- always accompanies a loose consistence, found in sandy soils
SOIL STRUCTURE
SOIL STRUCTURE
FORMATION OF SOIL STRUCTURE
1. Organic matter
- binding agent
2. Products of microbial decomposition (gums, polysaccharides)
3. Adsorbed cations
Na: causes dispersion
Ca: encourages flocculation
4. Fine clay (including sesquioxides)
SOIL TILTH
 Use interchangeably with soil structure

 Associated with tillage operations; refers primarily to surface soil

 Denotes size distribution and stability of aggregates


MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FAVORING GOOD
SOIL TILTH
 Addition of large quantities of organic matter

 Maintenance of vegetative cover on the soil

 Minimal tillage operations especially when soil moisture is high


SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

 Soil management related to soil structure


 OM for sandy soils
-Sandy soils have good aeration and drainage but easily
become dry or droughty
- OM increases WHC
SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

 Proper tillage of clay soil
- If plowed when too wet, the soil losses structure and become
puddle

 Cropping system
- Continuous corn- less water aggregates
- corn in rotation and grass cover – larger aggregates

 Mulching – protects structure from rain


PROPERTIES OF POOR AND GOOD SOIL
STRUCTURE
Poor Soil Structure Good Soil
Massive or compacted soil Well-aggregated crumbs
Dominantly micro-pores Balanced macro and micro-pores
Poor drainage Micro-pores for water storage
Poor aeration Macro-pores for drainage, aeration and
root growth
Poor root growth Easier to till
Hard to till High total porosity
Low porosity Low bulk density
High bulk density
PARTICLE
DENSITY
PARTICLE DENSITY(DP)
 refers to the mass (dry weight) per unit volume of soil excluding the pore
spaces within that soil volume
 indicates the mineral ancestry of soil
 Dp of a given soil is constant; not affected by the fineness of the particles
nor by the arrangement of the soil solids

 2.65 g/cm3 is the average particle density


 High PD (>2.70 g/cm3) soil derived from heavy minerals like iron
bearing minerals
 Low PD (< 2.50 g/cm3 ) soil is high in humus
PARTICLE DENSITY FORMULA

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

 Soils with high OM has low Dp


 The PD of organic matter is 1.20 to 1.50 g/cm3
 OM is generally higher in topsoils than sub-soils, surface soils
have usually lower particle density
BULK DENSITY
BULK DENSITY
 the oven dry weight per unit bulk volume of soil; bulk volume includes
the volume of solids plus the volume of the pore space
 a measure of the degree of compaction of the soil
 an indicator of the soil porosity
 an indicator of soil structure
 the more compact the soil, the greater is the bulk density value and less
porous it is
 lower values of BD is associated with higher porosity and good soil
structure
BULK DENSITY FORMULA

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

2. Organic matter content


-Increasing organic matter content decreases bulk density
FACTORS AFFECTING BULK DENSITY
3. Cultivation
-May increase or decrease bulk density
-if it results to compaction, there is an increased bulk density
-If it results to loosening of the soil, there is a decrease in bulk density

4. Portion of the soil in the profile


-Soil layer in the top: decreased bulk density
-Soil layer in the bottom: increased bulk density
SOIL POROSITY
SOIL POROSITY
 It is the bulk density and particle density relationships
 The higher the bulk density of soils, the lower is its porosity
 Percent porosity equation:

 %PS= [1-BD/PD] x100


Can bulk density and
particle density be
equal?
 What is the weight of the hectare of the soil plowed to a depth of 15 cm if the
bulk density is 1.33 g/cm3?

 ANS: 1995 tons


SOIL COLOR
SOIL COLOR

 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

 Hue – dominant spectral color


 Value – darkness or lightness of a color
 Chroma – gradation of purity of color or the intensity of a
color
 Munsell Color Chart
MUNSELL COLOR CHART
SOIL COLOR
 It indicates some chemical conditions:
 Dark or black color indicates high OM
 Reddish brown color indicates that the soil is high in oxides of
iron
 Yellowish brown color indicates that the portion of lowland soil
is at oxidized state
 Moist soil is darker than dry soil
 Paddy soil is bluish indicating that it is at reduced state
SOIL WATER
SOIL WATER
 Soil water = Soil moisture = Soil solution
 Importance:
 Large amount of water is required by plants for transpiration
 Water is a reactant in photosynthesis, hydrolysis, hydration
 It is a universal solvent
 It facilitates tillage operation acting as lubricant which makes
plowing easy
FORMS OF SOIL WATER
 Hygroscopic

-Absorbed from an atmosphere of water vapor as a result of attractive forces


on the surface of particles
 Capillary

-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

 Three ways of expressing moisture content


 1. Gravimetric moisture content or Moisture content by weight or
mass basis
 2. Volumetric moisture content
 3. Soil Water Depth
SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATION
1. Gravimetric Moisture Content (%θm)

%θm = [(FW - ODW)/ ODW] x 100


Where:
FW – weight of moist soil
ODW – oven dry weight
SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATION
2. Volumetric Moisture Content (%θv)

%θv= % θm x ; %θv= % θm x ρb

Where:
% θm- gravimetric moisture content
- bulk density of soil
– density of water
SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT CALCULATION

3. Soil Water Depth (Hw)

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

2. Field Capacity (FC)


- the amount of water in the soil 2-3 days after a saturating
rain
- It is the upper limit of available water
- SMT = 1/3 BAR
SOIL MOISTURE COEFFICIENT

3. Permanent Wilting Coefficient (PWC)


- The moisture content when turgid plants begin to wilt
permanently
- Permanent wilting point (PWP) is the lower limit of
available water
- SMT = 15 BARS
SOIL MOISTURE COEFFICIENT

4. Hygroscopic Coefficient (HC)


- soil water held at a tension due to the attraction of the
soil colloids to the water molecules

- Water is held at very energy that is not available for plant


use
- SMT = >31 BARS
IMPORTANT!

The higher the tension,


the dryer the soil ( the
less available water is)
IMPORTANT SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATION

1. Gravitational Water (GW)


- computed by getting the difference between moisture
content of soil at SAT and at FC (1/3 BAR SMT)

2. Available Water Capacity (AWC)


- computed by getting the difference between moisture
content of soil at FC (1/3 BAR SMT) and at PWP (15 BARS
SMT)
IMPORTANT SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATION

1. Gravitational Water (GW)

GW= Sat – FC
Where:
Sat – saturated moisture content
FC – field capacity
IMPORTANT SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATION

2. Available Water Capacity (AWC)

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

 The entry or infiltration of surface applied water


into the soil and its movement through the soil is in
response to capillary and gravitational forces.

 In general, fine-textured soils are slow to wet


compared with coarse-textured soils because fine-
textured have low hydraulic conductivity.
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

 physical state of the soil at various moisture levels when


subjected to mechanical state
 affected by OM, texture and nature of clay
SOIL CONSISTENCY DESCRIPTION

1. Dry Consistency
- Sandy soil have less loose consistence and crumble easily
- Clayey soils are hard

2. Most Consistency (Friable)


-Clayey soils have narrow moisture range for tillage
- below the range they are too hard and above the range they
become too puddle
SOIL CONSISTENCY DESCRIPTION

3. Most Consistency (Friable)


-medium texture soils have wider moisture range for tillage

4. Wet Consistency
-Plasticity or stickiness
- Plasticity is the ability to be molded
- Sandy soils are non-plastic and non-sticky when wet

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