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    Soil Texture Soil Structure Density and Porosity Tilth

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    Eryl Yeong
    This document discusses soil texture, structure, density, porosity and tilth. Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay particles and influences other soil properties. Structure refers to how individual particles aggregate together. Density, porosity and surface area are also influenced by particle size and aggregation. Maintaining good soil structure through practices like minimizing tillage when wet and adding organic matter helps support plant growth.

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    Soil Texture Soil Structure Density and Porosity Tilth

    Uploaded by

    Eryl Yeong
    34 views22 pages
    This document discusses soil texture, structure, density, porosity and tilth. Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay particles and influences other soil properties. Structure refers to how individual particles aggregate together. Density, porosity and surface area are also influenced by particle size and aggregation. Maintaining good soil structure through practices like minimizing tillage when wet and adding organic matter helps support plant growth.

    Original Description:

    Sand Lecture

    Original Title

    Sand Lecture

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    This document discusses soil texture, structure, density, porosity and tilth. Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay particles and influences other soil properties. Structure refers to how individual particles aggregate together. Density, porosity and surface area are also influenced by particle size and aggregation. Maintaining good soil structure through practices like minimizing tillage when wet and adding organic matter helps support plant growth.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    34 views22 pages

    Soil Texture Soil Structure Density and Porosity Tilth

    Uploaded by

    Eryl Yeong
    This document discusses soil texture, structure, density, porosity and tilth. Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay particles and influences other soil properties. Structure refers to how individual particles aggregate together. Density, porosity and surface area are also influenced by particle size and aggregation. Maintaining good soil structure through practices like minimizing tillage when wet and adding organic matter helps support plant growth.

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     Soil texture

     Soil structure
     Density and porosity
     Tilth
     The relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay
    sized particles that lends a distinctive “feel” to
    the soil
     Fundamentally it is the most important
    property of the soil
     Structure
     Water holding capacity
     Tillage
     Nutrient supply
     Drainage
    Soils are a mixture of different sized mineral particles
     Sand
     0.05 – 2 mm
     Mainly quartz
     Gritty
     Silt
     0.002 – 0.05 mm
     Mostly quartz and primary silicate minerals
     Powdery
     Clay
     < 0.002 mm
     Secondary minerals
     Sticky
     Not a component of texture, but affect soil
    management
     Gravel
     2 – 75 mm (3 in.)
     Cobbles
     75 – 254 mm (10 in.)
     Stones
     > 254 mm
    Texture Lay Categories
    Sand Coarse textured Light
    Loamy sand
    Sandy loam
    Loam Medium textured
    Sandy clay loam
    Sandy clay
    Silt Heavy
    Silt loam
    Silty clay loam Fine textured
    Silty clay
    Clay loam
    Clay
    Fig. 2-1
    Page 11
     Feel test (see Table 2-2 in textbook)
     Qualitative
     Good for quick in-field determination
     Organic matter influences feel
     Easiest on moist soil
     Physical analysis
     Soil is dispersed with Na and suspended
     Density measured over time with hydrometer
     Uses Stoke’s Law to predict settling based on particle
    size
     Available at most soil testing labs ~ $25
     2 x 2 in. blocks
     8 together (large particle)
     4” x 4” x 6 sides = 96 sq. in.
     8 separate (small particle)
     2” x 2” x 6 sides x 8 blocks = 192 sq. in.
     The smaller the particles, the greater the surface area
     Clay has 1000 x more surface area than sand
     Clays also have internal surface area (deck of cards)
     Soil reactions occur on particle surfaces
     An acre plowlayer of clay has 25,000,000 acres of
    surface (How many acres in Wisconsin?)
     Bulk density = mass per soil volume
     High soil bulk density can limit plant growth
     In soils dry mass is used
     Often expressed in units of grams/cubic centimeter (g/cc)

     Particle density = mass per particle volume


     Averages 2.65 g/cc
     Maximum soil bulk density if zero porosity = particle
    density
     Silt loam soil has 50 % porosity, what is the bulk density?
     Soil porosity = pore space
     In a field soil some are water-filled, some are air-filled
     Important for gas exchange in soils
     Need to get O2 to roots for respiration needed for nutrient
    uptake
     Need to “ventilate” CO2 from soil microbial activity
     Less than 10% air-filled pore space has been show to limit
    plant growth
     K uptake is reduced
     Available N turns to a gas
     Plants may die after 48 hours in saturated conditions
     Bulk density (Db) = Ws
    Vpore + Vparticle
     Particle density (DP) = Ws
    Vparticle
     Re-arrange = Vpore = Db or solid fraction
    Vpore + Vparticle Dp

     Porosity = 1 - Db or pore fraction


    Dp
     Weight of 50 cc of soil _____
     Bulk density _____
     Volume of water: 50 cc
     Suspension volume _____
     Particle volume _____
     Particle density _____
     D b / Dp _____
     Porosity (1 – Db/Dp) _____
    Soil Texture Bulk Density (g/cc) Porosity (%)
    Coarse textured (sandy) 1.6 40
    Medium textured (loamy) 1.3 51
    Fine textured (clayey) 1.2 55

    Well structured Rocky


    soil soil
     The combination of individual soil particles to
    form aggregates having a defined shape, size,
    and distinctness
     Peds
     Millions of particles “glued” together
     Biological secretions
     Oxides
     Static charge
     Wetting/drying
     Freezing/thawing
     Internal pressure
     Presence of certain ions (Ca vs. Na)
     Tillage management
     Earthworm activity
     Crop rotation
    FALL MB FALL CH NO-TILL
    3

    2.5

    2
    SIZE (mm)

    1.5

    0.5

    0
    CC CSb SbC SbSb
    Structure-less Structured

    Single- Puddled Granular Platy Blocky Prismatic


    grained Columnar
    Profile
    Type Size Permeability
    Location

    Surface
    Granular 1 – 10 mm High
    Topsoil
    Between
    Thin
    Platy Topsoil and Poor
    Irregular
    Subsoil

    Blocky Upper Subsoil 5 – 50 mm Moderate

    Prismatic/ Moderate to
    Lower Subsoil 10 – 100 mm
    Columnar Slow
     Avoid operations on wet soils
     Control traffic
     Limit vehicle load
     Till at friable
    consistence
     Add organic matter
     Crop residue
     Manure
     Compost
     Rotate to forage
     Physical condition of the soil with respect to plant growth
     A combination of …..
     Texture
     Structure
     Management
     Maintain tilth
     Work when friable
     Avoid unnecessary operations
     Add organic matter
     Maintain residue
     Rotate crops
     Optimize fertility and pH

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