There are three major types of soil:
1.
Sandy
soil
2.
Clay
soil
3.
Loamy
soil
PROPERTIES OF SANDY SOIL
1.
It
is coarse, grained and gritty
2.
It
is loose with large pore spaces
3.
It
absorbs water and loses water easily
4.
It
is not sticky when wet and cannot form cast
5.
It
is well aerated with low water holding capacity
6.
Percolation
in sandy soil is high but capillary is low
7.
Sandy
soil is low in plant nutrients therefore it does not support crop cultivation
8.
Sandy
soil has grey or brownish colour
METHODS OF IMPROVING SANDY SOIL
Sandy
soil can be improved through the following agriculture practices:
1.
Planting
of cover crops
2.
Application
of compost manure
3.
Application
of farm yard manure
4.
Mulching
5.
Avoidance
of bush burning
PROPERTIES OF CLAY SOIL
1.
Clay
particles are fine, powdery and smooth when dry
2.
The
particles are sticky and muddy when wet
3.
Clay
particles are closely packed together with little pore space
4.
Clay
soil is poorly aerated with high water holding capacity
5.
It
does not support leaching hence it contains plant nutrients.
6.
It
is hard when dry and sticky when wet
7.
It
can easily from cast when molded
8.
It
supports water logging and erosion
9.
It
has grey or brownish colour
PROPERTIES OF LOAMY SOIL
1.
Loamy
is moist, loose with moderated sized pore spaces
2.
The
structure of loamy soil breaks easily when wet and friable
3.
It
has non-powdery and non-sticky texture
4.
It
can easily be cultivated or worked on
5.
It
contains a lot of organic matter (humus)
6.
It
does not support erosion and water logging
7.
It
is well aerated and can hold water
8.
It
is dark-brown or black in colour
9.
It
has high content of nutrients and supports crop cultivation
SOIL
COMPOSITION
The soil consists of
major components namely:
1. Mineral Matter : Different soil minerals such as
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Magnesium e.t.c
2.
Organic
Matter: Dead and decayed plants and
animals. Examples are: bones, feather, wings, shells of snails, flower etc.
3.
Soil
Water: Water and others Solvents
4.
Soil
Air: Air, Oxygen, Carbon e.t.c
SOIL TEXTURE
Soil
texture can be defined as the degree of fineness or coarseness of soil
particles when felt between fingers.
Also,
Soil texture is the relative proportion of silt, sand and clay particles
present in a given sample of soil.
METHODS
OF DETERMINING SOIL TEXTURE
FEEL
METHOD
This is
the feeling of soil sample between fingers or the palm
WET
METHOD
Under
this method, a little water is added to the soil sample to make it wet and then
feel it with fingers. Clay soil will stick, loamy soil will be very sticky and
sandy soil will look moisturized (look wet).
LABORATORY
METHOD
i.
Sedimentation
ii.
Sieving
method
IMPORTANCE
OF SOIL TEXTURE
1.
It
helps to determine the type of crop that will grow well on the land
2.
It
also helps to determine the tillage practices required
3.
It
is used to discover whether a particular soil is suitable for plant soil
4.
It
helps to determine the type of crop that will grow well on the land
5.
It
determines the ability of the soil to retain water
6.
It
enables the farmer to know the type of soil available in his farmland
7.
It
helps to determine the type of manure required
8.
It
determine the relative resistance of soil to root penetration, under
infiltration and air circulation
SOIL
PROFILE
This is the vertical cross-section cut
through the soil which shows different horizontal layers of the soil called
horizons. A good soil profile in an area of land has four distinct layers or
horizon which are distinguished by colour or texture.
“A” Horizon is called top soil. It contains
organic matters. It is dark in colour. It is the horizon of Alluviation.
Alleviation is the
washing down of clay and aluminum minerals.
“B” horizon is called the top soil. It is
very rich in clay and aluminum minerals because this is where the leached
materials of “A” horizon is. Hence, it is known as the horizon of Elluviation.
Elluviation is the
accumulation of minerals. It is brown or reddish orange.
“C” horizon is the zone of unconsolidated
weathered material called the parents materials. The type of soil formed are
the top soil and sub-soil.
(“A” and “B”)
horizon depend on the parent materials on which they are derived or formed.
This zone contains gravel and some coarse particles.
“D” horizon is called the bedrock which has
never been disturbed by withering process. It is usually formed at the bottom
of the soil profile.
IMPORTANCE
OF SOIL PROFILE
1.
It
helps the farmer to know the level of soil fertility
2.
It
helps the farmer to know the type of crops that should be planted
3.
It
determines the type of manure to use and the methods of application
4.
It
helps to know the texture and colour of the soil
5.
It
determines the depth and water retention capacity of the soil
SOIL
STRUCTURE
Soil structure is the arrangement of
soil particles into aggregates. It is the way in which different particles of
the soil are packed together and arranged. It can also be described as the
physical appearance of the soil according to ways by which individual particles
are held together.
TYPES
OF SOIL STRUCTURE
1.
Single
– grained structure
2.
Platy
or plate-like structure
3.
Blocky
or block-like structure – There are two types they are:-
Blocky structure (Angular) Crumb structure
Sub-angular Blocky structure Single-granized Car annular/spherical
like structure structure
Platy
or plate like structure Prisonatic
structure
Prism
– like structure
IMPORTANCE
OF SOIL STRUCTURE
1.
It
determines the porosity and level of water retention
2.
It
enables farmer to know the level of soil fertility
3.
It
helps the farmer to know the type of crop that will do well on a particular
soil
4.
It
determines soil aeration and water movement in the soil
5.
It
helps farmers to determine the types of manure to be applied
6.
It
also helps to determine the tillage pratices to be adopted
SIZES
OF SOIL PARTICLES
The various particles that make up a
soil sample include:- gravel, sand, silt and clay. The sizes of these particles
or soil fractions are used in the classification of soil texture e.g.
Soil
particles
|
Sizes
|
clay
|
Below 0.0002mm
|
silt
|
0.002mm-0.02m
|
Fine sand
|
0.02mm-02mm
|
Coarse sand
|
0.2mm – 2.0mm
|
Gravel
|
Above 2.0mm
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: If Your Comment Is Irrelevant Or Inappropriate, It Will Be Removed. The Views Expressed In The Comments Do Not Necessarily Represent That Of The Owner Of The Blog. For more information see terms of use and privacy policy link. Reach 0092348033451818 for more details. Thank you for visiting.