How to test soil structure скачать в хорошем качестве

How to test soil structure

Determining your soil's stability is very important as it is an indicator of • Soil resilience • Organic matter levels • Its ability to resist raindrop impact and wind erosion • Requirement for soil amendments such as lime and gypsum Soil slaking will indicate whether a soil contains enough organic matter and soil micro-biology to resist the forces of raindrop or animal impact on the soil surface Soil slaking is caused by water entering the air-filled pores within the soil clod and forcing the soil to break apart into individual particles To test for soil slaking take a soil clod with fresh faces and place gently in water. A slaking soil indicates that there is not sufficient soil organic matter in the surface soil to provide a binding effect on the soil particles. Soil sodicity is often recognised in the field as a soil which is very sticky when wet and very hard when dry. It causes the soil surface to seal and in some cases creates scalded claypans. Waterbodies such as dams or creeks, even puddles appear 'dirty or cloudy'. Soil sodicity is caused by an excess of sodium ions in the soil. This displaces the clay binding calcium within the soil making the clay particles fall apart when in contact with water. Sodic soil is very hard to manage when untreated as it causes surface sealing, poor water and air infiltration, poor plant establishment and growth and in turn a highly erodible soil. A sodic soil can be stabilised in the short term by addition of soil conditioners or ameliorants such as lime or gypsum and in the longer term by improved levels of organic matter and beneficial bacteria.