SOILS

SOIL may be defined as a thin layer of earth's crust which serves as a natural medium for
growth of plants

Soil is made up in part of finely ground rock particles, grouped according to size as
sand, silt, and clay. Each size plays a significantly different role.

For example, the largest particles, sand, determine aeration and drainage
characteristics, while the tiniest, sub-microscopic clay particles, are chemically active,
binding with water and plant nutrients. The ratio of these sizes determines soil type.
Based on the texture, the soil type is classified into 12 categories as below:

 Sand
 Silt
 Clay
 Loam
 Loamy sand
 Sandy loam
 Sandy clay loam
 Sandy clay
 Silt loam
 Clay loam
 Silty clay loam
 Silty clay
Sand:

Sands are loose and single-grained (that is, not aggregated together). They feel gritty
to the touch and are not sticky. Each individual sand grain is of sufficient size that it
can easily be seen and felt. Sands cannot be formed into a cast by squeezing when dry.
When moist, sands will form a very weak cast, as if molded by the hand, that
crumbles when touched.
Sandy soils are very permeable and well drained but are less water retentive and hence need
more frequent irrigation for successful crop growth than fine textured soils.

Important Uses of Sand

 Making concrete
 Sand casting.
 Glass manufacturing.
 Filtering water.

Silt

Silt is finer than sand. The silt particles are intermediate between sands and clays.
Mineralogically, the particles of silt are similiar to those of sand, as they are largely
composed of primary minerals. They are more reactive than sands because of the
higher specific surface.

Clay

Clay is the finest textured of all the soil classes. Clay usually forms extremely hard
clods or lumps when dry and is extremely sticky and plastic when wet. When
containing the proper amount of moisture, it can be "ribboned out" to a remarkable
degree by squeezing between thumb and forefinger, and may be rolled into a long,
very thin wire.

The rate of water intake of these soils is low. They are subject to water-logging
resulting in poor aeration and workability.

Major uses of Clay

Clays exhibit plasticity when mixed with water in certain proportions. When dry, clay
becomes firm and when fired in a kiln, permanent physical and chemical reactions
occur which, amongst other changes, causes the clay to be converted into a ceramic
material. It is because of these properties that clay is used for making pottery items.
Different types of clay, when used with different minerals and firing conditions, are
used to produce earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.

Bricks, cooking pots, art objects, dishware and even musical instruments such as the
ocarina can all be shaped from clay before being fired. Clay is also used in many
industrial processes, such as paper making, cement production and chemical filtering.
Clay, being relatively impermeable to water, is also used where natural seals are
needed, such as in the cores of dams, or as a barrier in landfills against toxic seepage

Loam

Loam is soil material that is medium-textured. It feels as though it contains a

relatively even mixture of sand, silt, and clay because clay particles, with their small
size, high surface areas, and high physical and chemical activities, exert a greater
influence on soil properties than does sand or silt.

Loam tends to be rather soft and friable. It has a slightly gritty feel, yet is fairly
smooth and slightly sticky and plastic when moist. Casts formed from such soils can
be handled quite freely without breaking.

Loams are gritty, plastic when moist, and retain water easily. They generally contain
more nutrients than sandy soils. In addition to the term loam, different names are
given to soils with slightly different proportions of sand, silt, manure, humus and clay:
sandy loam, silty manure loam, clay loam, sandy manure clay loam, silty manural
clay loam, and manural loam.

Loam soil is ideal for growing crops because it retains nutrients well and retains water
while still allowing the water to flow freely. This soil is found in a majority of
successful farms in regions around the world known for their fertile land.

Major uses of Loam

 Agriculture

Modern classification

Based on the characteristics of Soil, a new classification has been developed called
“Soil Taxonomy”. Based on Soil Taxonomy, the soils in India are classified as:

 Alluvial soils
 Black soils
 Red soils
 Laterites and lateritic soils
 Desert soils