BDV 3007 Soil Science

Instructor: Amirah Alias, PhD

Semester: Sem 1 2021/2022
Time: Thursday 5 pm
Date: 21 Oct 2021 (Week 2)
Announcements

• Lab next week – please read the materials needed and prepare
beforehand, will do the activity together, not after the lab.
• Manual for Lab 1 Physical and Biological Properties of Soil already
posted. Lab report submission: Week 11 - 26 Dec 2021 by 5 pm.
• Start your preparation for mini project.

Fill up your name there

<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LK0bV0GrtrbXvWvaTo0LBL
IcOjqx10X3815C3HdgkGc/edit?usp=sharing>
Topic 2: Recap from last lecture

Rock cycles Soil forming processes

Igneous

Sedimentary Metamorphic

Soil forming factors

(parent materials, time,
topography, climate,
biotic activities)
Topic 2: Pedogenesis

Soil forming factors

Soil forming processes

Today’s lecture
Soil horizons

Soil types/orders
Topic 2: Component and Types of Soil

What will we do today?

• Continue Topic 2 - Learn the soil horizon and soil types in Malaysia
• Mini project
Topic 2: Rocks and Minerals in Malaysia

• Half of the Peninsular

Malaysia is covered by the
igneous rock (granite);
• The rest are sedimentary
rock (limestone);
• The remainder is alluvium

The pH values of most of the soils in

Malaysia are ranging from 4.5 to
5.5.
The soil moisture content in
Malaysia is generally at 60%–70%
for the whole year.
Topic 2: Soil horizons

• O-horizon
dendritus, leaf litter, dark layer due
to decomposition
• A-horizon
Topmost mineral, darker than lower
layers, loose with organic matter,
fertile
• E-horizon
The most leached zone or eluviation,
leaving only quartz, in sand
• B-horizon
The leached materials accumulate,
illuviation, iron and aluminium
• C-horizon
Transition area between soil and
parent material, least weathered
• R-bedrock
Rock, little to no weathering

Weil and Brady, 2019

Topic 2: Soil horizons
Topic 2: Soil horizons

⑤
Topic 2: Attendance and take 5-min break

https://forms.gle/GQiYmc4yNFB8pA5L9
Topic 2: Soil types

USDA Soil textural diagram – use

Bouyoucos hydrometer

Peterson Companies, 2018

Topic 2: Major soil types in Malaysia
• More than 70% of the land is residual soil, the other 30% is coastal alluvial soil.
• 3 main soil groups:
-residual soils of granite and sedimentary rock,
-coastal alluvial soils;
-Peat ~8% of the land or 2.8 mil hectare
Kuala Klawang granitic residual soil Peat swamps in Malaysia

(Saffari et al, 2019)

Coastal profiles in BRIS (Beach Ridges

Interspersed with Swales)
Topic 2: Major soil types in Malaysia

RESIDUAL SOILS ALLUVIAL SOILS

• The chemical weathering • In Malaysia, the alluvium is

causes the residual soil layers normally consolidated clay.
very thick • River in relatively flat terrain
• The thickness of each moves much slowly and often
weathering zones is variable. changes course - creating
• Granitic residual soil often complex alluvial deposits
extends more than 30 m,
whereas residual soil of
sedimentary rock is often
thinner.
Topic 2: Major soil types in Malaysia
PEAT

• In Malaysia, according to USDA soil taxonomy, peat is defined as

soils, which have loss on ignition of more than 65% (with an organic
content greater than 35%)
• Classified in 3 categories based on depth:
shallow peat (<150 cm)
moderately deep peat (150–300 cm)
and deep peat (>300 cm).
• Very soft, wet, and unconsolidated superficial deposits, as an integral
part of wetland systems.
• Dark brown or black with a distinctive odor.
• Problematic soil – why?
Topic 2: Peatland in Malaysia
Topic 2: Major soil types in Malaysia

• In Malaysia, peat is used widely for agriculture purposes, including oil

palm (36%) - 44% for Peninsular Malaysia, 33% for both Sabah and
Sarawak.
• Only 20% of the peatlands in Malaysia remains as forest with canopy
cover more than 70%.
• In Peninsular Malaysia, Pahang has the largest area of good quality
peat swamp forest (129,759 ha), followed by Terengganu (51,759 ha).
• Logging activity poses major threat
Topic 2: Threats to peatland
Agriculture
• More than 510,000 ha of peatlands in Malaysia are planted with oil
palms with the largest in Sarawak (300,000 ha in 2008).
• Others include paddy (Kelantan), rubber (N9), orchard, mixed crops
• Under agriculture, Johor has the greatest area, followed by Perak and
Selangor.

Fire
• Peat area has a great threat of forest fires.
• About 500 ha was destroyed by fire in 1998.
• Some areas dominated by herbaceous vegetation with little tree
regeneration experienced frequent fires.

Human
• New townships – Putrajaya – Kuala Langat north peatlands
Topic 2: Peatland in Malaysia

Peatlands of Malaysia play an

important role in:
• regulating and reducing
flood/storm damage
• preserving water supply, providing
fish, timber, and other resources for
local communities
• regulating the release of
greenhouse gases by storing large
amounts of carbon within peat.
• home to coastal species
International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN
(biodiversity)
Mini project

Materials needed
• Two containers of equal diameter, transparent to
observe the root formation. You can buy proper
transparent containers, or you could makeshift
from 10-L plastic bottle. Make sure these
containers have holes.

• Any type of soil from your area or you can build your own mix. Just remember to
record precisely what you put in the container.
• Seedlings of chosen crops. You can sow from the seed from early semester, or you can
buy seedling from local nursery, depending on your crops. Make sure they are same.
• Fertilizers. Make your own or buy the commercial ones. Remember to record the
composition (NPK value, etc) and add to the treatment group only.
• Additional boosters that you think will help the growth of the plants. Remember to
add to treatment container only, not the control container.
Mini project

After 8-week

?
Control Treatment
No Fertilizer Fertilizer
• Methodology
1. Plant your seedlings at equal amount and size in clear two containers.
2. Establish watering schedule and sun exposure suited for your chosen plants.
Treat both plants in two containers equally.
3. Fertilize your plants bi-weekly. However, do not apply fertilizer in your control
container.
4. Monitor the growth by taking pictures of both treated and non-treated plants
at front angle and arial view. Do not forget to take the picture of the roots as
well. Upload pictures on Padlet.com
5. Record every treatment you apply to the plants. Remember each of the plants
are unique even though they are of the same species. You will combine and
compare these observations with your fellow members of the group.
Mini project
• Key components that are vital to be included in your report
1. Soil physical properties
2. Watering schedule
3. Fertilizer treatment
4. Sun exposure
5. Pictures of every week
6. Discussion of your results

• Notes
1. Assessment (20% from your total grade) will be made via 5-min group
presentation (including progress in Padlet.com) and individual report writing
by your careful observations and analysis why your crops are healthy or not.
Remember, there is no single answer for everyone. Your reports will be graded
based on the techniques used to manage soil fertility, not how many crops you
reap at the end of semester. The rubric will be shared later.
2. Good luck and pray for bountiful harvest!
Mini project: Remember this

• Your plants have to be identical (size – picture baby Okra)

• Soil from the same source for the two pots, no need the same among
the group members
• Same watering schedule and sun exposure (place - balcony, car
porch, green house, direct sun, etc)
• For small size plant like spinach, onion, kesum, put more than three
seedling in each pot
• Label One pot with fertilizer treatment, one without fertilizer. Be
careful not to mix.
• Take pictures every week and post on Padlet.com (start from the first
week – Week 3). I will share the details later.
• Do not replace new seedling if they die. Be honest. Update your
progress.