Peat Soil

The word Peat is taken from the name of a village, namely the village of Peat (now sub-
district of Gambut), which is located about 10 km east of the city of Banjarmasin, South
Kalimantan, where for the first time rice has been successfully cultivated on peatland rice fields.
In the soil taxonomy system, peat soils are grouped into a separate soil order called histosis,
which means that the land is predominantly composed of organic soil materials in the from of the
remains of plant tissues. The nature and characteristics of peat soils can be determined based on
their physical and chemical properties.
In Soil Survey Staff (2003) Soil can be categorized as peat based on its C-Organic
content and clay content; If the clay mineral fraction is 0%, then the organic C content is at least
12%, but if the clay fraction is> 60%, then the organic C must be over 18%. Apart from being
characterized by its clay content and C-organic content, the conditions for a soil to be said to be
peat are also characterized by its thickness and bulk density. Soil that has a layer of organic
matter with specific gravity (BD) in a moist state of 0.1 g cm-3 with a thickness of 60 cm or an
organic layer with BD 0.1 g cm-3 with a thickness of 40 cm
The process of peat formation begins with a shallow lake which is slowly overgrown by
water plants and wetland vegetation. The dead and decaying plants gradually form a layer which
then becomes a transitional layer between the peat layer and the subratum (the layer below)
which is mineral soil. The next plants grow in the more central part of this shallow lake and form
layers of peat so that the lake becomes full, the part of the peat that grows to fill the shallow lake
is called topogen peat because the formation process is caused by topography of the basin area.
Certain plants can still thrive on topogenous peat. The results of its weathering form a new layer
of peat which over time forms a peat dome with a convex surface. Peat that grows on topogenous
peat is known as ombrogen peat.
The nature and characteristics of peat soil can be determined based on their physical and
chemical properties. The physical and chemical properties are in the form of:
Color. Peat is dark brown to blackish in color, although the basic material is gray, brown or
reddish, but after decomposition, dark humic compounds appear;
Fill weight. The weight of organic soil compared to mineral soil is low. Peat soil that has
undergone further decomposition has a bulk density ranging from 0.2 to 0.3;
Water holding capacity. Due to its low bulk density, peat has a large water storage capacity,
around 2 - 4 curries of its dry weight, even un-decomposed moss peat can store 12 or 15 or even
20 times its own weight;
Solidal properties. Peat soil has a large adsorption area, which is up to 4 times larger than
montmorillonite clay;
Sour reaction. The decomposition of organic matter will produce organic acids that accumulate
in the soil body, thereby increasing the acidity of the peat soil;
Buffer properties. In general, peat soils show significant resistance to pH changes when
compared to mineral soils. As a result, peat soils require more lime to raise the pH to the same
value as mineral soils. Likewise, peat soils require a higher fertilizer dose than mineral soils;
Nutrient content. High levels of N and organic matter in peat soils also have high C and N ratios,
but even so the process of N nitrification is also high, due to high levels of N, sufficient Ca and
inactivation of some carbon from resistant materials, so that heterotropic organisms are not very
active. stimulated, as a result organisms that are active in the nitrification process have the
opportunity to carry out their activities. In addition, the P and K content of peat soils are
generally low compared to mineral soils, therefore plants cultivated on peat soils are very
responsive to P and K fertilization.
In accordance with the directions for the use of peat land for oil palm cultivation
Number: 14 / Permentan / PL.110 / 2/2009 it states that: "The cultivation of oil palm is basically
carried out on mineral lands. Due to the limited availability of land, oil palm cultivation can be
carried out on peatland by meeting the criteria that can ensure the sustainability of the function of
peatlands, namely: (a) cultivated only on community land and cultivation areas, (b) the thickness
of the peat layer is less than 3 ( three) meters, (c) mineral soil substratum under peat, not quartz
sand and not acid sulphate soil; (d) maturity level of sapric (ripe) or hemic (semi-ripe) peat; and
(e) the level of eutropic peat soil fertility ”. The requirement for peat thickness <3m as
agricultural land is for conservation and practical considerations, that the thicker the peat is, the
more important its function is in providing protection for the environment, and conversely the
more fragile it becomes if it is used as agricultural land. Agriculture on thick peatlands is more
difficult to manage and expensive because of its low fertility and low soil bearing capacity,
making it difficult for vehicles to transport agricultural facilities and crops to pass through.
The peat dome functions as a water storage (reservoir) that can supply water to the
surrounding area, especially during the dry season, both for drinking water and for farming.
During the rainy season this area functions as a reservoir for excess water, thereby reducing the
risk of flooding in the surrounding area. This is possible because peat has a very large water
holding capacity, which is up to 13 times its dry weight. Protection of rain-fed areas will ensure
that the surrounding area becomes more productive.
The problem that is also very important in peat processing is the problem of drainage,
because if the peat swamp land in an area is opened for agriculture, large canals (primary and
secondary channels) must be made to drain the land. The negative impact of digging these canals
is that the groundwater gradually decreases and the land dries up. In peat swamp land where
there is sulfidic material, the sulfidic material, especially pyrite, is exposed in the air and
undergoes oxidation. The existence of sulfidic substances in the end becomes a major problem
because it is toxic to plants, so that almost all agricultural plants die, or are unable to grow in
these extreme conditions.
(adapted from https://freelearningji.wordpress.com)
Main Idea : Peat soil has certain physical and chemical properties
Supporting Details :
 2 - Soil can be categorized as peat based on its C-Organic content and clay content
 3 - The process of peat formation begins with a shallow lake which is slowly
overgrown by water plants and wetland vegetation.
 4 - The physical and chemical properties peat soil
 5 - Agriculture on thick peatlands is more difficult to manage and expensive
 6 - The peat dome functions as a water storage (reservoir) that can supply water to
the surrounding area
 7 - The problem that is also very important in peat processing is the problem of
drainage