Soil Resources

 Soil
 It is a complex mixture of weathered mineral
materials from rocks, partially decomposed organic
molecules, and a host of living organisms.
 Renewable resource- with careful husbandry it can
be renewed indefinitely.
 To understand the potential for feeding the world on
sustainable basis, we need to know that how soil
forms, how it is lost and how we can protect and
rebuilt good agricultural soil.
Soil formation
 Soil formation
 Soils develop over long periods of time, perhaps
ten thousand years
 Weathering of rocks.
 The modification of Earth’s crust as a result of
it’s interaction with atmosphere and the
hydrosphere is called weathering, the final
product of which is soil.
 Continuous rough treatment-battering of rocks
by wind, rains, and changes of temperature
decomposes rocks into small fragments.
Types of Weathering
 Physical Weathering
 Physical weathering of rocks is a mechanical process which is
brought about by changes in temperature, water and wind.
Differential thermal expansion and contraction due to changes in
temperature produces internal tensions in the body of rocks which
develops cracks and splits apart.
 Chemical Weathering
 Chemical weathering of rocks involves relatively slow and simple
chemical reaction like dissolution, hydrolysis, carbonation, oxidation,
and reduction etc. Water, air, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other
materials are principal agents of weathering and transform rocks into
gravel, sand and clay.
 Biological Weathering
 Lichens, bacteria, a number of fungi and algae etc. in the presence
of plenty moisture, produce metabolites, which aid in the
disintegration of rocks.
Soil

 Age of soil
 Young soil- rich in soluble nutrients b/c of less weathering
 Old Soil – rain water has washed away most of the soluble
nutrients and organic material-red soil of tropics –clay
 Soil Organism
 With out soil organism-sterile mineral particles
 The activity of living organisms in soils helps create
structure, fertility, and tilth
 Billions of individual organism per hectare of soil
 Bacteria and Fungi decompose organic detritus and
recycle nutrients that plants can use for additional growth
Soil
Soil

 Soil Structure
 The ways in which soil particles are organized and clumped
together
 Soil Porosity
 A measure of the volume of pores or pore spaces per volume of
soil and of the average distance between those spaces
 Soil Permeability
 The rate at which water and air move from upper to the lower soil
layers
 Acidity/Alkalinity
 The acidity/alkalinity of a soil, as measured by its pH influences
the uptake of soil nutrients by plants
 If too acidic soil than alkaline substance such as Lime can be
used
Textural Triangle
Textural Triangle
Soil
 Soil Profile
 Most soils are stratified into horizontal layers called soil
horizons
 A cross-sectional view of the horizon is called soil profile.
 A horizon:
 A horizon is the top layer of soil called topsoil.
 This thin layer (usually less than 20 cm) -fertile
because of the organic matter which has
accumulated from plant and biological activity.

Soil profile

Profile of a typical dark brown soil formed under native grassland

Soil

 Forested soils frequently show a lighter

coloured A horizon or Ae (e = eluviated),
as organic matter and iron compounds
are leached downward
 Grassland soils are darker, resulting
from an accumulation of more organic
matter giving the characteristic Ah (h =
humic ) horizon.
Soil

Typical Soil profile of forested land

Soil

 B horizon
 The soil under the top layer is called subsoil. It is
usually lighter in colour because it does not
contain as much humus as the horizon A,
making it less fertile
 This layer can vary in thickness from a few

centimetres to a metre or more

 The B horizon usually has a denser structure

than the A horizon, making it more difficult for

plants to extend their roots
Soil

 C horizon:
 This horizon lies under the subsoil and is
called the parent material
 This is the original material from which the
soil developed.
 This layer has deposits of sand, gravel,
pebbles, boulders and rock in various
mixtures