Types of Soils
Soil is defined as the earth surface that serves as a natural medium for plants growth. “Soil is a combination of organic materials, mineral grains, water, and gas” (Thompson & Turk, 1993, p.253). It is very important to the environments as it produced essential products and provide critical ecosystem for life. In general soils are classified into three major categories. Which are Histosols, Oxisols and Ultisols (Refer to figure 1 in appendix 1).
The first type of soil is Histosols. Histosols are formed in Topical Wetland climate with a weathered and thick organic soils (more than 20% organic materials by mass) or peat soils (Bouwman, 1990). According to Histosol (n.d.), organic soils are formed by the accumulation of partially decomposed organic matter under waterlogged conditions of peat bogs, moors, and swamps. Thus the accumulated of plants residues and animals and their decomposition products are preserved, resulting in high organic content in soils. They are light in weight, with extremely high water holding capacities (WHC) and have high cation exchange capacity (CEC), it also appeared dark in color (University of Hawai‘i, 2014). Based on Grozav & Rogobete (2010) who studied soil on Romania said that histosols have high compressibility, low bulk density, and high rate of decay upon drainage. According to Kim (2000), in a water-saturated environment, where conditions are good, thick and much deposit are usually formed. There are problem of dropping in the level of soils surface causes by the natural drainage, where “continuous decomposition of the organic matter brought about by the better aeration” (Kim, 2000, pp. 23-24). Since Histosols exhibit very low bulk density values, it may need to be compacted in o...
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... that resulting in yellow to red colour of soils (University of Hawai‘i, 2014). Ultisols is considered to be low activity, or low fertility because of its acidic condition and low base status. However, it usually contain clay that is non-sticky and very workable (University of Hawai‘i, 2014). Bouwman (1990) stated that ultisols are frequently high in aluminium saturation and the cation exchange capacities (CEC) are saturated with less than 35 % base-cations. Although they are low availability of nutrient, with adequate liming, the addition of organic matter, fertilizer application, and with proper management, these soils can be agriculturally productive soils of Malaysia (Kim, 2000).
In conclusion, there are three major type of soil and they are differentiated by the region where they are formed and its soil structure associated with the environments of the soils.
Mississippi has a variety of different soils .The three general soils are 1) the river flood plain, known as the Delta, 2) a loess region, or bands of soils formed in windblown material that adjoins the Delta, and 3) Coastal Plain. The Mississippi Delta is better for growing row crop, while the loess and Coastal Plain region are better for animal production and forestry. The loess and Coastal Plain regions are divided based on similar soils, geology, climate, water resources, and land use called Major Land Resource Areas. The Mississippi Delta’s soil comes from sediments left by flooding various rivers in the region, rather than being a typical Delta formed by the mouth of a river. In the Delta most of the land is farmed, with three-fourths of the cropland to the north. Controlling surface water and drainage are major soil management issues. In the Delta soils are naturally diverse because of their alluvial origin. Particle sizes within the sediment decrease as distance from the originating stream increase. Another factor in Delta soil formation us surface water movement over time, because soils that formed under standing water have different properties than soils formed under moving water. Soils with large amounts of clay particles have unique features. When the soil is dry, small round aggregates form at the surface that look like shotgun buckshot, which is where the popular name for Delta clay soils “buckshot” came from. Soils with large clay content have very slow water filtration rates; this has led to significant aquaculture and rice production in the region. When floodwaters receded in the Delta, strong winds blew some of the dry sediment left by flooded river to the adjacent uplands to form the loess areas. Because of eas...
As we have observed throughout the centuries, colonialism has immensely shaped the majority of countries of modern society. In the essay “The Impact of Colonization and Western Assimilation on Health and Wellbeing of Canadian Aboriginal People”, Cathy MacDonald & Audrey Steenbeek developed significant points that reflect as connections to the essay “Virgin Soils Revisited” emphasizing the devastating impact colonialism has had on the wellbeing and health initiatives imposed on the Native Americans and the Aboriginal people of Canada to this day. Both indigenous populations have endured the hardships of poor health, racial issues such as oppression, and cultural assimilations due to the long-lasting effects of colonialism.
As you may or may not know there are many types of farming. For those farming types, there are many tillage methods used. Depending where the farm is located is how the farmer knows what method to use. The methods used are No Till, One pass, Conventional, Conservation, and chisel plow plus. Let’s start out with No Till.
Fertilizers have got different types of manufacture. Mainly we can distinct fertilizers in three categories: the nitrogen fertilizers, the phosphorous fertilizers and the potassium fertilizers.
In well-drained soils, organic material, which, of course, contains nitrogen, "may decompose faster than it is replenished (Dolman and Bud, 1967)" (Gambrell, et al, 321). So, in order to s...
Each type of soil has its characteristics in terms of water holding capacity. The first type is sand. Sand has the largest particles, with huge spaces between them, this is why sand doesn’t have the ability to hold water. Clay has the smallest particles compared to the other type, so it has good water storage qualities. It’s sticky to the touch when wet, but smooth when dry. () Clay has many fine pores, which gives it a higher capacity to hold water, than other types of soil. Eventually, it holds a higher amount of water than sand does.
Heavier soils cause problems for cultivation because they are easily compacted and need to be rested under grass for some time. They should not be cultivated every year. However, they can give good yields of certain crops such as grass, cereals, and oilseed rape. These soils are usually classed as class 3 or 4 land depending on climate. Class 3 land is common in Ayrshire because of limitations caused by heavy soils and wet climate.
Agriculture also leads to soil erosion, both through rainfall and wind. This soil can damage the aquatic ecosystems it ends up in, an...
The term expansive soil indicates to soils, which ahs the tendency to swell when their moisture content is allowed to increase. The moisture may come from rain, flooding, leaking water or sewer lines, or from a reduction in surface evapotranspiration when an area is covered by a building or pavement. The term cracking soils is also used for these soils as they have the tendency to shrink and crack when the moisture is allowed to decrease. Soils containing the clay mineral montmorillonite generally show these properties (Komine and Ogata, 1996; Rao and Triphaty, 2003; Sivapullaiah et al. 1996; Wayne et al. 1984).
Home gardens offer a wide variety of benefits to the environment and serve a diverse group of people. Home gardening provides a source of fresh produce and free of chemicals, it also gives you complete control over the chemicals and products used during the growing process. A home garden allows you to pick the produce when its ripe, unlike produce at the store is often picked before its fully ripe. The quality and flavor of the freshly picked produce from home is better than the produce that might have unknown chemicals and was likely picked several days or weeks before being sold. The produce retains more nutrients when consumed shortly after being picked, making your home garden vegetables a healthier option. A garden also provides a positive environmental impact. The compost allows you to recycle certain kitchen and yard waste into a nutrient-rich additive for the garden. This provides natural fertilizer for you plants and reduces the wastes you produce. If you choose to avoid or limit chemical use, you reduce pollution from your gardening activities. Besides being good for the environment gardens have environmental gains for us. Gardening help control urban temperatures, If the environmental landscape design is effective it can cool your home in summer and warm it in winter, it can also reduce the energy cost by up to 20%. Gardening, and all the physical activity that goes along with it, leads to a better overall physical health, weight loss, improve you bones, and reduces the risk of having osteoporosis. “In a study of 3,310 older women, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that women involved in yard work and other types of gardening exercises had lower rates of osteoporosis than joggers, swimmers, and women wh...
Soil is the most important non-renewable resource on any farm. Healthy soil is key to a good
Saline soil is also vulnerable to erosion due to the death of vegetation that held the soil together. Soil that is eroded can ‘pollute’ water too.
Would you enjoy having fresh, delicious, luscious vegetables to eat all summer long that cost you almost nothing? I know I would. Well, now you can have your veggies and eat them too. Try building your own vegetable garden. It can fit all sizes of yards and decks. You just need to pick the location and type of garden. Next, you will prepare the garden site and work the soil. Finally, you will plan the specifics and plant your garden. With some care and patience, you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor in no time.
When studying plant nutrition, it is important to analyze the sources of the nutrition. Plants absorb their nutrients using their roots in the soil, however soil is not a uniform nutritive source. The plant’s wellbeing depends greatly on the quality, composition, and thickness of the soil. To help categorize such a broad topic, scientists have implemented a naming scheme for the different levels of soil. The first layer is closest to ...