Soils Flashcards
soil
naturally occurring mixture of mineral and organic ingredients with a definite form, structure, and composition
Factors that affect the development of soil (5)
parent material
Climate
Living organisms
Landscape position
Time
Soil Horizons
soil layers that differ from the overlying
and underlying layers in some property
The two most commonly used properties to differentiate between soil horizons are
Color and Texture
color of the soil is measured useing
The Munsell color system
Hue
indicates the colors relation to Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple
value
indicates the color lightness (y-axis)
Chroma
indicates the color strength (x-axis)
sand
grains are 2 – 0.05 mm (Largest)
silt
grains are 0.05 – 0.005mm
(smaller)
clay
grains are < 0.002 m (smallest)
ribbion test
determine soil texture
sandy soils
contain > 85% sand-sized particles; very gritty; more air and water movement
clay soils
50% clay- size particles; very smooth; heavy and hold a lot of water
Loamy soils
contain a balance of sand, silt, and clay;
slightly gritty water holding capacity and fertility
Nitrogen soil nutrients
Directly responsible for producing leaf growth and green leaves.
to little –> yellow leaves
to much—> lots of leaves but deladed flowering.
Phosphorus soil nutrients
Aids plant maturity and resistance to disease and winterkill. helps seeds, fruit, and vitamin content.
too little –> stunted growth and seed sterility.
Potassium soil nutrients
improves color and flavor. Aids early growth, stem strength, and cold
hardiness.
too little –> spotted, curly, dried out leaves.
pH
measure of acidity or alkalineity of the soil.
ideal range of 5.5 to 8.0
Controls how well plants utilize the nutrients available in soil
