The active soil forming factors are those which supply energy that acts on the mass for the purpose of soil formation. These factors are climate and vegetation (biosphere). 1. Climate: Climate is the most significant factor controlling the type and rate of…
The pedogenic processes, although slow in terms of human life, yet work faster than the geological processes in changing lifeless parent material into true soil full of life. The pedogenic processes are extremely complex and dynamic involving many chemical and…
Humification: Humification is the process of transformation of raw organic matter into humus. It is extremely a complex process involving various organisms. First, simple compounds such as sugars and starches are attacked followed by proteins and cellulose and finally very resistant compounds,…
The basic pedologic processes provide a framework for later operation of more specific processes Calcification: It is the process of precipitation and accumulation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in some part of the profile. The accumulation of CaCO3 may result in the development…
The development of soil profile is a constructive process where in disintegrated material resulted from weathering of rocks and minerals gets converted into a soil body. Definition of soil profile: The vertical section of the soil showing the various layers from…
Physical properties (mechanical behaviour) of a soil greatly influence its use and behaviour towards plant growth. The plant support, root penetration, drainage, aeration, retention of moisture, and plant nutrients are linked with the physical condition of the soil. Physical properties…
Definition of Soil Texture: Soil texture refers to the relative proportion of particles or it is the relative percentage by weight of the three soil separates viz., sand, silt and clay or simply refers to the size of soil particles. The proportion…
To convey an idea of the textural make up of soils and to give an indication of their physical properties, soil textural class names are used. These are grouped into three main fractions viz., Sand, Silt and Clay. According to the…
Soil conditions and characteristics such as water movement, heat transfer, aeration, and porosity are much influenced by structure. In fact, the important physical changes imposed by the farmer in ploughing, cultivating, draining, liming, and manuring his land are structural rather…
The development of structure in arable soil depends on the following factors: 1. Climate: Climate has considerable influence on the degree of aggregation as well as on the type of structure. In arid regions there is very little aggregation of primary particles.…
