THE INFLUENCE OF TEXTURE ON THE MOISTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS

The available-water capacity (AWC) of soil profiles in the field may be estimated by (a) measuring the thickness of each soil horizon; (b) assessing its texture; and (c) summing the products of the thickness of each horizon and the mean values of AWC for the relevant textural classes. (This mean value of AWC was calculated from the average particle-size composition and from a relationship between particle size composition and AWC.) Estimates of AWC using this method were compared with measured values for each of 39 soils. When a 21 textural-class system was used to describe the soils, the mean error (the error of the estimated AWC value relative to the measured value) was ±10 per cent and with a 12 class system the mean error was ±17 per cent.     

THE INFLUENCE OF TEXTURE ON THE MOISTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS

A quantitative assessment was made of the effect of the proportion of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter in twenty-six soils on the available-water capacities (AWC) of the soils. The AWC of a soil was negatively correlated with percentage coarse sand and positively correlated with the percentages of International fine sand (or American silt) and organic C. Using a regression equation, the AWC's of the soils were estimated from mechanical analysis data with a mean accuracy of ± 16 per cent of the mean AWC.     

THE RELATION BETWEEN BULK DENSITY, AVAILABLE WATER CAPACITY, AND AIR CAPACITY OF SOILS

The effect of bulk density on moisture content at 50 mb tension in four soils of different textures was studied. The volumetric water content increased linearly with bulk density over a wide range of densities. Depending on texture, a maximum bulk density was reached above which continued compaction decreased the water content. This is shown to be the point at which the air capacity of the soil at this tension approaches zero. Accepting that the gravimetric wilting point depends mainly on texture, the available water capacity varies in a manner similar to the 50 mb water content. If the relationships described are valid in the field, the available water capacity and air capacity may be optimized using cultivation techniques to adjust the bulk density. The available water capacity of coarse-textured droughty soils may be increased by increasing the bulk density provided that the air capacity remains above acceptable lower limits (10–15 per cent). Conversely, the air capacity of compacted soils with large available-water capacities could be increased by reducing the bulk density to a value corresponding to an acceptable available-water capacity. In very compacted soils a decrease in bulk density will benefit both available-water capacity and air capacity.     

THE EFFECT OF FARMYARD MANURE ON MATRIC SUCTIONS PREVAILING IN A SANDY LOAM SOIL

Soil matric suctions under a crop of ryegrass on farmyard manure-treated and untreated plots were determined over a total period of 24 weeks from March to November. The soil moisture characteristic of each plot was determined five times throughout this period, and for each plot and on every occasion a linear relationship was found between moisture content and log matric suction. A formula was derived to account for the seasonal changes in moisture characteristic and it was then possible to obtain matric suction values from the soil moisture contents obtained from twice-weekly sampling of each plot. Although differences between available-water capacity of the manured and unmanured plots were small throughout the 6-month period of sampling, the soil matric suctions of the manured plots were almost always lower than those of the unmanured plots. The lower suctions prevailing in the manured soil could be a factor contributing to the higher yields of ryegrass obtained from the manured plots as compared with those obtained from the unmanured plots.     

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME SCOTTISH ARABLE TOPSOILS BY AGRICULTURAL AND ENGINEERING METHODS

Samples from fifty-eight arable topsoils in south-eastern Scotland were analyzed for compactability, plasticity, organic matter content, particle density, and particle-size distribution. The samples were classified by the methods employed for engineering soils and the groupings so obtained were compared with the textural classes. The criteria for the classification of engineering soils provide useful information on the likely mechanical behaviour of arable soils in the field. Tests were made for correlation between fifteen soil properties. The organic matter content, which in the samples studied ranged from 2 to 10 per cent, was shown to influence several mechanical properties, including optimum moisture content, maximum dry bulk density, liquid limit, and plastic limit. Maximum bulk density and optimum moisture content were strongly correlated with Atterberg limits and organic matter content. The liquid limit was more closely correlated with particle-size distribution than was the plastic limit. Unlike soils encountered in engineering, the particle density of these soils was not correlated with particle-size distribution but, like the Atterberg limits, was strongly correlated with organic matter content.     

THE ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT OF THE SAVANNA SOILS OF WEST AFRICA

Published and unpublished data on the amounts of organic matter and nitrogen in the surface soils of the West African savanna are reviewed. In general, amounts are small; the mean carbon content of soils from 605 well-drained sites was 0.68 per cent. Two important factors governing amounts of organic matter in well-drained soils appear to be the clay content and a moisture factor related to the length of the wet season and represented here by mean annual rainfall. Multiple linear regression on soil clay content and rainfall accounted for 46.5 per cent and 57.2 per cent, respectively, of the observed variability of soil carbon and nitrogen contents. These findings suggest that the low levels of organic matter in savanna soils arise from their predominantly sandy nature and from the relatively low rainfall. In poorly drained soils organic matter levels are higher but are less significantly related to clay content and rainfall. The influence of human interference and of parent material and altitude on organic matter is demonstrated in the context of geographically limited areas within the savanna for which more detailed information was available.     

A COMPARISON OF FIELD ESTIMATES AND LABORATORY ANALYSES OF THE SILT AND CLAY CONTENTS OF SOME WEST MIDLAND SOILS

Field estimates of silt and clay contents were compared statistically with the silt (2-60 μm) and clay (<2 μm) contents determined by the pipette method of 184 soil horizons from a large range of west Midland soils (clay contents 1–81 per cent and silt contents 3–71 per cent). Regression equations were calculated (a) for each of four surveyors using combined topsoil and subsoil data and (b) for surface and subsoils separately using combined data for the four surveyors. There is slight evidence of ‘operator bias’ and a tendency for all four surveyors to underestimate clay in surface horizons though these conclusions have limited significance because of the small number and the distribution of some of the sample populations. Single equations for the combined data from all operators and all horizons explained 75.5 per cent of the variation in field estimates of silt content and 85.4 per cent of the variation of clay estimates. For silt, the regression line almost passes through the origin with a slope not significantly different from unity, whilst for clay, the line intercepts the y-axis close to zero and has a slope of 0.904. The results show that, with experience and adequate reference samples, surveyors can confidently estimate the particle-size distribution of a wide range of soils. These studies were done during soil mapping in Staffordshire, Hereford and Worcester, and Salop using the newly introduced soil classification (Avery, 1973) and revised Handbook (Hodgson, 1974) of the Soil Survey of England and Wales.     

THE CORRELATION OF SURFACE AREA WITH OTHER PROPERTIES OF NINETEEN BRITISH CLAY SOILS

The total and external surface areas of nineteen British clay soils were determined from measurements of their water and nitrogen adsorption respectively. In addition, four physical and chemical properties of these soils were determined; liquid limit, plastic limit, cation exchange capacity, and clay content. The correlation between these six measured properties was examined. Total surface-area, liquid limit, and cation exchange capacity, had correlation coefficients of 0.90 or greater. This is sufficiently high to enable an indication of these three properties to be obtained from measurements of any one of them. The correlation between these three properties and the rest was slightly lower for the plastic limit, and considerably lower for the clay content and external surface-area, although all were significant at the 5 per cent level.     

Guidelines for safe trafficking and cultivation, and resistance–density–moisture relations of three disturbed soils from Alberta

The Atterberg limits and the Proctor compaction test are used by engineers for classifying soils and for predicting stability of building foundations. Field capacity and wilting point (agronomic limits) are used to indicate available water for plant uptake. Few studies have related the engineering criteria to the agronomic ones with regard to compaction hazard for soils. This study investigated the relationships between Atterberg limits, agronomic limits and the critical moisture content (moisture content at Proctor maximum density) for three disturbed soils (sandy loam and clay loam soils from a reclaimed Highvale mine site, and a silt loam soil from a grazing site at Lacombe) of different textures. Relationships between bulk density, moisture content and penetration resistance for these soils were also investigated. For the sandy loam and loam soils, the field capacity was close to the critical moisture content but lower than the plastic limit. Therefore, cultivation of these two soils at moisture contents close to field capacity should be avoided since maximum densification occurs at these moisture contents. Overall, the critical moisture content or field capacity would be a better guide for trafficking of sandy loam and loam textured soils than the Atterberg limits. For the clay loam, field capacity was within the plastic range. Thus trafficking this soil at field capacity would cause severe compaction. In conclusion, either field capacity or plastic limit, whichever is less, can be used as a guide to avoid trafficking at this moisture content and beyond. For the sandy loam and loam soils penetration resistance significantly increased only with increased bulk density (P≤0.05). For the clay loam soil, penetration resistance was positively related to bulk density and negatively related to moisture content.     

EXCHANGEABLE SODIUM AND YIELDS OF COTTON ON CERTAIN CLAY SOILS OF SUDAN

Within Sudan there are extensive areas of Vertisols in the Nile River valley south of Khartoum. These soils have clay contents ranging from 40 to 60 per cent, very slow permeability, exchangeable sodium percentages up to 35 or more in the upper 60 cm, and pH values between 8.0 and 9.6. Under present management, satisfactory yields of long staple cotton are obtained under irrigation on soils having exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of up to 35 in the upper 60 cm. It is proposed that soil characteristics such as type of clay, cracking and exchangeable sodium in the hot, dry climate of Sudan influence soil structure and water availability and thus the yields of cotton.     

THE EFFECT OF SOIL COMPOSITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE SHRINKAGE OF SOME CLAYEY BRITISH SOILS

The shrinkage potential of natural clods from a variety of clayey soils was measured and related to their physical, chemical and mineralogical properties. It is shown that the most important factors affecting shrinkage are initial bulk density, clay content, organic carbon content and cation exchange capacity of the peroxidised clay, and mica-smectite content on a whole soil basis. Multiple regression equations involving the initial bulk density, clay content, organic carbon and cation exchange capacity accounted for 87 and 82 per cent of the variation in total shrinkage of topsoils and subsoils respectively. Because of restrictions on shrinkage imposed by factors such as climate, crops, ground-water and moisture release characteristics of soils, soils with a high shrinkage potential may not behave very differently to soils with a much lower potential. On these grounds it is concluded that the shrinkage criteria used in US Taxonomy are not applicable in Britain.     

AN EXAMINATION OF THE FALL-CONE METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SOME STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF REMOULDED AGRICULTURAL SOILS

Measurements of unconfined shear strengths were made over a range of moisture contents on seven remoulded agricultural soils which covered a range of textures, and these were used to calibrate the Swedish fall-cone device. It was found that the calibration factor, usually regarded as constant in engineering literature, was dependent on soil texture, but constant over a range of moisture contents for a given soil texture. From the assumption that the liquid and plastic limits correspond to two fixed specified strengths, it is shown that one can use the fall-cone device to determine these limits by making measurements of cone penetrations over a range of moisture contents. It is suggested that a modified plasticity chart, which can be obtained very simply from measurements of cone penetrations made over a restricted range of moisture contents, may be used for characterizing soil behaviour.     

PROCESSES OF HUMUS FORMATION AND TRANSFORMATION IN SOILS OF THE CANADIAN GREAT PLAINS

A study of the A horizons of cultivated soils from Saskatchewan, Canada showed that the organic carbon contents were in the sequence semi-arid Dark Brown soils (1.7 per cent), < Black soils (2.55–2.8 per cent), < sub-humid Dark Gray soils (4.5 per cent). The relative proportions of humic acids and the ratios of humic acid: fulvic acid increased in a similar sequence. There were accompanying increases in extinction values at 280 nm, and in levels of nonhydrolyzable nitrogen suggesting more extensive polycondensation of humic materials. These observations are discussed in terms of a working hypothesis for humus formation and transformations, that gives particular emphasis to the soil environment and to interactions between organic and inorganic components.     

CERTAIN EQUILIBRIUM ION RATIOS FOR A SOLONETZIC SOIL

A method is described for determining the true equilibrium soil solution for a saline soil adjusted to various moisture contents by interpolation of ion ratios in solution before and after equilibration. Over the moisture range studied, equilibrium values were different at each moisture content. The ionic strengths of the equilibrium solutions were considered to be too high for calculation of activity coefficient and therefore concentration ratios were used instead of activity ratios. The ionic strength and ion ratios for the soil equilibrium solutions changed gradually over the moisture range 35 to 100 per cent, but abruptly over the lower moisture range (5 to 35 per cent). The expression log(Na)–½ log(Ca) is regarded as being particularly important.     

水稻土的物理机械性质与机械化耕作的关系

土壤机械化耕作措施应当密切考虑土壤物理机械性质,这些性厦是随着土壤合水量而变化,从而影响耕作的难易。因此,从探求土壤适耕性出发,开展土壤物理机械性厦的研究是十分必要的。     

土壤破碎模数与湿度关系的初步研究

本文研究了一定吸力范围(1-15巴)内三种粘重土壤的破碎模数与湿度的关系,结果表明,砖红壤、红壤和下蜀黄土的破碎模数转折湿度分别为25.3%(干土%,下同),15.3%和15.7%。与它们的水分特征曲线对照研究表明,取8巴吸力的对应湿度作为破碎模数转折湿度,与实测值相比误差均小于1%。参照已经发表的14条典型的水分特征曲线估算,以8巴吸力的对应湿度作为破碎模数的转折湿度,对绝大多数土壤来说其误差可小于2%。由于破碎土块需施的压力在破碎模数转折湿度这一点上开始显著增加,因此它可以作为适耕下限的一个参数。     

THE ERODIBILITY OF TWO SOILS FROM KENYA

A portable rainfall simulator was used to measure the runoff rates and soil losses from a freshly ploughed luvisol at Katumani, and a nitosol at Kabete, on a 6° slope at varying rainfall intensities. The soil losses from storms of 50 and 100 mm/h intensities, in which a total of SO mm rain was applied to plots in the wet moisture state, varied from 0.8 to 1.4 metric tons/ha at Kabete and 8.5 to 13.9 metric tons/ha at Katumani. The percentage runoff from these storms was 15 to 17 per cent at Kabete and 67 to 71 per cent at Katumani. The much greater runoff rates from the Katumani soils were shown to be due to surface capping caused by degradation of the surface structure. It has been proposed that soil credibility K factors of 0.4 and 0.04 could be used for the Katumani and Kabete soils respectively in the Universal Soil Loss Equation     

THE EFFECT OF SOIL FACTORS ON THE EXTRACTION OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER BY ANHYDROUS FORMIC ACID

Twenty-five soils, having a wide range of organic matter contents, were extracted with anhydrous formic acid containing 10 per cent acetylacetone, and the extracted material precipitated in two fractions with diisopropyl ether. Precipitates comprised from 5.1 to 51.1 per cent of the original soil organic matter, the proportion extracted tending to be greatest from acid soils of fairly high organic matter content and least from neutral or slightly alkaline soils of low organic matter content. Soil clay content appeared to have no effect on the efficiency of organic matter extraction, but was the most important soil factor governing the proportion of the total soil-N extracted. Amounts of N extracted ranged from 10.2 to 57.8 per cent of the original soil N content, extraction efficiency being greatest with soils of low clay content and low pH. There was evidence to suggest that soil clay afforded some protection to N compounds against extraction. The results indicate that formic acid/acetylacetone is most effective with soils in which much of the organic matter is only partly humified.     

Field performance of three real-time moisture sensors in sandy loam and clay loam soils

The study was conducted to evaluate HydraProbe (HyP), Campbell Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) and Watermarks (WM) moisture sensors for their ability to estimate water content based on calibrated neutron probe (NP) measurements. The three sensors were in-situ tested under natural weather conditions over a 3-yr period in a sandy loam and clay loam soils planted to grass. The HyP, TDR and WM sensors were evaluated for their ability to estimate soil moisture contents by comparing their outputs with those of NP measurements. Results showed that HyP, TDR and WM provided different estimates of soil moisture contents in both soils. Nevertheless, our work suggests that soil moisture sensors including those used in this study can be made suitable for irrigation scheduling without in-situ calibrations by simply setting the upper and lower irrigation trigger limits for each sensor and each soil type. The upper trigger point occurs directly after irrigation event (near field capacity) and the lower trigger point is based on about 50% depletion of available water in the crop rootzone and is occurs prior to irrigation refill. This approach can significantly help irrigators to achieve their irrigation scheduling and productivity goals without consuming any time onsite or soil specific calibrations.     

DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE CONTENT WITH A GAMMA BACKSCATTER DENSITY GAUGE

Gamma-radiation, backscatter gauges, as normally employed for the determina-tion of the bulk density of soils, use integral mode counting. They are relatively insensitive to the presence of soil moisture and hence not generally suitable for monitoring soil moisture content, particularly, if the soil type effect is minimized by counting only gamma-photons of energy > 0.400 MeV for a ¹³⁷Cs source. However, using differential mode counting with the window set at about 0.08 MeV, the phenomenon is one of multiple instead of single scattering. With a source-detector Separation of the order of 20 cm, about eight Compton in-teractions are obtained and, as a multiplying factor of ZjA is involved at each interaction, the increased response with hydrogen-containing material is easily observable. The value of Z/A for hydrogen is 1.0, and for materials not containing hydrogen about 0.5; therefore for water it is 5/9. Hence under these conditions, the response for water compared with non-hydrogen-containing materials is [(s/9)/(1/2)]⁸= 2.32 times, an increase of 132 per cent. This method can therefore be exploited to measure the moisture content of soils. The sensitivity is high, and the accuracy is better than ± 5 per cent, which is not as good as can be achieved with a separate thermal neutron detector, but is useful for many purposes and, of course, only one instrument is required.