Category Archives: Soil science

What is Infiltration? What is infiltration? The process of entry of water into the soil by downward flow through all or part of the soil surface is termed as infiltration It is the entry of fluid from one medium to another What is infiltration rate? It is defined as the volume of water flowing into the profile per unit of soil surface area per unit time It is not constant over time. Generally, it is high in the initial stages of infiltration process, particularly where the soil is quite dry, but tends to decrease subsequently and becomes steady It may […]

Adhesion Cohesion and Soil Moisture tension What are the forces responsible for water retention in Soil? Hydrogen bonding accounts for two basic forces responsible for water retention and movement in soils These are Adhesion and Cohesion The forces of adhesion and cohesion make it possible for the soil solids to retain water and control its movement and use What is Adhesion? Adhesion besically is the force of attraction between the two dissimilar molecules Eg – attraction between soil and water molecule In case of Soil, it is force of attraction between water molecules and solid surfaces By adhesion some water […]

Soil Bulk density, particle density and Porosity What is soil made up of? Soil is made up of 4 components 1. Soil Solids containing minerals and other solid particles that constitute 45 percent 2. Soil Water constitutes 25 percent 3. Soil Air constitutes porespaces i.e. part not occupied by water or solids 4. Organic matter constitutes 5 percent What is Particle Density? It is the ratio of a given mass (or weight) of soil solids to that of its volume It is usually expressed in terms of g/cm3 if 1 cm3 of soil solids weigh 2.6 g, the particle density […]

What is Soil structure? The structure of a soil refers to the arrangement of the soil particles and the adhesion of smaller particles to form large ones or aggregates According to Marshall and Holmes, It is the arrangement of the solid parts of the soil and of the pore spaces located between them You may also like to read – What is Soil texture? | Agristudent.com Soil structure is associated with the tilth of the soil since tillage largely affects the aggregation of soil particles through rearrangement, floculation or cementation What are different types of Soil structures? Following are the […]

What is Soil texture? It refers to the relative proportion of mineral particles of various sizes in the given soil i.e., the proportions of coarse (sand), medium (Silt) and fine particles (clay) What is the size of mineral particles present in the soil? The mineral particles are classified into 4 groups as follows Course sand These particles have a size between 2 mm to 0.2 mm Fine sand These particles have a size between 0.2 mm to 0.02 mm Silt These particles have a size between 0.02 mm to 0.002 mm Clay These particles have a size less than 0.002 […]

What is Soil Depth? Soil depth refers to the thickness of soil cover over hard rock or hard substratum below which roots cannot penetrate It is directly related to 1. development of root system 2. water storage capacity 3. nutrient supply 4. feasibility for land leveling and land shaping Classification of Soil depth According to the Soil Conservation Division, New Delhi, following categories of soil have been mentioned on the basis of its depth Very shallow Soil depth is Less than 7.5 cm Shallow Soil depth is between 7.5 cm to 22.5 cm Moderately deep Soil depth is between 22.5 […]

Is air present only in atmosphere?…No..! Air is also present in soil which is known as soil air What is soil composed of? Soil is composed of solid, liquid and gaseous constituents in various proportions. Also read our various other related articles under Soil science Category Soil Temperature – Comprehensive Overview Soil science – studying soil Soil health card (SHC) Soil groups of India Classification of soils Soil texture – importance and textural classes What are Pore spaces? It is the part of the soil, not occupied by soil solids. The size and arrangement of soil particles or soil aggregates […]

Soil temperature is an important growth factor not only for crops but also for the soil microbial population. Keep on reading and try to answer an MCQ at the end of this article…! What is soil temperature? Temperature is actually the measure of heat. What is heat in relation to soil temperature? The heat means the energy obtained from random motion i.e. vibration of molecules of a substance. The speed of vibration of moleciles present in that substances is directly proportional to temperature. Also read our various other related articles under soil science category Soil Air – Comprehensive Overview Soil […]

Introduction There are various fertilizers used in agriculture. All fertilizers contain various nutrients out of which Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are considered major nutrients for plants. Fertilizers are classified on the basis of nutrients they supply such as nitrogenous, phosphatic, potassic fertilizers etc. Also read our other related articles under AGRICULTURE – AT A GLANCE SERIES Plant growth regulators and functions at a Glance Instruments used in Agriculture and their uses at a glance Disorders of Fruits and Vegetables with causes at a glance Crops and their botanical names at a glance Given below are various fertilizers with their nutirnt […]

Introduction Plant nutrients are a very important part of study of plant physiology. The roles and classification of plant nutrients is very important Plants contain about 80 to 90 percent of water by weight and the remaining 10 to 20 percent is the dry weight The dry matter consists of a number of organic compounds such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and others Also read other articles in plant physiology Transpiration   Nearly 90 percent of the dry weight of the plant consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen All the mineral elements together contribute only about 6 percent of the dry […]