Linking Minerals to Selected Soil Bulk Properties

Abstract

Minerals in soils are the result of both inheritance and authigenic formation of both primary and secondary minerals. Comprehensive reviews on the soil clay minerals and other minerals in the past indicate that there are not many attempts to show the influence of minerals in soil genesis and management. A search for links between mineralogy and soil properties of agricultural importance is likely to be difficult because many a time the description of minerals actually present in a soil is inadequate or incomplete. Further, as soil minerals often differ from “type” minerals, it is very much necessary to investigate the properties of these minerals relevant to the properties of the soil in bulk. Despite our general understanding on the role of minerals in soils, it is necessary to investigate the properties of the minerals, especially clay minerals, their mixtures and surface modifications in the form that they occur in the soil. From the few examples under different agro-climatic situations cited it is evident that unless the mineralogical description is accurate enough for the purpose intended, it would not be prudent to look for their significance in soils. With the use of high resolution mineralogy, identification and explanation of many enigmatic situations in soils can be conveniently solved. Therefore, the advanced information developed provides adequate mineralogical database that would explain discretely many unresolved issues of the nutrient management in terms of specific soil minerals in general, and clay minerals in particular and their significance in soil as a sustainable medium for plant growth. It is hoped that this synthesis would help to assess the health and quality of soils while developing suitable management practices to enhance and sustain their productivity in the 21st century.