Soil Crop Productivity Research Articles

Role of active aluminum in the formation of water-stable macroaggregates

Soil structure is determined by the arrangement of particles in soil and the particles of sand, silt, and clay bind together into aggregates of various sizes by organic and inorganic materials. Structural stability which is the ability of the aggregates and pores to remain intact when subjected to stress, markedly affects crop production and soil erosion (Tisdall 1996). Since water, either directly as rainfall or as surface runoff is the main agent of aggregate breakdown, in the analyzes of stable soil aggregation, the term water-stable aggregation is generally used (Lynch and Bragg 1985). Water-stable aggregates have been divided into micro aggregates < 0.25 mm dia.) and macro aggregates (> 0.25 mm dia.) (Edwards and Bremner 1967; Tisdall and Oades 1982). Microaggregates show a relatively high stability against physical disruption (Edwards and Bremner 1967). On the other hand, macro aggregates are sensitive to soil management (Tisdall and Oades 1982). There are many reports on the relationships between the aggregate stability and the soil physicochemical properties. For example, significant correlations were found between the aggregate stability and the amounts of organic C (Tisdall and Oades 1982), total N, and carbohydrates or the CEC (Chaney and Swift 1984). However, most of these studies were conducted in non-volcanic ash soils. Volcanic ash soils are widely distributed in Japan and are very important soils for crop production. The objective of this study was, therefore, to obtain more information on the relationship between the degree of macro aggregation and the soil physicochemical properties in non-volcanic and volcanic ash soils.

Chloride movement in aggregated silt loam soil columns

Studies on salt movement with water in well aggregated fine-textured soils are scarce though fertilizers are also used in these soils for crop production. To gain insight into the process of salt movement in such soils, displacement of surface applied chloride slug with water was studied in aggregates of six size ranges viz., 2.0–4.0 mm, 1.0–2.0 mm, 0.5–1.0 mm, 0.25–0.50 mm, 0.10–0.25 mm and 0.06–0.10 mm and in soil-as such in 30 cm long and 7.2 cm internal diameter glass columns. Maximum chloride concentration occurred at 23 cm depth in columns of 0.25–0.50 mm aggregates after 24 hours of infiltration initiation. The chloride peak tended to be shallower in aggregates smaller than this size group. In aggregates greater than 0.25–0.50 mm size, however, no sharp peak of chloride concentration was observed but it scattered almost uniformly below 8 cm depth. An equation predicting peak of salt concentration in soil-as such does not explain this scatter in aggregated soils. However, when the applied water was apportioned into mobile and immobile phases, the equation predicted scatter of salt concentration in aggregated soil columns to a reasonable accuracy.

Manuring of potatoes on fen silt soils in Holland, Lincolnshire

SummaryThe fen silts bordering the Wash are among the most important soils for crop production in eastern England. Derived from marine alluvial deposits occurring naturally or as a result of reclamation, they form deep almost stoneless soils containing little coarse sand but much fine sand and silt.Seven textural classes, ranging from loamy fine sand to silty clay, can be distinguished, but these can be grouped into (1) light silts, typically deep very fine sandy loams with a large available water-holding capacity but weakly developed structure; (2) medium silts, silty loams; and (3) heavy silts, silt loams or silty clay loams, less porous and more retentive of moisture than the light silts.Formerly under grass, the silts were at first capable of growing good crops of potatoes with P fertilizer alone, but as their organic-matter content decreased, potatoes became increasingly responsive to N.In 18 potato manurial experiments on silt soils in Holland, Lincolnshire, done between 1953 and 1963, the mean response to N was much larger than on most English soils, but response differed greatly from site to site and year to year; in most trials N was particularly effective in increasing tuber size and yield of ware. With long-continued use of P fertilizer, residues have accumulated and, particularly on light and medium silts, responses were quite small and differed little between sites; P tended to increase tuber numbers, and so to decrease ware percentage. Most silt soils are rich in K, and only small responses to K fertilizer can be expected, but on a few sites on the light silts, identified by soil analysis as being comparatively poor in K, potatoes responded well. Using these experimental results, recommendations are given for the manuring of potatoes on silt soils.Cooking tests showed little consistent effect of manurial treatment on the amount or degree of tuber blackening.