Characterization of soil quality: Physical and chemical criteria

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Arshad ◽  
G.M. Coen
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Chemical Attributes ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe impact of soil degradation on human welfare and the global environment presents a major challenge. A significant decline in soil quality has occurred worldwide through adverse changes in its physical, chemical and biological attributes and contamination by inorganic and organic chemicals. There is a need to develop criteria to evaluate soil quality so that the progress of any corrective action required by the international community can be monitored.There currently are no generally accepted criteria to evaluate changes in soil quality. This lack impedes the design and evaluation of meaningful soil management programs. This paper examines the principal physical and chemical attributes that can serve as indicators of a change in soil quality under particular agroclimatic conditions. Proposed indicators include soil depth to a root restricting layer, available water-holding capacity, bulk density/penetration resistance, hydraulic conductivity, aggregate stability, organic matter, nutrient availability/retention capacity, pH, and where appropriate, electrical conductivity and exchangeable sodium. We also discuss the justification for selecting these key attributes, their measurement, critical limits for monitoring changes in soil productivity, and future research needs in soil quality.

scholarly journals Treated wastewater irrigation effects on soil hydraulic conductivity and aggregate stability of loamy soils in Israel

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Schacht ◽  
Bernd Marschner
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Irrigation Effects ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation becomes increasingly important in water stressed regions like the Middle East for substituting fresh water (FW) resources. Due to elevated salt concentrations and organic compounds in TWW this practice has potential adverse effects on soil quality, such as the reduction of hydraulic conductivity (HC) and soil aggregate stability (SAS). To assess the impact of TWW irrigation in comparison to FW irrigation on HC, in-situ infiltration measurements using mini disk infiltrometer were deployed in four different long-term experimental orchard test sites in Israel. Topsoil samples (0-10 cm) were collected for analyzing SAS and determination of selected soil chemical and physical characteristics. The mean HC values decreased at all TWW sites by 42.9% up to 50.8% compared to FW sites. The SAS was 11.3% to 32.4% lower at all TWW sites. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were generally higher at TWW sites. These results indicate the use of TWW for irrigation is a viable, but potentially deleterious option, as it influences soil physical and chemical properties.

scholarly journals Land use and soil quality in peri-urban farms in Southern Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 160-174
Author(s):  
Agi Costa Cassimo ◽  
Paulo César Nascimento ◽  
Patrícia Lima De Lima ◽  
Carlos Gustavo Tornquist ◽  
Carlos Alberto Bissani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Horticultural Crops ◽  
Chemical Attributes ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Small family farms constitute a major part of land use in the surrounding regions of Brazilian cities, as these farms not only contribute to the food supply, but also help conserve rural landscapes and improve environmental services. This study evaluated agricultural impacts on soil quality in seven family farms in Porto Alegre municipality, Rio Grande do Sul state, RS. Selected production units (PUs) were managed as conventional or organic farms, producing horticultural crops, fruits and pastures, besides native forests. Soil samples were collected from representative areas for five use and management types, under disturbed and undisturbed conditions, at 0–20 cm depth. Physical and chemical attributes were analyzed, comparing the effects of types of land use. Data analysis showed that more affected attributes were soil density, macro and microporosity, phosphorus content, pH and electrical conductivity. Macroporosity, phosphorus, zinc and cooper contents are the greater threats to soil quality. Horticulture, under both agroecological and conventional production systems caused major changes compared to natural conditions.

scholarly journals The impact of different tillage practices on soil stability and erosion in a red soil hilly region, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huifang Jin ◽  
Shangshu Huang ◽  
Dong Shi ◽  
Junkai Li ◽  
Jifu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Mechanical Stability ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Red Soil ◽  
Soil Stability ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Hilly Region ◽  
The Impact

Tillage practices can change moisture content, nutrient retention and soil properties and so affect crop growth and significantly influence soil stability. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of tillage practices (conventional tillage, CT; soil compaction, CM; subsoil tillage, ST; no tillage, NT; and subsoil tillage and soil compaction, SCM) on soil stability in a hilly region of red soil in China. The parameters of soil stability were soil aggregate stability (SAS), wet aggregate stability (WAS), and soil mechanical stability (SMS). These parameters are closely related to soil erodibility (SE). The results indicated that SAS, WAS, SMS and SE varied significantly across the five tillage methods. The aggregate stability indexes (ASI) of CM (2.64) and CT (2.61) were greater than for other methods, which indicates that CM increased the compactness of soil particles and that the soil structure for NT was relatively stable and less disturbed than for other methods. NT and CM significantly increased soil shear strength (SS) and soil compactness (SC) compared to other methods. NT significantly increased soil resistance to erosion compared to other methods, with K factor = 0.26. NT (ASI = 0.43) had the greatest soil stability and resistance to erosion (SSE), followed by SCM (ASI = 0.41), for which ASI can potentially be increased. The results provide reference parameter values for selecting a suitable tillage method to reduce soil erosion and improve soil productivity in red soil sloping farmland.

scholarly journals Influence of fertilizer and hydrogel on physical-chemical attributes of substrate for seedling production

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Glauce Taís de Oliveira Sousa Azevedo ◽  
Anderson Marcos de Souza ◽  
Gileno Brito de Azevedo ◽  
Paulo Eduardo Teodoro ◽  
José Raimundo Luduvico de Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Forest Nursery ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Chemical Attributes ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Different Doses

The incorporation of the hydrogel into the substrate used in the forest nursery promotes improvements in its physical-chemical attributes. However, several factors influence the hydrogel efficiency, such as the increase of salts, promoted by fertilizer of the substrate. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of the incorporation of fertilizer levels and hydrogel doses on the physical-chemical attributes of a substrate to produce forest seedlings. Different levels of basic fertilizer commonly used in the nursery (100%, 50% and 0%) and different doses of the hydrogel (0, 1, 2 and 3 g L-1) were incorporated into the substrate Tropstrato Florestal®, consisting of 12 treatments in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme. A sample of the substrate in each treatment was sent for analysis of its physical and chemical attributes. To evaluate the effect of the treatments on the physical-chemical attributes of the substrate, was used the multivariate principal components analyses. The levels of fertilizer and hydrogel doses were correlated with the attributes of the substrates obtained in each treatment. The incorporation of different fertilizer levels and hydrogel doses to the substrate modified their chemical and physical attributes. Fertilizers have influenced mainly the chemical attributes of the substrate, whereas hydrogels have influenced the physical attributes, mainly those related to water retention capacity and availability.

scholarly journals Analysis of biogeochemical processes in plastic-covered soil during establishment period in strawberry cultivation

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Meyer ◽  
D. Diehl ◽  
G. E. Schaumann ◽  
K. Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Soil Processes ◽  
Plastic Mulching ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Plastic mulching (PM) has become a widely applied agricultural practice to optimize plant growth. However, it is still under debate how PM influences biogeochemical soil processes and thus important factors of soil quality, such as soil organic matter (SOM) composition, aggregate stability and microbial biomass. Our objective was to identify the impact of PM on biogeochemical soil processes. Therefore, we compared a plastic-covered strawberry cultivation system (PC) with an uncovered system (NC) in three soil layers (0–10, 10–30 and 30–60 cm) at three dates during a 4-month period of strawberry establishment from their transplanting in summer to the beginning of winter. The PC shifted the microclimate of the soil towards higher temperatures but lower moistures in the 0–35 cm soil layer compared to uncovered soil. Predominantly in the surface layer, the PC reduces leaching processes, which can improve nutrient (fertilizer) use efficiency. PC increased SOM and shifted SOM to a more stable SOM. The higher SOM under PC despite larger microbial biomass and elevated temperatures, indicate that belowground biomass inputs compensate the potential SOM losses by an enhanced SOM decomposition under PC. We demonstrated that PC influenced soil processes already within the 4-month period of strawberry establishment, partially down to the 30–60 soil layer. Further, long-term studies are required to estimate the influence of multi-annual PM application on biogeochemical soil processes and on soil quality.

scholarly journals Case study of microarthropod communities to assess soil quality in different managed vineyards

SOIL ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Gagnarli ◽  
D. Goggioli ◽  
F. Tarchi ◽  
S. Guidi ◽  
R. Nannelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
Taxa Richness ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
High Level ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Land use influences the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods. The evaluation of the impact of different management strategies on soil quality is increasingly sought, and the determination of community structures of edaphic fauna can represent an efficient tool. In the area of Langhe (Piedmont, Italy), eight vineyards characterized for physical and chemical properties (soil texture, soil pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate) were selected. We evaluated the effect of two types of crop management, organic and integrated pest management (IPM), on abundance and biodiversity of microarthropods living at the soil surface. Soil sampling was carried out in winter 2011 and spring 2012. All specimens were counted and determined up to the order level. The biodiversity analysis was performed using ecological indexes (taxa richness, dominance, Shannon–Wiener, Buzas and Gibson's evenness, Margalef, equitability, Berger–Parker), and the biological soil quality was assessed with the BSQ-ar index. The mesofauna abundance was affected by both the type of management and sampling time. On the whole, a higher abundance was in organic vineyards (N = 1981) than in IPM ones (N = 1062). The analysis performed by ecological indexes showed quite a high level of biodiversity in this environment, particularly in May 2012. Furthermore, the BSQ-ar values registered were similar to those obtained in preserved soils.

SOIL EROSION EFFECTS ON SOIL QUALITY AND YIELD

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. VERITY ◽  
D. W. ANDERSON
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Potentially Mineralizable N ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the cumulative effect of erosion on soil properties that are important to productivity, and estimates the effect of erosion on grain yields. Experiments were located in central Saskatchewan on Dark Brown soils of the Weyburn Association. The relationship between yields and relative distance down eroded hillslopes was described best by a third-order polynominal equation. Grain yields were lowest on the upper slopes and increased steadily through mid-slopes to maximum values that were often double the upper slope yield on the lower or foot slope, then decreased again in the more level parts of the fields away from the slope. The impact of varying degrees of erosion on productivity was estimated by adding back incremental depths of topsoil to eroded knolls. Grain yields were increased by 45–58% by adding 50 mm of topsoil, with additional topsoil (100 or 150 mm) generally increasing yields slightly, but at a decreasing rate. Changes in soil quality with increasing erosion were measured on otherwise similar soils on eroded knolls, with the period of cultivation ranging from 0 (native) to 75 yr. Reductions in the amount of 137Cs in surface horizons with increasing period of cultivation indicated the cumulative effects of erosion, with general soil losses of 20 to 30 Mg ha−1 yr−1. Consistent reductions in silt plus very fine sand fractions with time suggested that wind erosion had been dominant. Organic C and P, total N and S decreased with increasing erosion. Potentially mineralizable N descreased at a faster rate than total N. The CaCO3 content of surface horizons increased, and inorganic P remained constant with increasing degree of erosion. Key words: Nutrients, soil productivity, soil quality, eroded, catena.

scholarly journals Agricultural mulching and fungicides—impacts on fungal biomass, mycotoxin occurrence, and soil organic matter decomposition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Meyer ◽  
Dörte Diehl ◽  
Gabriele Ellen Schaumann ◽  
Katherine Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Fungal Biomass ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Fungicide Application ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPlastic and straw coverage (PC and SC) are often combined with fungicide application but their influence on fungicide entry into soil and the resulting consequences for soil quality are still unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of PC and SC, combined with fungicide application, on soil residual concentrations of fungicides (fenhexamid, cyprodinil, and fludioxonil), soil fungal biomass, mycotoxin occurrence, and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, depending on soil depth (0–10, 10–30, 30–60 cm) and time (1 month prior to fungicide application and respectively 1 week, 5 weeks, and 4 months afterwards). Soil analyses comprised fungicides, fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, nivalenol, and zearalenone), ergosterol, soil microbial carbon and nitrogen, soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and pH. Fludioxonil and cyprodinil concentrations were higher under SC than under PC 1 week and 5 weeks after fungicide application (up to three times in the topsoil) but no differences were observed anymore after 4 months. Fenhexamid was not detected, presumably because of its fast dissipation in soil. The higher fludioxonil and cyprodinil concentrations under SC strongly reduced the fungal biomass and shifted microbial community towards larger bacterial fraction in the topsoil and enhanced the abundance and concentration of deoxynivalenol and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol 5 weeks after fungicide application. Independent from the different fungicide concentrations, the decomposition of SOM was temporarily reduced after fungicide application under both coverage types. However, although PC and SC caused different concentrations of fungicide residues in soil, their impact on the investigated soil parameters was minor and transient (< 4 months) and hence not critical for soil quality.

scholarly journals Application of Soil Washing and Thermal Desorption for Sustainable Remediation and Reuse of Remediated Soil

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12523
Author(s):  
Sang-Hwan Lee ◽  
Soon-Oh Kim ◽  
Sang-Woo Lee ◽  
Min-Suk Kim ◽  
Hyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Thermal Desorption ◽  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Soil Washing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
Sustainable Remediation ◽  
Restoration Strategies ◽  
The Impact

Global governance of soil resources as well as revitalizations and remediation of degraded areas seem to be necessary actions for sustainable development. A great deal of effort has gone into developing remediation technologies to remove or reduce the impact of these contaminants in the environment. However, contaminated soil remediations in stringent conditions deteriorate soil properties and functions and create the need for efficient soil revitalization measures. Soil washing (SW) and thermal desorption (TD) are commonly used to remediate contaminated soil and can significantly reduce the contaminant, sometimes to safe levels where reuse can be considered; however, the effects of treatment on soil quality must be understood in order to support redevelopment after remediation. In this review, we discussed the effects of SW and TD on soil properties, including subsequent soil quality and health. Furthermore, the importance of these techniques for remediation and reclamation strategies was discussed. Some restoration strategies were also proposed for the recovery of soil quality. In addition, remediated and revitalized soil can be reused for various purposes, which can be accepted as an implementation of sustainable remediation. This review concludes with an outlook of future research efforts that will further shift SW and TD toward sustainable remediation.

scholarly journals Variation in Bottom Soil Quality with Increasing Pond Age in Freshwater Aquaculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javairia Shafi ◽  
Kashifa Naghma Waheed ◽  
Zahid Sharif Mirza ◽  
Muhammad Zafarullah
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Bottom Soil ◽  
Freshwater Aquaculture ◽  
Chemical Attributes ◽  
Group 2

Pond bottom soil quality is an interesting area to assess environmental impact of aquaculture. Aim of the present study was, therefore, to investigate effects of fish culture on quality of pond bottom soil. Ten excavated earthen ponds located in Lahore, Pakistan were divided into two groups; Group1: 23-32 years old and Group 2: 8-20 years old ponds. Mechanical and chemical methods were used to study particle size distribution and physico-chemical attributes of soil respectively. Surface sediment of ponds contained higher sand and lower clay content than that of deeper soil layers in both groups. pH of the soil was higher than 7.0 that ruled out the necessity to lime soil for neutralizing acidity. Salinity of surface soil was found to be significantly high (P<.05) compared to that of deeper layers. Organic carbon in surface soil of Group 1 ponds (3.35%) was significantly higher (P<.05) than that of Group 2 ponds (2.60%). Available phosphorous represented only 1-10% of total soil phosphorous. An interactive effect of pond age and soil depth was found on soil clay and electrical conductivity through factorial analysis. Results led to the conclusion that regular removal of sediment can maintain original quality of bottom soil.

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