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2013 Master Gardener Trainee Soils Class

2013 Master Gardener Trainee Soils Class. JOHN ALLISON Charles City New Kent Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent. Who is Virginia Cooperative Extension .

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2013 Master Gardener Trainee Soils Class

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  1. 2013Master Gardener Trainee Soils Class JOHN ALLISON Charles City New Kent Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent

  2. Who is Virginia Cooperative Extension Network of experts and educators who provide information, education, and tools the public can use every day to improve life.

  3. What Virginia Cooperative Extension Does Brings the research and resources of Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State to the public.

  4. ANR Program Area • Help sustain the profitability of agricultural and forestry production by bringing current technology and management practices to the agriculture industry. • Enhance and protect the quality of our land and water resources.

  5. Diagnose soil and crop problems for growers. • Help home owners answer lawn, garden, and landscape questions. • Connect the public with VT and VSU research. What I Do

  6. Soils INFILTRATION PERCOLATION DOMESTIC and WILD FOREST PRAIRIE FARMS SUBURBAN ATMOSPHERIC HUMAN

  7. Soils • Soils vary greatly across landscapes by Physical Properties such as: • Organic Matter Content • Color • Density • Texture • Structure • Depth • Drainage • Porosity Chemical Properties such as: pH and Nutrient Availability

  8. Soil Physical Properties

  9. Soil Physical Properties OM mostly in surface horizon 50 percent solids 50 percent pore space

  10. Soil Density • Particle Density– The density of each sand, silt, and clay particle. • Bulk Density– The density of the volume containing sand, silt, and clay particles. PARTICLE DENSITY 100 % SOLIDS WEIGHT 2.65 GRAMS VOLUME 1cm3 BULK DENSITY 50 % SOLIDS, 50 % PORES WEIGHT 1.5 GRAMS VOLUME 1cm3

  11. Soil Texture Solids • Made up of sand, silt, and clay. • The mixture of these components is called Soil Texture.

  12. Soil Texture Textural Triangle

  13. Soil Texture Soil Ribbons

  14. Soil Structure Solids • Made up of sand, silt, and clay. • The orientation of these components is called Soil Structure.

  15. Granular Structure Prismatic Structure Columnar Structure Platy Structure Blocky Structure

  16. Soil Porosity determined by texture, structure, and bulk density. SOIL PORES are the spaces between soil structural units. They are also made by roots, burrowing insects and animals. They are inhabited by microorganisms and roots. They contain water and air. Their volume is

  17. SATURATION All pores are filled with water. All air is excluded. Anerobic conditions exist. Plants and animals suffocate. Microbes reduce iron oxides to obtain oxygen. Soil Water

  18. FIELD CAPACITY Two thirds of the pores are filled with water. Air in one third of pores. Areobic conditions exist. Plants, animals, and microbes thrive. Soil Water

  19. AVAILABLE WATER Water content between Field Capacity and Wilting Point. Two thirds to one third of the pores are filled with water. Soil Water

  20. WILTING POINT Less than one third of pores filled with water. Water is adsorbed too tightly to soil particles to be available to plants. Plants, animals, and microbes die. Soil Water

  21. Soil Color • Iron Oxides coat every soil particle. • Where Organic Matter does not mask the rust, soils exhibit rusty colors. • Saturated conditions cause microbes to use oxygen from the oxide compounds leaving the Iron soluble in soil water. RUSTY IRON

  22. Soil Color RED YELLOW

  23. Soil Color BROWN GRAY

  24. Organic Matter Actinomycetes Mycorrhiza Bacteria Fungi PARENT MATERIAL Actinomycetes are bacteria critical in decomposition of organic matter and humus formation. Their presence is responsible for the sweet "earthy" aroma associated with a good healthy soil.

  25. Organic Matter Mycorrhiza • Symbiotic association between a fungus (Myco) and the roots (rhiza) of the plants. • The plant gains increased exploration of the soil (rhizo sphere) with the intricate net of hyphae that increases the uptake of water and nutrients from the soil. • The fungus uses the carbon provided by the plant for its physiological functions, growth and development.

  26. Organic Matter Soils with sufficient OM typically have an increased capacity to hold water, require less fertilizer, and have higher yields than soils With little or no OM.

  27. Organic Matter

  28. Soil Horizonation

  29. Soil Horizonation O Horizon A Horizon E Horizon B Horizon C Horizon R Horizon

  30. A Horizon: Top Soil; Zone of Organic Matter accumulation; Horizon with the most biological activity. B Horizon: Subsoil; Zone of clay accumulation; Horizon with the most water holding capacity. Soil Horizonation

  31. Soil Horizonation • C Horizon is the Parent Material, not soil. • PARENT MATERIAL is the geologic material that soil develops from. It may be: • rock that has decomposed in place. • sand, silt, and/or clay that has been deposited by wind, water, or ice. • The character and chemical composition of the parent material plays an important role in determining soil properties.

  32. Soil Horizonation Horizons are defined by physical and chemical parameters such as: • Acidity • Nutrient Availability • Organic Matter Content • Texture • Structure • Density • Porosity • Color • Mineral Content • Drainage

  33. Soil Drainage • Excessively Drained • Well Drained • Moderately Well Drained • Somewhat Poorly Drained • Poorly Drained

  34. Excessively Drained Sandy throughout, droughty. Soil Drainage

  35. Well Drained No water table in the root zone. Soil Drainage

  36. Moderately Well Drained Any texture; soil profile has a well drained horizon immediately below the top soil followed by a horizon affected by a SHWT dominated by bright colors. Soil Drainage

  37. Somewhat Poorly Drained Any texture; soil profile has a horizon affected by a SHWT immediately beneath the A that is dominated by bright colors, immediately followed by a horizon affected by a SHWT and dominated by gray colors. Soil Drainage

  38. Poorly Drained Any texture; soil profile is affected by a SHWT throughout. Soil is dominated by gray colors. Soil Drainage

  39. Soil Depth • Very Shallow • Shallow • Moderately Deep • Deep • Very Deep

  40. Soil Depth VERY SHALLOW SOILS 7 inches Soil profile thickness is 10 inches or less above the Parent Material. 10 inches

  41. Soil Depth SHALLOW SOILS 14 inches Soil profile thickness is 10 to 20 inches over Parent Material. 16 inches

  42. Soil Depth MODERATELY DEEP SOILS 36inches Soil profile Thickness is 20 to 40 inches over Parent Material. 24 inches

  43. Soil Depth DEEP SOILS 45 inches 55 inches 44 inches Soil profile thickness is 40 to 60 inches over Parent Material.

  44. Soil Depth VERY DEEP SOILS Soil profile thickness is greater than 60 inches over Parent Material.

  45. Soil Formation Five Soil Forming Factors

  46. Soil Formation CLIMATE Freeze - Thaw Wetting - Drying

  47. Soil Formation ORGANISMS

  48. Soil Formation RELIEF

  49. Soil Formation River Deposits PARENT MATERIAL Residual Weathering Coastal Plain Sediments

  50. Soil Formation TIME

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