UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OF SOILS
 Soils and Plant Growth
• Physical support of plants
• Provides water and air
• Provides essential elements

Macronutrients = N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S

Micronutrients = B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cl

 Physical Properties

refer to those characteristics, processes

or reactions of a soil which are caused by
physical forces and which can be
described by or expressed in physical
terms or equations
 Physical Properties

Those which can be evaluated by visual

inspection and feel.

They can be measured against some kind

of scale such as size, strength and
intensity.
 Importance of soil physical
properties:
1. The depth of the root zone and the
air and water relations within it
are determined by physical make
up of soil horizons

2. Many chemical and biological aspects

of soil fertility can be inferred from
physical properties

3. They are helpful in the examination

of a soil to determine its over-all
character and behavior or the use
potential of soil
Physical properties of soil
1. Soil Texture
2. Soil Structure
3. Soil Density and Porosity
4. Soil Water
5. Soil Consistency
6. Soil Color
7. Soil Aeration
8. Soil Temperature
9. Soil Permeability
10. Soil Depth
 What is soil physics?
Soil physics is the study of the physical
properties of soil.

It is applied to management and prediction

under natural and managed ecosystem

It deals with the dynamics of physical soil

components and their phases as solids, liquids
and gases

It draws on the principles of physics, physical

chemistry, engineering, and meteorology
 3.1. Soil Texture
• Size distribution of soil particles

• Relative proportion of sand, silt and clay in

a given soil

• The coarseness or fineness of the essential or

dominant component of a soil sample

• Basic property of soil that remains

unchanged by cultural and management
practices
 Diameter limits (mm)
Soil Separate USDA ISSS
Sand 2.0 – 0.05 2.0 – 0.02
Silt 0.05– 0.002 0.02 – 0.002
Clay ≤ 0.002 ≤ 0.002

USDA – United States Department of Agriculture

ISSS – International Society of Soil Science
 Diameter limits (mm)
Soil Separate USDA ISSS
Sand 2.0 – 0.05 2.0 – 0.02
Very coarse sand 2.0 – 1.0
Coarse sand 1.0 – 0.5 2.0 – 0.20
Medium sand 0.5 – 0.25
Fine sand 0.25 – 0.10 0.20 – 0.02
Very fine sand 0.10 – 0.05
Silt 0.05 – 0.002 0.02 – 0.002
Clay ≤ 0.002 ≤ 0.002
 Coarse Fragments
Gravels or pebble = > 2 – 75 mm
Cobbles (round), flag (flat) = 75 - 250 mm
Stones or boulders = > 250 mm

 Not considered part of fine earth fraction

(soil texture refers only to the fine earth
fraction or sand, silt & clay)
 Properties of Soil Separates

a. Sand

 2 mm to 0.05 mm effective diameter

 Visible without microscope
 Rounded or angular in shape
 Sand grains usually quartz if sand looks white
or many minerals if sand looks brown,
 Some sands in soil will be brown, yellow, or
red because of Fe and/or Al oxide coatings.
 Sand is gritty to touch
 Sand grains will not stick to each other
it is the largest soil separate and is composed mainly of
weathered grains of quartz
 Sand is also gritty to the touch

 Sand grains will not stick to each other

Sand will improve the soil by improving water
infiltration and aeration
b. Silt

• 0.05 to 0.002 mm
• Medium sized soil separate
• Quartz often is the dominant mineral in silt
since other minerals have weathered away.
• Does not feel gritty
• Floury feel
• Smooth, silky or powdery to touch
• Wet silt does not exhibit stickiness,
plasticity and malleability
• Has the ability to hold large amounts of
water in a for m plants can use
c. Clay
• < 0.002 mm
• Smallest size soil separate
• Flat palettes or tiny flakes
• Small clay particles are colloids
• Large surface area
1 spoonful = football field
• Wet clay is very sticky and is plastic or it can be
molded readily into a shape or rod.
• Easily formed into long ribbons
• Clay will hold more nutrients than any other
separate
Fine-textured soil Coarse-textured soil
 Generalized characteristics associated
with the soil separates
Sand Silts Clay

Lower porosity moderate high total porosity

(more macropores) (more micropores)
Low water holding moderate high water holding
capacity capacity
Very good aeration moderate poor aeration
Well-drained moderate poorly-drained
Easy to till moderate difficult to till
(light soil) (heavy soil)
Non-sticky and non-plastic moderate very sticky and plastic
Low nutrient holding medium high nutrient holding
capacity (less fertile) capacity (more fertile)
Low surface area medium high surface area
High infiltration capacity moderate low infiltration capacity
 The 12 textural classes
Soil textural class names are used to convey an idea of the
textural make up of soils and to give an indication of their
physical properties.

Textural groups Textural Class

Sands 1. Sand (S)
2. Loamy Sand (LS)
Loams 3. Sandy Loam (SL)
4. Loam (L)
5. Silt Loam (SiL)
6. Silt (Si)
7. Sandy Clay Loam (SCL)
8. Silty Clay Loam (SiCL)
9. Clay Loam (CL)
Clays 10. Sandy Clay (SC)
11. Silty Clay (SiC)
12. Clay (C)
TNP = V/d3
SA/particle =  d2

Where: TNP – Total number of particles

V – Volume of the soil
SA – Surface Area
d – Diameter of soil particle
 – 3.1416
 Sample Problem

V = 1 cm3
d = 2 mm = 0.2 cm

TNP = V/d3= 1 cm3 / (0.2 cm)3 = 1cm3/0.008 cm3

= 125 particles
SA/particle = d2 =3.1416(2mm)2 = 12.57 mm2/particle
TSA = TNP x SA/part = 125 particles x 12.57 mm2/part
= 1,570.8 mm2
 Methods of determining soil
texture
1. Feel method
2. Roll Method
3. Mechanical analysis – particle size
analysis
a. Sieve method
b. Sedimentation method
i. Pipette method
ii. Hydrometer method
 1. Feel method
• Gritty, non-cohesive appearance and short ribbon
of a sandy loam with about 15% clay
• Gritty, non-cohesive appearance and short ribbon
of a sandy loam with about 15% clay
Gritty, non-cohesive appearance Smooth, dull appearance
And short ribbon of a sandy loam and crumbly ribbon
With about 15% clay characteristic of silt loam

Smooth, shiny appearance

and long, flexible ribbon of
a clay
 2. Roll method

No roll formed Beginning of a roll Roll is continuous but

Sand & Loamy Sand Sandy Loam breaks when a ring is formed
Loam, Silt Loam & Silt

Roll is continuous but ring cracks Roll is continuous but ring does not crack/break
Clay Loam, Sandy Clay Loam & Silty Clay Loam Silty Clay, Sandy Clay & Clay
 3. Mechanical analysis
a. Sieve method – makes use of a nest of sieves
with different screen size
openings
 b. Sedimentation method – makes
use of the principle of Stoke’s Law.
• The settling velocity of spherical particles in a
viscous medium is directly proportional to the size
of particle.

V = k d2 where: V = velocity of settling

d = diameter of the soil particle

Larger particles fall faster in water than do

smaller ones.
 p – particle density of the soil
•( l – density of the liquid medium
(H2O)
p - l) g d2
g - gravitational acceleration
V= 18  d – diameter of the particle
 - viscosity of water
k
Hence: V = k d2
50 g soil + dispersing agent + H2O  dispersion cup

1 liter
sand, silt and clay are suspended

 What particles would settle down first?

 % soil separate

• CHR = Corrected Hydrometer Reading

% silt & clay

% clay = CHR at 6 hrs x 100

weight of soil
% silt = % silt & clay - % clay
% sand = 100 - % silt & clay
 How to determine textural class names
a) sand = 10%
silt = 60%
clay = 30%
Textural class name:
Silty Clay Loam
llllllllllllllllllllllllll

b) sand = 50%
silt = 8%
clay = 42%
Textural class name:
Sandy Clay
nae
Importance of Soil Texture
Texture influences properties that directly affect
plant growth:

a. Nutrient-supplying power
b. Water holding capacity
c. Infiltration rate
d. Percolation rate
e. Soil tilth
f. Soil aeration
g. Drainage
 3.2. Soil Structure
• Soil structure describes the arrangement of
primary soil particles (sand, silt and clay) into
secondary particles, units or peds.

• Results from the tendency of the finer oil

particles, especially clay and humus to stick
together forming peds or clods

• Peds – natural groups of primary soil particles

(sand, silt and clay) that persist within
a soil

• Clods- caused by disturbances such as plowing

a. Single-grained
Typically represented by
sandy soil

b. Massive
Represented by paddy soil
and compacted soil
Organic matter binds, lightens and expands soil
aggregates
Lime encourages aggregation by brining together
tiny soil particles especially fine clay in to small
clumps or granules
Microbial gums are viscous microbial products
that encourage and stabilize crumb development
The fine clay bridges primary soil particles into
granules
 Well-Sorted Sand Clay Particles Clay aggregates

micropore spaces
macropore spaces

Macropore spaces in clay soils formed due to aggregation

allows free movement of air and water, hence, well-
aggregated clay soils have good aeration and drainage.
 Types of Soil Structure
1. Spheroidal
Granular – porous

Crumb – very porous

Individual particles of sand, silt and clay grouped
together in small, nearly spherical grains
Water circulates very easily through such soils
Commonly found in A horizon of arable soils
2. Platy or Plate-like
Aggregates are arranged in thin, horizontal
plates
found in surface layers of some undisturbed
soils
can also be formed by compaction by heavy
machineries or clayey soils
often inherited from soil parent materials
especially those laid down by water
Commonly found in forest soils
3. Prism-like
Prismatic – flat tops
Columnar – rounded tops
characterized by vertical oriented aggregates
or pillars that vary in height among different
soils and may reached a diameter of 15 cm
Water circulates with greater difficulty and
drainage is poor
Commonly found in B horizon of soils in arid and
semi arid regions
4. Block-like
Angular blocky – distinct angles
Sub-angular blocky – angles not so distinct
Soil particles cling together in nearly square or
angular blocks having more or less sharp edges
Relatively large blocks indicate that the soil
resists movement of water
Commonly found in the B horizon where clay
has accumulated ( humid region)
soil particles formed into vertical columns or
pillars separated by miniature, but definite,
vertical cracks
 Classes of soil structure
Classes Types of soil structure
of soil Platy Prismatic Block-like Spheroidal
structure
Very fine <1 mm <10 mm <5 mm <1 mm
Fine 1-2 mm 10-20 mm 5-10 mm 1-2 mm
Medium 2-5 mm 20-50 mm 10-20 mm 2-5 mm
Coarse 5-10 mm 50-100 mm 20-50 mm 5-10 mm
Very coarse >10 mm >100 mm >50 mm >10 mm
 Grades of soil structure
0 – structureless; no aggregation or orderly
arrangement
1 – weak; poorly formed, non-durable, indistinct
peds breaking into a mixture of a few entire
and many broken peds and much
unaggregated materials
2 – moderate; well-formed, indistinct in
undisturbed soil that breaks into many and
entire and some broken but little unaggregated
materials
3 – strong; durable distinct peds; weakly attached
to each other that breaks almost completely
into entire peds
grade class type of soil structure

Example: grade: 1
aggregate size = 15 mm
angular blocky structure

Description: a soil with weak, medium

angular blocky structure
 Destruction of Soil Structure
Soil structure can be destroyed by:

 Working the soil when it is wet

 Repeated movement of equipment or
livestock
 Repeated use of equipment at the
same depth of soil
 Continual flooding of soil
 Improving soil structure
Leaving it alone, in time it will repair
itself

Planting a green manure crop

Incorporating plant residues into the soil

 Importance of soil structure
1. The development of soil structure
results in greater pore space.

2. Soil structure affects water and air

transport, mechanical impedance to
seedling emergence, and root growth.
3. Soil structure influences infiltration
capacity of soils.
3.3. Soil Densities
Density of an object relates to the ratio
of its mass or weight to its volume.

It is expressed as:

 =M/V
where:  – density
M – mass
V – volume
 VOLUME AND MASS OR
WEIGHT PARAMETERS

Va Air Ma
Vp

Vw Water Mw

Vt = Vp + Vs Mt = Ma + Mw
+ Ms
Ma = 0
Solids
Vs Ms
OM & MM Mt = Ms + Mw
 Particle Density
Ratio of the weight of dry soil or soil solid
(mineral + organic matter) to its volume
(soil solid)
p =

Where: p = particle density

Ms = mass of dry soil (soil solid)
Vs = volume of soil solid
Ideal/optimal particle density value: 2.66g/cm3
 Factors affecting particle
density
1. Organic matter content
The higher the organic matter content of
the soil, the lower the particle density value

2. Mineralogical composition of the soil

Soils derived from heavy minerals would
tend to have high particle density value
while soils derived from light minerals
would tend to have low particle density
value
 Bulk density
Ratio of the weight of soil solid to its total
volume (solid + pore spaces)
b

Where: b = bulk density

Ms = Mass of dry soil
Vt = Total or bulk volume

 Ideal/optimal bulk density value: 1.33 g/cm3

1. Organic matter content
The higher the organic matter content, the lower
the bulk density value
2. Mineralogical composition of the soil
Soils derived from heavy minerals would tend to
have high bulk density value
3. Porosity of the soil
The higher the porosity, the lower the bulk
density value
4. Soil depth
As we go deeper to the soil profile, the bulk
density value increases
5. Cultivation
Cultivation may result to lower bulk density if the
implements used are light
6. Soil texture
Sandy soils have higher bulk density values than
clay soils
 Soil Porosity – total porosity is a
portion of the soil that is filled
up by water and gases
Classification of pore spaces
1. Coarse or large pores – pore widths >10 um
 Function for air and water movement
2. Medium pores – pore widths of 0.2-10 um
 Act as storage for available water
3. Fine or small pores – pore widths < 0.2 um
 Retain water very strongly
 PS = pore space
%PS
Vp = volume of pore spaces
Vt = total volume of pore spaces
%Solid b = bulk density
p = particle density

% PS + % solid = 100%
% solid = 100 - % PS
 Void ratio (e) – ratio of the void
volume (Vp) to the volume of
soil solids (Vs)

e If e = 1, Vp = Vs, ideal soil

If e < 1, Vp < Vs, soil is compact

If e > 1, Vp > Vs, soil is porous

 Sample problem:
1. A 100 cm3 soil weighed 165g when moist.
After oven-drying, its weight was reduced
to 135g. Assuming that Vp/Vt = 0.48,
calculate the following:
a. b = bulk density
b. %PS
c. % solid
d. p = particle density
e. Void ratio (e)
Two aspects of soil water

1. Soil water content – capacity factor

How much water is present

2. Energy status of soil water – intensity factor

How easy can water be removed
 Soil water content – amount of
water present in the soil
Expressions of soil water content
a) Relative to the mass of dry soil (m)

m = where: Mw – mass of water

MS – mass of dry soil (ODW)

FW – fresh weight
ODW – oven-dried weight
Gravimetric water content
b) Relative to the total volume of soil (v )

v where: Vw – volume of water

Vt – total volume of soil
b = bulk density
w = water density, 1 g/cc

Volumetric water content

c) relative to the depth of the soil (hw)
h w =  v x hs where, hw - height of H2O

hs - depth of soil

d) relative to the volume of pore spaces

(degree of saturation, % s)

%s
 Sample problem:
1. A 100 cm3 soil weighed 165g when moist.
After oven-drying, its weight was reduced to
135g. Assuming that Vp/Vt = 0.48,
calculate the following:
a. b = bulk density f. m
b. %PS g. v
c. % solid h. hw if hs= 25 cm
d. p = particle density i. % s
e. Void ratio (e)
 Sample problem
2. A 200-cm3 soil weighed 310 g when moist. After
oven drying, its weight was reduced by 42 g.
Assuming that b/p = 0.47, calculate the
following:
a. b f. m
b. p g. v
c. % solid h. hw if hs = 25 cm
d. % PS i. % s
e. Void ratio, e
3. A soil was found to contain 30% moisture (m)
which corresponds to 30 g of water. Calculate
the following:
a. mass of dry soil or oven-dried weight (ODW)
b. Mass of moist soil or fresh weight of soil

4. A fresh soil clod weighs 50 grams. What is the

oven dry weight of the soil clod if its moisture
content (m) is 25%?
 Energy status of soil water
Soil water potential () – how easy or how difficult
can water be removed from the soil

Components of soil water potential

1. Gravitational potential
positive effect
2. Pressure potential
3. Matric potential
negative effect
4. Osmotic potential
 Soil water potential () tends to have
a negative value

 Tension or suction is used in lieu of

the term potential
Suction can be expressed in a number of ways:
1. cm unit
2. pF = log of the cm unit
3. Bar or atmosphere
1 bar = 1 atmosphere = 1000 cm
 Critical soil moisture contents
1. Maximum water h0lding capacity (MWHC)
 all pore spaces are occupied by water
 0 atm

2. Field capacity (FC) – water from coarse

pores are drained, hence, only medium
and fine pores contain water
 Upper limit of available water
 1/3 bar or atm
3. Permanent wilting point (PWP) or Wilting
coefficient (WC)
 Moisture condition whereby plants would
wilt permanently
 Lower limit of available water
 15 bars or atm

Available water = FC – WC

4. Hygroscopic coefficient (HC)

 Consists of one or two layers of waster
molecule
 Moisture content of an air dry soil
 31 bars or atm
Available Water Holding Capacity

The capacity of
soils to hold water
available for use
by most plants
1. A soil was determined to have the following properties:
FC = 30% by mass Soil depth = 20 cm
WC = 15% by mass Bulk density = 1.35 g/cm3

a) Calculate the % available water in the soil

2. A soil was determined to have the following properties:

FC = 30% by mass Soil depth = 20 cm

WC = 15% by mass Bulk density = 1.35 g/cm3
Current m = 25% by mass

a) Calculate the % available water in the soil

3. A soil was determined to have the following properties:

FC = 30% by mass Soil depth = 20 cm

WC = 15% by mass Bulk density = 1.35 g/cm3
Current m = 35% by mass

a) Calculate the % available water in the soil

Soil Water Characteristic Curves –
relationship between soil water content and
water potential
60
Soil Water content (cm3 H2O/cm3 soil)

40
Clay

Loam

20 Sand

0
0.1 1 10 100 1000

Soil Water suction (bars, log scale)

Figure 4. Soil water characteristic curves for three representative mineral soils
 Physical classification Biological classification
of soil water of soil water
1. free or gravitational 1. superfluous water
H2O  H2O that is held by coarse pore
 H2O that is held by spaces with very low energy,
the coarse pore hence, it readily flows downward
spaces that drains  Corresponds to gravitational
due to gravity water under the physical
classification
2. capillary water 2. available water
 H2O that is held by  H2O that is held by medium pore
medium pore spaces spaces with energy within the
extracting capacity of plant roots
3. hygroscopic water 3. unavailable water
 H2O that is held by  H2O that is held by fine pores
the fine pore spaces very strongly, hence, not
available to plants
law that governs movement of soil water

 named after Henri Dar

 MEASUREMENT OF SOIL WATER

A. Soil water content

1. Gravimetric method – involves weighing the soil
before and after oven drying at a temperature of
105-110oC for at least 24 hours
m

2. Resistance Method
 B. Soil water potential
1. Field tensiometer

2. Resistance blocks
3. Tension plate apparatus
4. Thermocouple psychrometer

5. Filter paper technique

 3.5. Soil consistency
Manifestation of the physical forces
of cohesion and adhesion acting
within the soil at various moisture
contents

Cohesion – attraction of like substances

ex. Water to water; soil to soil
Adhesion – attraction of unlike substances
ex. Water to soil
 Forms of soil consistency
1. Harsh consistency – soil is dry
2. Friable consistency – soil is moist
3. Plastic consistency – soil has moisture
content bit more than moist condition
4. Sticky consistency – soil is almost
saturated with water
5. Viscous consistency – soil is over
saturated with water
 Moisturecontent
Moisture content
harsh friable plastic sticky viscous
θs θp θl θf

θs – shrinkage limit
θp - plastic limit referred to as
θl – liquid limit consistency limits
θf – flocculation limit or Atterberg
limits
 Plasticity index (P.I.) - is defined as the
difference between the liquid and plastic limits
P.I. = l - p
It is generally taken as an indication of a soil’s
clayeyness or potential plasticity
P.I. Soil characteristics Textural class Cohesiveness

0 Non-plastic & Sand Cohesiveless

non-cohesive
1–6 Low plasticity Silt Partly cohesive
7 – 17 Medium plasticity Silty clay & Cohesive
Clay loam
> 17 Highly plastic Clay Very cohesive
• Soil consistency coupled with soil texture
tells us both the type and amount of clay
present in the soil

• Knowledge on the properties exhibited by

various types of clay and the amounts of
the clay in the soil, would serve as a
sound basis for making management
decisions
3. Soil consistency is used to rate:

a. stability of natural peds in a soil

profile

b. suitability of soil for plowing

c. susceptibility of soil to erosion

Significance of soil color

1. Indicator of soil productivity

 Dark soil – high organic matter

- more productive
 Red soil – old and infertile, acidic
 Brown soil – mixture of organic matter and iron
compounds; most common soil color
2. Indicator of parent materials
 Dark-colored minerals may give rise to dark-
colored soils while light-colored minerals may also
give rise to light-colored soil

Form Chemical Formula Color

Ferrous oxide FeO Gray

Hematite Fe2O3 Red
Limonite 2Fe2O33H2O Yellow
Halite NaCl White
3. Indicator of drainage condition

 Uniform soil color throughout the horizon

would indicate good drainage condition

 Mottles – spots or blotches of different colors

would indicate poor drainage problem

 caused by alternate reduction and

oxidation with seasonal fluctuation of
water table
Color and soil internal drainage
1. well-drained – no mottles within one meter
from the surface.
2. moderately well-drained – some mottles
between 60 to 100cm.
3. somewhat poorly drained – mottles
between 30 to 100 cm.
4. poorly drained – mottles in or immediately
beneath A or Ap horizon.
5. very poorly drained – gleyed soil; bluish-
gray colored soil
 In mature soil, color is an indicator of the
climate in which they developed;

 A warm climate brings about red soil color

especially if the soils are well-drained

 Light color is frequently the result of leaching of

iron from the soil and plant nutrient
Soil color is measured using a
Munsell soil color chart
 compare soil with the color chips in the chart
 hue
1. Hue – dominant spectral color
most common soil hues are
in the red-to-yellow range
2. Value – degree of lightness and darkness
of color
value
3. Chroma – strength or purity of dominant
spectral color

Chroma
value hue

Color
Notation
hue
value

10YR 4/2

chroma
Soil color
name:
Dark grayish
brown
chroma
 3.7. Soil aeration – process by which
air in the soil is replaced by air from
the atmosphere
Principal Soil Air Atmospheric Ratio of Soil
Gases Air Air to
Atmospheric
Air
N2 78.6% 78.03% 1:1
O2 20.0% 21.0% 1:1

CO2 0.50% 0.03% 17:1

✰ Composition of soil air is similar, but not
identical to the atmospheric air

 similar since some soil pores are open to the

atmosphere through which atmospheric
gases may enter and move through

not identical because movement of soil air is

slow compared to that of the atmospheric air
and soil organisms would influence the
composition of soil air hence, the concentration
of the gases in soil air may be different from
that of atmospheric air
Factors affecting soil air
composition
1. microbial activity
2. vegetation
3. soil water content
4. drainage condition
5. soil texture
6. soil layering

Mechanisms of gaseous exchange in soil

1. mass flow
2. diffusion
 Aeration porosity (Ea) – portion of
the soil that is occupied by air

Ea

= (PS - v) x 100

 10% - limiting Ea
Aeration affects root development by 3 main
factors

(i) Oxygen content

There is restricted root development
if oxygen falls below 9%. If it drops to less
than 5%, root development ceases

(ii) Carbon dioxide content

The roots will survive up to 9 to 10%.
(iii) By-Products of anaerobic decomposition

Hydrogen sulfide is very toxic at high

concentrations and kills roots

Methane and hydrogen are all right at

reasonable concentration
 Sample problem:
1. A 100 cm3 soil weighed 165g when moist.
After oven-drying, its weight was reduced
to 135g. Assuming that Vp/Vt = 0.48,
calculate the following:
a. b = bulk density f. m
b. %PS g. v
c. % solid h. hw if hs= 25 cm
d. p = particle density i. % s
e. Void ratio (e) j. Ea
 3.8. Soil temperature – is a measure of
heat energy that a soil temperature
Importance of soil temperature

Soil temperature plays an important role in soil formation, weathering,

soil organic matter balance, soil chemical reactions, microbial activity
and plant growth

It control the intensity of biophysical, biochemical and microbiological

processes that take place in the soil

Mineralization of OM Root Growth

Diffusion and viscous flow Respiration
Germination of seed H2O and nutrient absorption
Factors affecting soil temperature

1. Energy exchange processes

2. Soil moisture levels
3. Vegetation
4. Soil color
5. Specific heat capacity of soil
6. Thermal conductivity of soil
7. Soil depth
8. Angle of the sun’s rays
13-38°C - favorable temperature for seed
germination and plant growth

≤5°C - biological activities would cease

and basically in active

Biological zero temperature ☞ 5o C

Is the temperature below which

biological activity would stop
3.9. Soil permeability – is the measure of
the soil’s ability to permit water flow
through its pores or voids

It is a measure of how easily a fluid

(e.g. water) can pass through the soil

The ease with which gases, liquids, or plant

roots penetrate or pass through a bulk mass
of soil or a layer of soil
Importance of permeability

1. Permeability influences the rate of settlement

of a saturated soil under load hence, the
design of earth dams is very much based upon
the permeability of the soils used

2. The stability of slopes and retaining structures

can be greatly affected by the permeability of
the soils involved

3. Knowledge on permeability is important for

estimating the quantity of underground
seepage
 3.10. Soil depth

the maximum depth

plant roots can readily penetrate
without encountering a restrictive
soil layer

Thin topsoil and/or thin subsoil

can greatly limit crop production
a. Very shallow – surface is less than 10 inches
from a layer that retards root development
b. Shallow – soil surface is 10 to 20 inches from a
layer that retards root developmenteevelopmen
c. Moderately deep – soil surface is 20 to 36
inches from a layer that retards root
development
d. Deep – soil surface is 36 to 60 inches from a
layer that retards root development
e. Very deep – soil surface is 60 inches or more
from a layer that retards root development