Physical properties of Soil to plants to maintain their growth.

Learn: Physical properties of soil to plants to maintain their growth., a layer of soil, define physical properties of soil,

Physical properties of Soil of plants to maintain their growth

• Soil is a medium which provides support, nutrients and oxygen to the plants.
• Soils keep water stored and supply slowly to plants to maintain their growth.
• Soils also provide the necessary porosity which is essential for the growth of the plant.
• Large depths of soil do not carry any importance for an Agronomist.
• He is mainly concerned with the upper crust of the soil, which is primarily used for growing crops.
• This upper crest retains water and furnishes it for plant growth.
• The water retained in the upper crust is also termed as the belt of soil water.
• The depth of the belt of soil, water depends upon, the type of soil and vegetation.
• The depth of this belt may extend from a meter to several meters below the surface.
• An Upper layer of soil contains, air, minerals, free carbonates besides moisture.
• This layer may also contain the remains of plants and animals at various stages of decomposition.
• Bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms and insects etc.
• Are the forms of plant and animal life.
• All the soils are the resultant of the disintegration of rocks.
• The resulting soils may have the same mineral composition as that of parent rock or different because of the changes brought about by water,
• Carbon dioxide and organic materials.
• The particle size of the soil may vary from very fine clay particle to as large as a boulder size.
• Physical properties as given above affect the fertility of the soil and growth of the plants.
• The supply of food to the plant is also related to the physical properties of the soil.
• The most important physical properties of the soil, which markedly affect the growth of the plant are soil texture and soil structure.
• According to grain size, the soils may be classified as clay, sand and silt.
• Agriculture classified various soils with the help of Triangular Texture Diagram shown in Fig.

  

• All the soils classified by this method contain varying percentages of clay, sand and silt.
• If the percentages of clay, sand and silt for a particular soil are given it can be easily classified using this diagram.
• Soil structure refers to the arrangement of the soil particles.
• Soil structure depends upon shape, composition and electrical properties of soil particles.
• There are so many other parameters which also affect the soil structure.