Agriculture Chemistry

Define:
It is branch of agriculture which deals with the chemical composition of all the components of
crop production including soil plant fertilizer and irrigation water. In past the term was used
synonymously of soil science

Scope of Agriculture Chemistry:

 To evaluate the nutrients supplying capacity of soil for batter production of field crop,
fruits and cattle field.
 To determine the quality of raw product for food and beverage industry.
 To determine the quality of soil fertilizer and irrigation water for their effective use in
agriculture.
 To develop opportunity for controlling the hazards in green crop production in this way
the agriculture like a thread that tie together physiology, microbiology, entomology,
genetics and other related sciences for better crop production, protection and
precisely. DO YOU KNOW???
Soil Structure= Composition of Soil Component
Properties of Soil (Sand, Clay, Silt)

Chemical Properties Texture= % of Soil Component

Physical Properties

Chemical Properties:
Properties which deal with the chemical composition and certain chemical reaction in the soil
are known as chemical properties of soil.

From agriculture point of view these properties or reaction control the solubility and
bioavailability of essential plant elements some important chemical properties are:

 Charge Characteristics of Soil

 Cation Exchange Capability
 Anion Exchange Capability
 Electrical Conductivity (EC)
 pH
 Buffering Capacity (Resist Change in pH)
Important Information
 Pakistani soils are Negative Charged
Soil so they are Good Agriculture Soil.
 They are Alkaline Soil Due to Excess OH~
Ion that Bind more Positive Nutrients.
 Information
If Soil has High pH it is good because it’s
 Redoxpotential Alkaline Soil which is best for Positive
 Base Saturation Percentage Minerals.
 Adsorption/Desorption

Charge Characteristics of Soil

Soil is not an inert material. The soil which is natural medium for plant growth may possess a
net positive or negative charge which is due to chemical activity of primary and secondary
minerals. Majority of these minerals are associated with clay and silt fractions of soil so the
soil with dominant sand contents have a very low charge infect the soil with dominant
negative charge can hold majority of nutrient, cations and are categorize as good agriculture
land while the soil with dominant positive charge can capture only few of nutrients and may
not support the crop production, The process and expand of negative detect the pH value of
that soil which effect the availability of essential plant nutrient in agricultural land. The
excess pH value of our agriculture land provides conducive environment for crop production
so Pakistan is consider as an agricultural country.

Source of Negative Charge

Minerals:
It is naturally occurring inorganic substances with definite chemical composition (chemical
formula) and definite physical properties.

Minerals give negative charge to our soil. There are two types of minerals which are given as.

Primary Minerals:
The minerals which can not altered since their formation (very resistance) through
weathering is primary minerals i.e. Mica, Diamond, Quartz

Secondary Minerals:
The minerals which is altered by weathering is called secondary minerals i.e. Marble,
CaSo4.2H2o (Gypsum), CaSo4 (Plaster of Paris).These are very important from agriculture
point of view.

Sandy soil contains primary minerals so it is not good because it is not break.

There are two types of charge of soil colloids that is

1) Temporary or Variable negative charge.

2) Constant or Permanent negative charge.

1) Temporary or variable negative charge:
It involves the deprotonation. The protonation means addition of H+ ion or lowering of pH
while deprotonation means removal of H+ ion or acceptance of OH~ ion that leads to addition
of negative charge to soil structure.

In process of deprotonation negative charge species like OH~ (hydroxyl), carboxyl, amines,
phenols, anoles & humus are present in the soil. As the pH arises the negative charge on soil
is increases and vice versa.

2) Constant or permanent negative charge:

This charge is pH independent charge and is common in 2:1 types and 2:2 types of clay soil.

Si Si
Al
Al
Si
Si
Al
2:2 Types 2:1 Types

Si
Si
Al
Al
Expulsion Si
Si
Al
Si Attraction
Si
Al Al
Si Si
Al
The constant charge may be raised due to two reasons.

1) Broken edges of Silicate Clays

2) Isomorphic Substitution

1) Broken edges of Silicate Clays:

When the edges of silicate clays are exposed to abrasion or any other physical injury the
oxygen atom of silica sheet are exposed and exert a net negative charge on the soil.

2) Isomorphic Substitution:
It is the replacement of an atom by another within the layer of soil clay having similar size but
different charge unit is called isomorphic substitution.
In this process the physical structure of soil colloids is not altered but some charge unit is
arises on the soil. A net negative charge arises on soil surface when a higher valent positive
charge (i.e.Ca++, Ferric, Al+3) having altered +2 charge by lower charge one (K+1, Na+1) in
the process of isomorphic substitution. A net negative comes on the surface to satisfy the
extra positive present on the surface and added in the negative charge of soil.

O O OH O O OH

Al Al Mg Al

O O OH O O OH

Isomorphic substitution in Al+3 replaced by Mg+2 leading to development of negative charge

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC):

The sum total of all the exchangeable Cations which a soil can absorb is called Cation
exchange capacity. It is denoted by CEC and measure in Cmol. /Kg of soil or Meq.l100g of dry
soil.

It is ability of a soil to hold Cation (+). Indirectly ion exchange capacity is measure of total
negative charge present on a soil.

Factor Effecting on CEC:

1) Soil pH
CEC is change with change in pH as pH increase the net negative charge (OH~) is increases
and their by CEC is also increases reverse is true for low pH.

2) Amount of Clay:
With increase of amount of clay soil CEC increase and vice versa. It means heavy texture soil
(clay soil) have more CEC than sandy soil.

3) Type of Clay:

The soils heaving more 2:1 type of clay have high CEC as compared to the soil with more1:1
type of clay minerals. The reason for this may be more isomorphic substation in 2:1 of clay
minerals as compared to 1:1 type.
 Information
It is very hard to increase 1% organic matter in our land only
less than 0.5% is present in our soil.
4) Amount of Organic Matter:

Soil that heaving large amount of organic matter have more CEC than those with same
amount and type of clay but less amount of organic matter content. It may be due to
extended surface area and high negative charge of organic matter content. It is reported that
with 1% rise in organic matter content the CEC of that soil is doubled.

Significance of Cation Exchange Capacity:

1) It is an important component and by determining the CEC of soil one can decide wither are
nutrient Cation should be added or not for example application of potassium ion and
ammonium ion (NH4~) etc.

2) Cation exchange site hold Ca, Mg, K, Na and NH4 and reduce their losses through leaching.

NH4+

Fe++ K+

Hg++ Ca++

3) Cation exchange site hold fertilizer K+ and NH4+ reduce literal (horizontal) mobility in soil.

4) Cation exchange is also an important mechanism in purifying ground water. Cation

exchange site adsorb many metal like Cd, Ni, Pb, chromium that is present in water can
because injuries for human health and plant as well.

5) Cation exchange is an important in correction of sodic soil.

Correction of sodic soil is function of cation exchange capacity. The sodic soil has excess
amount of insoluble sodium on the exchange site of soil collides. When gypsum is added the
sodium are replace with the calcium of gypsum and soil is corrected.

Soil EC (electrical Conductivity)

It is measure of degree of soluble salt present in the soil solution or irrigation water. More
the EC more will be soluble salt or ion present in the soil or irrigation water.
 It is measured in dS/m and µS/Cm. Its old unit is mhos/m and µmhos/cm.

EC is measured is EC meter which works on the principle of solu bridge (Modified form of
wheat stone bridge) more the ion present in soil solution or irrigation water more is
conductance of electricity the more common ion present in the soil or irrigation water are
Chloride, Sulphate, Carbonate and Bicarbonate of calcium ion, magnesium, sodium ion
and potassium ion.
Do You Know
Criteria for Soil Ec 1dS/m=1000µS/cm

 If ECe of soil is less than 4 dS/m the soil is normal and all types of plant species can
grown on these soil.
 If ECe is 4 dS/m to 8 dS/m than soil is termed as saline soil in such soil only salt
tolerant plant species (Barley, Gur, rice) and salt tolerant crop verity can be grown.
The growth of crop plant in such soil is humbled due to excessive presence of
soluble salt in the root zone.
 If ECe is more than 8 dS/m the soil is categorized as extremely saline soil and in
such soil only some salt tolerant grasses and bushes can be grown

Criteria for irrigation water

 If EC of irrigation water less than 1150 µS/cm the water is fit for irrigation.
 If EC of irrigation water is 1150 µS/cm to 1450 µS/cm water is marginal fit and
such water can be used by mixing with cannel water depending upon soil
texture.
 If EC of irrigation water is more than 1450 µS/cm the water is unfit for
irrigation and such water may causes serious salinity problem in the soil.

Correction of saline soil can be made by just washing of these soils through good
quality water provided that drainage of these soils must be very good.

Soil pH
It is also known as Soil Reaction and may be defined as Negative log of Hydrogen ion
concentration activity. It is measured within the range of 1 to 14 with the neutral point of
7 .It has no unit when expressed in activity but measure in (m-mol/L) ^1/2 when expressed
in concentration.

Above pH 7 soils are generally Important information

Called alkaline soil below pH 7 H2O K [H] + + [OH] ~ K=10^-14
soil is known as Acidic one pH of
Due to dissociation constant 14 the pH is 14. When water
dissociate the K=10^-14 so it take 14 value because water
neutral and have 7 pH.
 Soil is above 8.5 the soil is assumed to contain excess amount of sodium on exchange site
and soil is known as sodic or black alkali soil heaving very poor soil structure. pH is
measured by pH meter having a Calomel (Mineral) electrode which is sensitive to
hydrogen ion present in a solution or in a past.

Significance of pH
1) Soil pH influences the process of soil formation and soil development as solubility of
minerals and microbial activity depends upon soil pH.

2) Soil pH greatly influence nutrient availability and effect of toxic ion to plant or strongly
acidic soil (pH 5,6) have low basic cation(Na+,K+,Mg+2) but have high and toxic
concentration of Al ,Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn and Co (acidic cation). Majority of field and food crop
can’t tolerate this situation and gave less production. Only pineapple, blue berries, and
conifer species grow under such condition.

The availability of majority of nutrient is maximum at 6.5 to 7.5 pH. The agriculture lands
of Pakistan soil is managed between 7.4 and 8.5.

3) Soil pH greatly influence on physical properties of soil when soil pH became more than
8.5 the soil became sodic and soil structure is displaced which deteriorate all physical
properties and yield is reduced.

4) Soil pH effect plant growth through influencing activity of beneficial soil microorganism
for example most of N-fixing bacteria are not very active in sodic soil (active in our
alkaline soil). However fungal growth is better in acidic soil condition.

5) The decomposition of organic matter and conversion of fertilizers into assailable

nutrients is function of soil micro flora and fauna which is very sensitive to ph.

Written & Organized BY:-

Waqas Ahmad (SP18C1BE020)

Advisor:

Muhammad Awais CR (SP18C1BE039)

GM Mahdi (SP18C1BE010)

Talha Azhar (SP18C1BE013)

The Islamia University of Bahawalpur