 Soil texture

 Soil structure
 Density and porosity
 Tilth
 The relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay
sized particles that lends a distinctive “feel” to
the soil
 Fundamentally it is the most important
property of the soil
 Structure
 Water holding capacity
 Tillage
 Nutrient supply
 Drainage
Soils are a mixture of different sized mineral particles
 Sand
 0.05 – 2 mm
 Mainly quartz
 Gritty
 Silt
 0.002 – 0.05 mm
 Mostly quartz and primary silicate minerals
 Powdery
 Clay
 < 0.002 mm
 Secondary minerals
 Sticky
 Not a component of texture, but affect soil
management
 Gravel
 2 – 75 mm (3 in.)
 Cobbles
 75 – 254 mm (10 in.)
 Stones
 > 254 mm
Texture Lay Categories
Sand Coarse textured Light
Loamy sand
Sandy loam
Loam Medium textured
Sandy clay loam
Sandy clay
Silt Heavy
Silt loam
Silty clay loam Fine textured
Silty clay
Clay loam
Clay
Fig. 2-1
Page 11
 Feel test (see Table 2-2 in textbook)
 Qualitative
 Good for quick in-field determination
 Organic matter influences feel
 Easiest on moist soil
 Physical analysis
 Soil is dispersed with Na and suspended
 Density measured over time with hydrometer
 Uses Stoke’s Law to predict settling based on particle
size
 Available at most soil testing labs ~ $25
 2 x 2 in. blocks
 8 together (large particle)
 4” x 4” x 6 sides = 96 sq. in.
 8 separate (small particle)
 2” x 2” x 6 sides x 8 blocks = 192 sq. in.
 The smaller the particles, the greater the surface area
 Clay has 1000 x more surface area than sand
 Clays also have internal surface area (deck of cards)
 Soil reactions occur on particle surfaces
 An acre plowlayer of clay has 25,000,000 acres of
surface (How many acres in Wisconsin?)
 Bulk density = mass per soil volume
 High soil bulk density can limit plant growth
 In soils dry mass is used
 Often expressed in units of grams/cubic centimeter (g/cc)

 Particle density = mass per particle volume

 Averages 2.65 g/cc
 Maximum soil bulk density if zero porosity = particle
density
 Silt loam soil has 50 % porosity, what is the bulk density?
 Soil porosity = pore space
 In a field soil some are water-filled, some are air-filled
 Important for gas exchange in soils
 Need to get O2 to roots for respiration needed for nutrient
uptake
 Need to “ventilate” CO2 from soil microbial activity
 Less than 10% air-filled pore space has been show to limit
plant growth
 K uptake is reduced
 Available N turns to a gas
 Plants may die after 48 hours in saturated conditions
 Bulk density (Db) = Ws
Vpore + Vparticle
 Particle density (DP) = Ws
Vparticle
 Re-arrange = Vpore = Db or solid fraction
Vpore + Vparticle Dp

 Porosity = 1 - Db or pore fraction

Dp
 Weight of 50 cc of soil _____
 Bulk density _____
 Volume of water: 50 cc
 Suspension volume _____
 Particle volume _____
 Particle density _____
 D b / Dp _____
 Porosity (1 – Db/Dp) _____
Soil Texture Bulk Density (g/cc) Porosity (%)
Coarse textured (sandy) 1.6 40
Medium textured (loamy) 1.3 51
Fine textured (clayey) 1.2 55

Well structured Rocky

soil soil
 The combination of individual soil particles to
form aggregates having a defined shape, size,
and distinctness
 Peds
 Millions of particles “glued” together
 Biological secretions
 Oxides
 Static charge
 Wetting/drying
 Freezing/thawing
 Internal pressure
 Presence of certain ions (Ca vs. Na)
 Tillage management
 Earthworm activity
 Crop rotation
 FALL MB FALL CH NO-TILL
3

2.5

2
SIZE (mm)

1.5

0.5

0
CC CSb SbC SbSb
 Structure-less Structured

Single- Puddled Granular Platy Blocky Prismatic

grained Columnar
 Profile
Type Size Permeability
Location

Surface
Granular 1 – 10 mm High
Topsoil
Between
Thin
Platy Topsoil and Poor
Irregular
Subsoil

Blocky Upper Subsoil 5 – 50 mm Moderate

Prismatic/ Moderate to
Lower Subsoil 10 – 100 mm
Columnar Slow
 Avoid operations on wet soils
 Control traffic
 Limit vehicle load
 Till at friable
consistence
 Add organic matter
 Crop residue
 Manure
 Compost
 Rotate to forage
 Physical condition of the soil with respect to plant growth
 A combination of …..
 Texture
 Structure
 Management
 Maintain tilth
 Work when friable
 Avoid unnecessary operations
 Add organic matter
 Maintain residue
 Rotate crops
 Optimize fertility and pH