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ERIAME, , Study of Physical, , 2, , Properties and pH, of Different Soils, , INTRODUCTION, , Soil is the upper, weathered and humus containing layer of the earth which sustains plant life, and contains numerous living organisms along with their dead remains. Organic matter of the, soil is called humus., 2., , A productive soil contains approximately 40% mineral matter (derived from parent rock as a, result of weathering), 10% organic matter (derived from decay of dead organic matter) 25%, water and 25% air., , 3., , The physical characteristics of a soil are due to the size of its particles. The different sized soil, particles are classified and named as follows:, S. No., , Diameter of particles, More than 2.00 mm, , Gravel, , 2, , 2.00 mm to 0.20 mm, , Coarse sand, , 0.20 mm to 0.02 mm, , Fine sand, , 0.02 mm to 0.002 mm, , Silt, , Below 0.002 mm, , 4., , S. No., , ., , Soil particles, , 1., , Clay, , The properties of a soil depend upon the proportion of the constituent solid particles of different, sizes. The soils are thus named according to their textural characteristics as follows, Soil class, , Sandy, , Characteristics, , Percentage of particles (Approx.), , Loose, coarse grained dry, poor, nutrients and poor water, , Sand, , Silt, , Clay, , 85-100, , 0-15, , 0-15, , holding|, , capacity, not fit for plant growth., , 3., , Sandy loam, , Loose, coarse but somewhat, coherent, less water holding capacity,, moderate for plant growth., , 30-80, , 0-50, , 0-20, , Loam, , Fairly smooth, moderate air spaces,, good air and water movement,, , 23-52, , 38-50, , 7-27, , 0-50, , 50-88, , 0-27, , moderate water holding capacity,, , best for plant growth., ., , Silty loam, , Soft and floury, forms easily, breakable lumps, less air and water, movement, not suitable for plant, , growth

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omprekemine labnatory Mannl in Bology, , 24, Clayey loa, , alr, , textured, moderate, ne, water movenent, auftable for, , ald, plant, , 20, , 80, , 0, , 0, , 8Owth, , clay, , 0-35, , and, me textured, compaet poor alr, movewent, water logged,, wutable tor plant growth, , water, , not, , 1he chemical properties of a soll depend upon the preaence of diterent types of nutrlents all, , the pH of the soil. Thesoils having optimum amount of solutes are called eutroplc, Such soils uupport, rich vegetation. The soils which are defieient of plant nutrlenta are known an oligotropic, In oligotrop, , soils, the vegetation is poor and sparse., , Bxcess of utrients is harmful. Some nutrients become, , toxic in, , higher, , concentration,, , pH, , of the, , thrive well in neutral or slightly acidic s o k, soil is also an important chemical property of the soil. Plants, The pH of the soil determines the types ofsol organisms and also controls the solubility of difterent, nutrients., , EXPERIMENT 2.1, soils., www objective. To study the texture and moisture content of diflerent, , REQUIREMENTS, , Digger, polythene bags, hand lens, meshes of ditlerent, , pore sizes, measuring cylinders, water,, , ete, , PROCEDURE, in, Collect soil sample from different types of localities, like crop field, roadsicde park, etc., polythene, , bags and bring them to the laboratory., , STUDY OF SOIL TEXTURE, as, samples by a hand lens and feel it between fingers in dry, and record the amount, state. Place dried soil samples on meshes of different pore sizes, , Examine the soil, , well, of, , as, , in, , moist, , particles that, , pass through them., Add 200 ml of water and, Take about 50 g ofsoil from a sample in 250 ml measuring cylinder., thickness of the layers formed by different, shake it well. Allow the soil particles to settle down. Record, and calculate their relative percentage. Similarly, recond, types of particles in the measuring cylinder,, relative percentage of different types of soil particles present in different soil samples.

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25, , C o r eE x p e i m e n t s, , -, , Humue8, , Water, , Clay, Silt, Fine sand, Coarse eand, , Fig. 2.1. Different layers formed by different types of soil particles in water, , OBSERVATION, , Humus floats on the, form as under., , Heavy particles settle down first and lighter o n e s afterwards., observations in tabular, Observe these layers carefully and record your, , S.No., , Soil samples, , 1., , Soil from a crop feld, , Colour, , Texture, , Relative percentagge, Silt, , Sand, , water surface., , Soil class, , Clay, , Garden soil, 3., , Roadside soil, , 4., , Soil from a dried pond, , 5., , River-bank soil, , STUDY OF MOISTURE CONTENT, crucible and weigh it. Record the weight. Heat, Take small amount of soil from a sample in a dry, cool it. Weigh the crucible again to record the weight, the crucible on a burner to dry the soil and then, of dry soil. Repeat the process for each soil sample., , OBSERVATION, Record the initial and final, , weights, , of each, , sample and the, , difference between initial and final, , between initial and final weight shows higher moisture, weights in the form of a table. Higher difference, content in the soil., , S.No., 1., , ., , Soil samples, , Initial weight, , Final weight, , Moisture content, , (y)g, , (y-x)g

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Comprehenstue Laboratory Manual, , 26, , Crucible, , logy-, , Soil, www, , Flame, , Stand, , Fig. 2.2. Heating of soil in crucible., , PRECAUTIONS, 1., , 2., , Soil, , samples should, , be, , separately packed and brought to the laboratory., The thickness of, layers formed by different particles in the cylinder should be carefill.., , and their relative, , percentage should be accurately calculated., , easure, , EXPERIMENT 2.2, www. Objective. To study pH of diferent types of soil., , REQUIREMENTS, Soil, , samples (from, , different sites such as garden soil, roadside, soil, pond, bank soil), tes, tubes, funnel, filter paper, pH papers of different, distilled, range, water, beaker., two, , PROCEDURE, Dissolve one tablespoon soil from each soil, beakers. Stir the solutions well and, for half, , keep, , an, , sample, , hour, , to, , in 100 ml of distilled water in, separate, , settle down the, , suspended particles. File, a small, of broad, Dip, piece, range pH paper in each of the, solution. Match the colour of the, pH paper with the colour scale given on the, pH paper booklet. This, gives an approximate pH. For more accurate, value, take a piece of narrow, indicated by broad range pH, range pH paper of the vaiue, paper and dip them separately in the soil, water, Match the, colour of the papers with the, pH scale given on the pH paper booklet. This suspensions., will give the correct valuof the pH of the soil, samples., off each, , solution in diferent, , test, , tubes., , sol, , OBSERVATION, Record the pH of different soil, , samples in the observation table.

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CoreExperiments, , S. No, , 1, , 3., , PRECAUTIONS, Use, , Soil samples, , standard reagents., , pH, , 1.Washthe glassware thoroughly and get it oven dried before the experiment., 2., , 27

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E, , EXA, , PERIIM, , 3, , WaterHoldin, , Capacity of S, , INTRODUCTION, Soil water is one of the most important ecological factor. Soil water ic d, on a, , soil is not, irrigation. AlN the rain water falling, retained byit. Some of it is lost a om, andgravitational water. The rest of rain water is retained in the soil as capillary a a a y y, hygrosco-, , ary water,, , The maximum amount of water retained by a soil per unit of its dry weight after sl, , water and combined water., , filter, , pap, , flow has ceased is called water holding capacity or field capacity of the soil, oil. The water the graviatio, hold pa, varies in different types of soils and depends upon the types of soil particles and poroc, the s, Sandy soils have poor water holding capacity than the loam and day soils., , EXPERIMENT 3.1, , EXPERIMENT-I, perforated bottom,, , www objective. To study the water holding capacity ofgarden soil and roadsidesoil, , EQUIREMENTS, , Tin box, , Roadside soit, , Garden soil, roadside soil, filter paper, small tin boxes with, ance, petridishes, oven, water etc., , Garden soil, , Water, , Petridish, Fig. 3.1. Experiment to study water holding capacity of soils.

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CoreEpements, , he, , amples,, $oil ssamples,, , soil, , PROCEDURE, , p, , p, , e, , r, , sur, , b o t t o m ,p l a c ef i l t e, , u, , Wt. of, empty, , box (X), , allow them to, , more, , dry, , and crush them. Take two tin boxes with, , Wt. of box, out from the, , after taking, , Wt. of box, soil, , Wt. of, , and results in the tableas follows:, , filled with, , (Y-X), , and thus has, , done, , water, , retained by, , (2-Y), , the soil, , 29, , perforated, , Water hold-, , of the soil, , ing capacity, , (2-Y)/, Y-Xx 100), , o v e n etc., , of water, , soil., than the roadside, , only when dripping, , filter papers, beakers, balance,, , of the petridishes should be, , higher water holding capacity, , petridish (Z), , soil (Y), , water, , out, , Wt. of, , Now fill garden, Take the, in the bottom of each of the tins and weigh them separately., fiter papers, Record the, roadside soil in the other by tapping to e n s u r e uniform filling., o f t h e boxes, kes and, and allow them, the soil filled boxes in petridishes containing water, filled boxes. Place, ilin o.coil, and weigh, weighto f, the, soils become wet. Now take out the boxes from the petridishes, surfaces of the, f r o the tins stops., dripping of w a t e r, when the, , the, , till again, w h e, them, , Garden soil, , Soil sample, , Record the observations, , O8SERVATIONS AND RESULTs, , S., , No., , 1., , 2. Roadside soil, cONCLUSION, , Garden soil retains, PRECAUTIONS, , Weighing should, , be done accurately., , 1., , has stopped., , Weighing of tins after taking, , EXPERIMENT-II, , measuring cylinders, funnels,, , 2., , REQUIREMENTS, Garden soil, roadside soil,, , PROCEDURE, and B. Place them o n measuring, with filter paper. Label them A, Take two funnels and line them, roadside soil. Put the garden soil, each of the garden soil and, dried, the volume of, water in each funnel. Record, the funnel., the dripping of water stops from, , measuring cylinder when, , sample, cylinders. Take 100 gm oven, B. Pour 100 ml of, in funnel A and roadside soil in funnel, filtered out water in the

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Compnchenatue Laboratory Marnunl i., , 30, , Pio, , Funnel, Flter paper, , Garden soll, +water, , +Watr, , Measuring cylindors, , Water that drained, through the soil, , Fig. 3.2. Experiment to study water holding capacity of soils., , OBSERVATIONS AND RESULT, Record the observations and result in the table, S., No., , 1, , Soil types, , as, , follows, , Weight, , Volume of, , Volume of, , Volume off, , of, , water, , water, , water, , soil (X), , poured, (Y), , collected in, , retained, the soil, , measuring, cylinder (2), , Garden soil, , Water holding, , cupacity of the, , soil in percentage, , (Y-2), , (Y-2)/X 100, , 2 . Road side soil, CONCLUSION, Garden soil has, , has, , higher water holding capacity than the roadside soil, because the roadside, s, larger quantities of sand and silt., a, , PRECAUTIONS, 1., Weighing of soil samples should be done accurately., 2., , Pour water, , 3., , Record the volume of, collected, , slowly and gently on, , the soil in the, , water in the, , funnel, , measuring cylinders carefully.