AGRI20038 Principles of Soil Science Lecture 1 and 2
AGRI20038 Principles of Soil Science Lecture 1 and 2
AGRI20038 Principles of Soil Science Lecture 1 and 2
Principles of Soil
Science
Lecture 1:
Introduction to soil
Helen Suter, Subject Coordinator
Lecture locations (synchronous teaching)
Parkville
(Turner
lecture
theatre)
Dookie
3
Australia’s 2021 State of the Environment report
(July 2022)
https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/
Overview of Subject
• Understanding concepts of soils
- identified in the Performance Objectives from
the Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPPS)
Accreditation scheme
• Agronomist
• Livestock Producer / Manager
• Economics and Agribusiness
• Farm consultant / advisor / manager MAJORS
• Environmental Scientist Crop and Soils
Ag. Economics
• Researcher
Animal Prod. Sc
• Education
• Policy advisor
• Social scientist
• ………..
“The One Health concept is a worldwide strategy for
expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and
communications in all aspects of health care for
humans, animals and the environment”
http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/
+
biodiversity
ecosystem service
psychology
…..
Production Animal Science Major / Veterinary science
• Antibiotic resistance development and transfer
• Soil-borne diseases / infections
• Feed quality
• Nutrient deficiencies / toxicities
https://www.mla.com.au/research-and-development/animal-health-welfare-and-
biosecurity/diseases/nutritional/mineral-deficiencies/
Production Animal Science Major / Veterinary science
“Behaviors that build long-term soil health increase agricultural productivity, support
environmental resilience, and sequester atmospheric carbon. Consequently, policies
aimed at increasing soils’ health can contribute to broader policy goals concerning
agriculture, food systems, environmental sustainability, and climate change.”
https://www.lodigrowers.com/6-ways-to-improve-soil-health/
Agricultural Economics Major
https://www.eld-initiative.org/
Agricultural Economics Major
Agricultural Economics Major
Image source: http://www.beginningfarmers.org/soil-workshop-in-chicago/
Overview of Subject
• Staff
• Helen Suter (subject coordinator & lecturer)
• Jagrati Singh, Beau Picking (Parkville and online tutors)
• Arjun Pandey, Gayathri Mekala, Ravneet Kaur Jhajj (Dookie
lecturers/tutors and support)
• Invited lecturers from FVAS and School of Ecosystem and Forest
Science
• Details on LMS
Lectures weekly, Mondays 11-1
• What is soil?
• Can we have healthy soils under agricultural
production system?
• How can we understand soils to manage them
effectively?
• What are the key soil attributes and how do we
describe them?
Lecture learning outcomes
An ecosystem
Interconnected community of living and dead
organisms, chemical and physical factors and
processes.
‘The upper layer of the earth’s surface’
• ‘Pedosphere’
• Variable depth
• Variable quality
(air)
2 Medium
4 Hydrological Buffer
5 Foundation Provisional
6 Heritage Cultural
Ecosystem
Soil Functions service
category
1 Habitat Supporting
2 Medium
3 Biochemical/Nutrient Regulating
Reactor
4 Hydrological Buffer
Interdependent
http://www.healthysoils.org.au/healthy_soils/news.php
Soil properties
Soil features determine the soil properties, which can be
Inherent Dynamic
A property of the soil’s character, Properties that change with soil
e.g. management, e.g.
•Sand vs clay and soil water •Organic matter content
•Soil structure
drainage
•Soil nutrients and nutrient
•Soil and texture and root growth
storage capacity
Soil properties
• pH / Acidity
• Texture
• Cation
• Structure
exchange
• Porosity
capacity (CEC)
• Bulk Density
• Salinity
• Colour
• Sodicity
• Strength
• Carbon
• Erodibility
• Fertility and
nutrient
cycling • Organic matter • Microbes
• Rhizosphere • Macrofauna
How does a soil achieve the functions?
• Soil features must be desirable for a soil to provide these functions
• Correct features
• Quality features
Made up of horizons
A2
Underneath or at base =
ELUVIAL horizon : horizon
that can loose material to
deeper profile Sodosol
Soil horizons
B horizon;
Also termed ILLUVIAL horizon
= zone of deposition
1 or more mineral soil layers –
ie. B1 (transitional), B2 main
part of B, B3 (transitional)
B2
Sodosol
Soil horizons
SOLUM : A and B horizons
together
The upper part of the soil A
influenced by plant roots
Sodosol
Soil horizons
C horizon;
Sodosol
Image source: Dreamtime photo stock
Soil horizons
O horizon;
Above the A horizon.
Dominated by organic
material in various stages of
decomposition
D horizon;
Different to the solum (A,B)
but not the C horizon. At the
bottom of the profile
Sodosol
Image source: http://greatlakeswormwatch.org/forest/soil.html
Typical soil profiles (profile form)
SAND
0.06-2.0 mm
SILT
0.002-0.06 mm
Water (20-50%)
Mineral
component
CLAY
40-60% <0.002 mm
Air (10-25%)
•Important for;
• Soil structure
• Porosity (Water/air)
• Resilience
• Plant growth and sustenance
Image source: FAO Chapter 2 - Soil and Water
• Soil fertility http://www.fao.org/3/r4082e/r4082e03.htm
Living Non-living
• living tissues, plant • Dissolved organic matter
• Microbial biomass <0.45 mm
• Fauna biomass • Particulate organic matter (POM)
Recognisable cell structure
• Humus
Amorphous organic materials
[Amorphous =lacking clear structure,
form]
Soil organic matter will be covered in • Inert organic matter
more detail in later lectures Highly carbonised, including charcoal
Describing soils : Texture
Field texturing
Hue
Value
Chroma
Black High organic matter (e.g. peat) Waterlogging, drainage problems, low
pH, high denitrification
Vertosols (cracking clays > 35% Workability and tillage problems
clay)
White / pale / Iron and manganese leached due Low in nutrients (leached)
bleached to high water drainage Low plant available water
Red Good drainage, iron is oxidised, High phosphorus fixation
Fe3+ Low plant available water
Yellow/ yellow Poorer drainage than red soils, Moderate phosphorus fixation, Low plant
brown iron is hydrated available water, compaction
Brown Moderate organic matter and iron Low to moderate phosphorus fixation,
oxides low to moderate plant available water
3) Type of pedality
•Microbial Biomass C
• C in living components
• ~ 5% of organic carbon
• Visual assessment of amount
http://science.jrank.org/kids/pages/178/Soil-Formation.html
Answers to questions posed
• Q. Describe the main soil horizons within a soil profile. Within a soil
profile, what soil property leads to the classification of different
profile forms? Describe the different profile forms to explain your
answer
• Q: What is the particle size of the fine earth fraction and the different
mineral components in this?