Soil Properties: Laboratory Analysis

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Suitability of the site for agriculture
Percolation rate and water-holding capacity of the soil
Good agricultural site
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Soil property is a very important factor to be considered before any site is chosen for agricultural purposes especially for growing crops (Mitchell, 197). This is the main reason why we went out for fieldwork where we collected soil samples at a particular site and took them to the laboratory for analysis. The various soil properties were measured and recorded by a group. The results were supposed to be used in answering some questions related to soil properties and agriculture. Agriculture means the art and science of keeping livestock and growing crops (Wood, 213). However, this laboratory analysis focused majorly on the growing of crops.

Suitability of the site for agriculture

The first question requires me to state whether the area where the pit was located is suitable for agricultural purposes or not. My answer is, “Not ideal, but possible”. This is because the characteristics of the soil where the pit was located indicated that the soil was clay type of soil which is usually not suitable for agriculture unless some specific measures are taken to improve its quality for agriculture.

For example, the soil at the site where the pit was located did not have many big stones meaning that it had fine particles of soil which is a characteristic of clay soil. Clay soil has a high water retention capacity which makes it susceptible to waterlogging. When the site was dug to a depth of about 50 cm, water was found and this indicated that the site was water-logged. These properties make the area where the pit was located not to be ideal for agricultural purposes but agriculture can be practiced in the area only when the site conditions are improved.

If this was the only land available for me to grow food to feed my family the first thing I would have done is to dig trenches to drain water from the area. This is because the area has a lot of water but many food crops do not require a lot of water. However, there are a few food crops such as rice that require a lot of water and therefore the second alternative I would have chosen is to plant food crops that need a lot of water to grow and produce good yields. Crops that require a lot of water include rice and arrowroots. I would then sell some of the products to buy the food products that were impossible to be grown in my land. Thirdly, I would add some sand to the area to reduce its water-retaining capacity. This would make the land suitable for growing most food crops.

Percolation rate and water-holding capacity of the soil

When the sand was added to the soil, the percolation rate increased from 11ml to 14ml. The water holding capacity of the soil was reduced from 9ml to 6ml. This was because there were large pore spaces in sandy soil than in clay thus more water passed through the pore spaces in the sand. However, when compost soil was added to the soil the percolation rate reduced from 11ml to 10ml as was indicated by water drops that were collected. This implied that the compost reduced the pore spaces in the soil. Water holding capacity remained constant.

Good agricultural site

Some of the information that a person would like to know before starting a garden in an area is the salinity of the soil, the availability of microorganisms because some of them are pests, the availability of soil nutrients in the soil, and the soil structure.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when we consider the area where the soil pit was located, besides soil properties, another factor that is likely to influence the area’s ability to support agriculture is the availability of pests as indicated by the presence of earthworms. Leaching of most plant nutrients is likely to occur where there is a lot of water and this is a factor that affects an area’s ability to support agriculture.

Works Cited

Mitchell, Stephen. How to make good use of Limited Agricultural Resources and Land. New York: Free Press, 2004.

Wood, Robinson. Good Agricultural Practices in Developing World. Boston: Pearson Education, 2008.

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Soil Properties: Laboratory Analysis

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