Embedded Files
Physical
Physical
The Slake Test enables you to see how well a small clump of soil holds together in water over 24 hours. Microbially-strong soil will hold together; more inert soil will collapse. See the positive potential of the soil aggregates in providing a more resilient soil.
Hydrophobicity testing Soil water repellence is almost always tested with the water droplet penetration time (WDPT) test first because of the simplicity of the test.This test is executed by recording the time it takes for one droplet of water to infiltrate a specific soil, indicating the stability of repellency.
VSA Visual Soil Assessment FAO for range of crops
VES Visual Evaluation One of the most accepted methods is that of Peerlkamp, cited in Ball et al. (2007). It has a conjoint scale referring to type and size of aggregates and pores. The main advantages of this method are speed and minor soil disturbance, providing comparative statistical analyses both in large fields and also in small plots of long-term trials. See below for details..
UTD 's New Sensor may be groundbreaking for Soil Health "involves applying electrical stimulation to the soil and measuring chemical reactions to the voltage." Check Electrons
Simple and effective
Simple and effective
These samples are the same soil type and have been in a corn-bean rotation for the past 20+ years. This picture was taken about 2 minutes after the samples were submerged in water.
The treatment of their soil has been substantially different. The soil on the left has not been tilled or had anhydrous ammonia applied for over 20 years and has had a cereal rye cover crop grown after harvest for the last 5 years.
The soil on the right has been tilled each year, as well has had anhydrous ammonia applied in the fall. The tilled soil essentially “exploded” as soon as it entered the water. Repeated tillage has destroyed the structure of the soil, eliminating pore space and destroying the biological “glue” that helps hold soil together, and as a result the soil has collapsed. In contrast, due to minimal soil disturbance the tillage-free soil has excellent pore space and extensive biological activity, and as a result has provided the soil with a healthy structure that can withstand the impacts of water.
Within 5 minutes the tilled soil was completely gone, whereas the tillage-free soil remained almost entirely intact. We decided to see how long it could last and kept adding water to it (to keep up with evaporation) over the course of several weeks. We gave up after 6 weeks, in which the tillage-free soil sample was still about 95% intact. Thanks to Jasper County Soil and Water Conservation District
Carbon
Carbon
Cawood Scientific Soil Tests includes Carbon Check Plus "Carbon (Organic, Inorganic and Total), Nitrogen (C:N ratio) and density to calculate the Carbon stock and soil Organic Matter. Plus active Carbon to assess the portion of Organic Matter readily available to soil Microbes. "
Practical Guide for assessing soil carbon "In the lab, there are a couple of options for testing organic matter and soil carbon – Loss on Ignition (LOI) and DUMAS. Jasper Newman, researcher at the University of Plymouth, said: “LOI provides a rough idea of the soil organic carbon content and is generally slightly cheaper."
Measuring Soil Carbon and Soil Carbon Change A new tool for linking soil health and plant-available water
Remote Sensing Techniques for Soil Organic Carbon Estimation
SOC measured by spectral imaging
Framework recommends separating SOM into particulate (POM) and mineral-associated (MAOM) forms.
CC says - make sure any test for soil health measures life in some way.
Water
Water
Soil Moisture "Many of our moisture sensors also offer measurement of additional parameters, such as soil temperature and soil electrical conductivity (EC). "
Advanced Soil Standards require testing for respiration and microorganisms
Respiration
Soil respiration is measured using the Draeger-Tube® method described in the Soil Quality Test Kit Guide, Chapter 2, p 4 - 6. See Section II, Chapter 1, p 52 - 54 for interpretation of results.
Draeger-Tubes® are used to measure CO2 released from the soil surface as an indicator of decomposition and soil respiration.
Microorganisms
Redox potential (Eh) indicates potential electron transfer.
Oxidation-reduction and acid–base reactions are essential for the maintenance of all living organisms. Yet, redox potential (Eh) has received little attention in agronomy, unlike pH, regarded as a key measurement. Agronomists are depriving themselves of a key factor as it specifies whether the soil material is oxidized or reduced. A soil with a higher reduction potential will have a tendency to gain electrons, while one with a lower reduction potential will have a tendency to lose electrons. Redox potential of upland soils is greater than + 300 mV whereas, in wetland soils, redox potential is less than + 300 mV and may decline to − 100 to − 200 mV. Eh & Ph as drivers of soil ecosystems.
Aerobic soils function better, but it increasingly seems that agricultural intensification is causing many soils to work more anaerobically. More on Oxidation and reduction in soils
"Eavesdropping on a cacophony of underground sounds promises to reveal not only what life forms reside below our feet but also how they go about their existence — how they eat or hunt, how they slither past each other unnoticed, or drum, tap and sing to get one another’s attention. 'Life underground is a black box, as we open it, we realize how little we know'".
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse