Soil- Components of Soil or Phases of Soil Minerals soils consist of 4 major components: Mineral materials, OM, water and

air in various proportions. Approximately 50% of the total volume of the surface horizon of many soils is made up of inorganic Materials (mineral matter) and OM (5%) and the remaining volume is per space between the soil particles. Water and air occupy these pore spaces in various proportions. The proportion of air and water varies from one season to another. At optimum moisture for plant growth, the 50% of pore space possessed is divided roughly in half 25% of water space and 25% or air. The soil may be described as the three phase system: Soil solid, Liquid and gaseous phase.

1. Solid phase: Soil material less than 2 mm size constitutes the soil sample. It is broadly composed of inorganic
and organic constitutes. Soils having more than 20% of org. constitutes are arbitrarily designated organic soils. Where inorganic constituents dominate, they are called mineral soils . The majority of the soils of India are mineral soils. It accounts for nearly 50% of the total volume and 95% without of the solid phase is made up of inorganic or mineral matter. The remaining 5% weight comprises of OM which is mainly derived from dead parts of the vegetation an animals. In inorganic constituents consist of silicates, certain preparation of carbonates, soluble salts, an free oxides of iron, aluminium and silicon. The humus and humus like fractions of the solid phase constitute the soil organic matter. Soil is the habitat for enormous number of living organisms like roots of higher plants (Soil Macro flora), bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and algae (Soil Micro flora). A gram of fertile soil contains billions of these micro-organisms. The live weight of the micro-organisms may be about 4000 kg/ha may constitute about 0.01 to 0.4% of the total soil mass. Soil also consists of protozoa and nematodes (Soil Micro Fauna).

2. Liquid phase: About 50% of the bulk volume of the soil body is generally occupied by voids or soil pores which
may be completely or partially filled with water. A considerable part of the rain which falls on soil is absorbed by the soil and stored in it to be returned to the atmosphere by direct evaporation or by transpiration through plants. The soil acts as the reservoir for supplying water to plants for their growth. The soil water keeps salts in solution which act as plant nutrients. Thus, the liquid phase is an aqueous solution of salts, when water drains from soil pores are filled with air.

3. Gaseous phase: The air filled pores constitutes the gaseous phase of soil
system and dependent on that of the liquid phase. The N and O2 contents of soil air are air almost but the the atmospheric

concentration of CO2 is much higher (8 10 times more) which may be toxic to plant roots . This phase supplies O2 and thereby prevents CO2 toxicity. The 3 phases of the soil system have definite roles to play. The solid phase provides mechanical support for and nutrients to the plants. The liquid phase supplies water and along with it dissolved nutrients to plant roots. The gaseous phase satisfies the aeration (O2) need of plants.

: Dr. Moola Ram, Asstt. Professor (Agronomy), COA, SKRAU, Sumerpur 11

Soil Profile Definition of soil profile : The vertical section of the soil showing the various layers from the soil surface to the unaffected parent material is known as a soil profile. The development of soil profile is a constructive process where in disintegrated material resulted from weathering of rocks and minerals gets converted into a soil body. The various layers are known as horizons. A soil profile contains three main horizons. They are named as horizon A, horizon B and horizon C. The surface soil or that layer of soil at the top which is liable to leaching and from which some soil constituents have been removed is known as horizon A or the horizon of eluviation. The intermediate layer in which the materials leached from horizon A have been re-deposited is known as horizon B or the horizon of illuviation. The parent material from which the soil is formed is known as horizon C. A Study of soil profile is important as it is historic record of all the soil forming processes and it forms the basis for the study in pedagogical investigations. Soil profile is the key for the soil classification and also forms the basis for the practical utility of soils. A hypothetical mineral soil profile will include O, A, B, C and R master horizons and all the possible sub-horizons. Master horizons and sub horizons O horizon: It is called as organic horizon. It is formed in the upper part of the mineral soil, dominated by fresh or partly decomposed organic materials. This horizon contains more than 30% organic matter if mineral fraction has more than 50 % clay (or) more than 20 % organic matter if mineral fraction has less clay. The organic horizons are commonly seen in forest areas and generally absent in grassland, cultivated soils. O1 - Organic horizon in which the original forms of the plant and animal residues can be recognized through naked eye. O2 - Organic horizon in which the original plant or animal matter can not be recognized through naked eye. A horizon - Horizon of organic matter accumulation adjacent to surface and that has lost clay, iron and Aluminium. A1 - Top most mineral horizon formed adjacent to the surface. There will be accumulation of humified organic matter associated with mineral fraction and darker in Colour than that of lower horizons due to organic matter. A2 Horizon of maximum eluviation of clay, iron and aluminium oxides and organic matter. Loss of these constituents generally results in accumulation of quartz and other sand and silt size resistant minerals. Generally lighter in Colour than horizons above and below. A3 - A transitional layer between A and B horizons with more dominated properties of A1 or A2 above than the underlying B horizon. This horizon is sometimes absent.

: Dr. Moola Ram, Asstt. Professor (Agronomy), COA, SKRAU, Sumerpur 12

B horizon - Horizon in which the dominant features are accumulation of clay, iron, aluminium or humus alone or in combination. Coating of sesquioxides will impart darker, stronger of red Colour than overlying or underlying horizons. B1 - A transitional layer between A and B. More like A than B. B2 - Zone of maximum accumulation of clay, iron and aluminium oxide that may have moved down from upper horizons or may have formed in situ. The organic matter content is generally higher and Colour darker than that of A2 horizon above. B3 - Transitional horizon between B and C and with properties more similar to that of overlying B2 than underlying C. C horizon - It is the horizon below the solum (A + B), relatively less affected by soil forming processes. It is outside the zone of major biological activity. It may contain accumulation of carbonates or sulphates, calcium and magnesium R - Underlying consolidated bed rock and it may or may not be like the parent rock from which the solum is formed. Special Features Soil Individual or Polypedon: The Soil Survey Staff (1960) defined the soil individual or polypedon (Pedon, Ground) as a natural unit of soil that differs from its adjoining unit on the landscape in one or more properties. The term pedon has been proposed for small basic soil entities that are part of the continuum mantling the land. A pedon is the smallest volume that can be called "a soil". The set of pedon must fit within the range of one series and occur in a contiguous group to form a polypedon. A polypedon is therefore, defined as a contiguous similar pedons bounded on all sides by "not-soil or by pedons of unlike characters. It is a real physical soils body which has a minimum area of more than 1 sq. km and an unspecified maximum area. Soil Horizons A unique feature of most soils is the horizontal layering that generally is seen in a vertical cut from the soil surface to the underlying rock or unconsolidated rock material. The layers are soil horizons and taken together they constitute the soil profile. Each horizon may differ from its neighbors in color and depth and in physical and chemical properties. Horizons are designated according to soil profile position and the processes that created them. Soil horizon notations currently used in the United States by the National Cooperative Soil Survey (Soil Survey Staff, 1981) are described below. The capital letters O, A, E, B, C and R represent master soil horizons. O horizons are dominated by organic material, except limnic layers that are organic. Some are saturated with water for long periods of time or were once saturated but are now artificially drained. Others have never been saturated. They may be subdivided into: Oa, highly decomposed organic material; Oe, organic material of intermediate decomposition; and Oi, slightly decomposed organic material. A horizons are mineral horizons that have formed at the surface or below an O horizon. They are characterized by an accumulation of humified organic matter intimately mixed with the mineral fraction and not dominated by properties characteristic of E or B horizons, or have properties resulting from cultivation, pasturing or similar kinds of disturbances. In the latter case the horizon is designated Ap. E horizons are subsurface mineral horizons that are lighter in color because of removal of organic matter, iron and aluminum oxide minerals, silicate clay or some combination of these that leaves a concentration of sand and silt particles of quartz and other resistant minerals. B horizons form below an A, E or O horizon and are dominated by the obliteration of all or much of the original rock structure and by illuvial concentration of silicate clay, iron, aluminum, humus, carbonates, gypsum or silica, above or in combination; evidence of removal of carbonates; residual concentration of sesquioxides; coatings of sesquioxides that make the horizon conspicuously lower in value, higher in chroma or redder in hue than overlying and underlying horizons without apparent illuviation of iron; alteration that forms silicate clay or liberates oxides or both and that forms granular, blocky or prismatic structure if volume changes accompany changes in moisture content; or any combination of the aforementioned. Subdivisions of B horizons that are common in Arizona soils include:

: Dr. Moola Ram, Asstt. Professor (Agronomy), COA, SKRAU, Sumerpur 13

Bb, buried horizon; Bk, accumulation of carbonates; Bkm, cemented or indurated with carbonate; Bn, accumulation of sodium; Bq, accumulation of silica; Bqm, cemented or indurated with silica; Bt, accumulation of silicate clay; Bw, development of color or structure; By, accumulation of gypsum; and Bz, accumulation of salts more soluble than gypsum.

C horizons or layers, excluding hard bedrock, are little affected by pedogenic processes and lack properties of O, A, E or B horizons. Most are mineral layers, but limnic layers, whether organic or inorganic, are included. The material of C layers may be either like or unlike that from which the solum presumably formed. A C horizon may have been modified even if there is no evidence of pedogenesis. Subdivisions of C horizons in Arizona soils include: Ck, accumulation of carbonates; Cq, accumulation of silica; Cr, weathered or soft bedrock; Cy, accumulation of gypsum; and Cz, accumulation of salts more soluble than gypsum.

R horizons are used to designate hard or very hard bedrock. AB is a horizon transitional between A and B horizons dominated by properties characteristic of an overlying A horizon but having some subordinate properties of an underlying B horizon. BA is a horizon transitional between A and B horizons dominated by properties characteristic of an underlying B horizon but having subordinate properties of an overlying A horizon. EB is a horizon transitional between E and B horizons dominated by properties characteristic of an overlying E horizon but having some subordinate properties of an underlying B horizon. BE is a horizon transitional between E and B horizons dominated by properties characteristic of an underlying B horizon but having some subordinate properties of an overlying E horizon. BC is a horizon transitional between B and C horizons dominated by properties of an overlying B horizon but having some subordinate properties of an underlying C horizon. A/B, B/A, E/B, B/E, A/C and B/C are horizons in which distinct parts have recognizable properties of two kinds of horizons. The two capital letters are separated by a virgule (/). The first letter is that of the horizon that makes up the greater volume. Limnic layers are composed of materials deposited or formed in freshwater such as coprogenus and diatomatious earth and marl. A hypothetical soil profile with many of the different kinds of horizons in Arizona as shown in above figure. No given soil would contain all these horizons.

: Dr. Moola Ram, Asstt. Professor (Agronomy), COA, SKRAU, Sumerpur 14