some recent research regarding soil physical properties russell yost, ph.d. department of tropical...

Some Recent Research Regarding Soil Physical Properties

Russell Yost, Ph.D.

Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science

University of Hawai`i at Manoa

Particle size determination in Soils of the Tropics

• Some weathered soils of the tropics – those containing large amounts of hydrous sesquioxides, it is difficult to obtain a particle size analysis that represents behaviour in the field –– Examples water content at 1500 kPa– Surface area usually a function of soil clay

content

• Clay particles < 2µm – High surface area per mass

• Clay controls:1) Water retention

2) Cation, phosphorus retention

3) Carbon, nitrogen storage

4) Microbial activity

• Quantifying clay is critical to understand, predict, manage soil behavior

Background- Clay Particles

Sand Clay

• Pipet method– Based on Stoke’s Law: V=kD2

• Requires all soil components are discrete particles

• However, in nature, clays exist as heterogeneous aggregates in soil

Measuring Clay Content

Aggregation in Tropical Soils

•Bonding Mechanisms– Positive, negative charged

oxides– Amorphous minerals– Organic matter complexes

with oxide surface

• Soils derived from volcanic ash particularly problematic– High concentrations of oxides,

amorphous minerals, and organic matter

+

+

+

–

–

–

Positive Negative

Problem

Soil Order Oxide, Amorphous Content Clay (%) 1500kPa Water (%)

Alfisol Low 15 7

Vertisol Low 62 25

Oxisol High oxide 12 20

Andisol High amorphous 15 134

• Clay content underestimated in oxidic and volcanic ash soils

• Resist dispersion of pipette method– Low clay content contrary to large reactive surface area

• Problematic soils comprise 17% global, 50% Hawai‘i land area

Ultrasonication Experiment• Standard Pipette Method

(NRCS)– Remove organic matter, salts– Dispersant: Na-HMP

• Ultrasonication– High frequency sound waves

(>20 kHz)– Rapid technique– Dispersed aggregates,

increased clay contents in studies

– Limited research on tropical soils

Ultrasonication Experiment• Treatments:

5 ultrasonic energy levels– 0 (standard shaking), 100,

200, 400, 1600 J mL-1

– 10 g soil: 100 mL water– Triplicates for one soil in

each mineralogy group, duplicates for other soils

Aggregation Mechanisms• Explain strength of aggregation and dispersion

– Changes in measured clay at each energy increment (0-100, 100-200 J mL-1 etc.) regressed to soil properties

• Soil properties– Total Carbon

• CHNSO Elemental Analyzer

– Iron, aluminum • Total Free: Dithionite-citrate (DC)• Amorphous: Hydroxylamine-hydrochloride (HH)

– ΔpH• =(pH in 1 M KCl) – (pH in deionized water) • Measure of negative surface charge

• Linear, nonlinear regression in SigmaPlot 10.0

Weakly Aggregated

R2 > 0.96P < 0.001

Clay Maxima

Strongly Aggregated

R2 > 0.98P < 0.001

Approached Clay Maxima

Weakly Aggregated

R2 > 0.96P < 0.001

Clay Maxima

Limitations: Particle Damage

• Control soil (Salinas) showed significant decrease in sand-size particles with ultrasonication

• Scanning Electron Microscopy to investigate surface of sand

Limitations: Particle Damage

0 J mL-1 1600 J mL-1

Salinas Sand Particles

• “Etching” of ultrasonicated sand particle• Suggested alteration, potential damage of

surface

Limitations: Particle Damage

Hali‘i Honoka‘a

Ultrasonicated Sand Particles

• Concavity suggested damage from bubble collapse of cavitation process

Problems with measurements of soil physical properties

• Conclusion:– It continues to be very difficult to accurately

measure soil particle size, especially if the objective is to predict soil behavior

• Alternative– Specify the precise application of particle size

and explore methods to directly measure it

• Example: Measuring 1500 kPa water content. Why: critical to estimation of plant available water.

Problems with measurements of soil physical properties

• Possibility: Use of diffusive reflectance visible near infrared spectroradiometry– This methods has long been used for very rapid (5

min or less) estimates forage quality: for the last 15-20 years.

– Recently has attracted a lot of attention by soil scientists as a very rapid (~ 5 min/sample) method of measuring soil properties.

– Method used by Mars rovers “Opportunity” & “Spirit”– Many challenges with calibration.

Problems with measurements of soil physical properties

• Example instrument:– ASD

Fieldspec

Pro 4- Cost

$50,000 US

down from

$450,000 a

few years

ago.

Problems with measurements of soil physical properties

Problems with measurements of soil physical properties

Data: Joshua Silva, 2013

Problems with measurements of soil physical properties

• Advantages of Diffuse Reflectance, visible near infrared– Rapid: A scan takes no more than a couple of

minutes– Minimal sample preparation– Contrast these with the laboratory

determination of 1500 kPa water• Usually takes a week to two weeks per sample• Requires careful preparation of the soil• Usually requires an “undisturbed” soil sample

Data: Joshua Silva, 2013

Conclusions

• Measurement of soil particle size in soils with large amount of hydrous sesquioxides continues to be problematic

• Some suggestions: Try to directly measure the properties of interest and importance

• Diffusive Reflectance Visible Near Infrared may hold promise in rapid measurement of selected physical properties.