Soil Chemical Properties

Soil Active Components

Soil texture is composed of three components , namely : sand , silt and clay . These three components are distinguished by different size . Sand particles sized between 200 micrometers to 2000 micrometers . Dust particles measuring between 2 micrometers to less than 200 micrometers . Clay particles measuring less than 2 micrometers . The finer the particle size of the soil constituent will have a surface area of particles per unit weight of increasingly widespread . Soil particles have more surface area to give more opportunities to the occurrence of chemical reactions . Clay particles unity weights have a wider surface area than the second constituent particles of soil texture (such as : dust and sand ) .

Chemical reactions that occur on the surface of clay particles more than the surface of the particles of dust and sand unity equal weight . Thus , particles of clay soil is the most active component of the chemical reaction , so it determines the chemical properties of the soil and affect soil fertility .

Some Soil Chemical PropertiesSome soil chemical properties that are important to know and understand , include :

1. soil pH2 . organic carbon content
2. nitrogen content
3. carbon and nitrogen ratio ( C / N )
4. phosphorus content of the soil , consisting of : P - and P - total available land
5. content of exchangeable base cations
6. acid cation content
7. base saturation ( KB )
8. cation exchange capacity ( CEC ) , include : clay CEC , CEC , CEC effective , permanent charge CEC and CEC soil pH dependent charge
9. 10 . aluminum saturation.