Online Soil Lab - Payne - Completed Soil Lab PDF

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Completed Soil Lab...

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Virtual Soil Lab Activity

Gregory Payne

6/29/21

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Goal 1: Classify soils by grain size Watch this video first to learn how to use plot soil components on a ternary diagram: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4xndouxWPY

1. If a soil survey tells you that you have a ‘sandy clay loam’ on your property, what does your soil have in most abundance: sand, silt or clay? Sand – Sandy clay loam is a minimum 45% sand. It has a max clay percentage of about 35%, and a max silt percentage of about 30% silt.

2. If you send your soil out for a test and find out that it contains 75% silt and 25% clay, what kind of soil do you have?

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Silt loam:

3. Pure loam is considered to be the best kind of soil for a farm or garden and is often defined as a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay. Is that what the diagram shows? Actually, no. According to the triangle, 33% of each soil type lands in “Clay Loam”

territory:

Goal 2: Soil Sampling in the Field What this video and answer the questions on how to complete soil sampling in the field https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuqoOVUm05I

1. What site characteristics should be considered when developing a sampling scheme? Whether the whole sample has been managed uniformly is critical to a good sample. 2. What is an appropriate sampling depth and time of year to collect soil samples? 15 cm Page 3|4

3. How does an Oakfield corer work? When is it an appropriate tool?

An Oakfield corer is used to take a small sample of soil; it is pushed into the soil until a small compartment within the borer is filled, then the sample is evaluated. The Oakland borer is appropriate when there are few stones or roots, and at least 15 cm of soft soil. 4. What information should go on your sample label? Your initials, location, and a sample number. 5. What information should you record in your field notebook? Include a design drawing, with transects, numbering, and cardinal directions. Date, weather conditions, and depth. 6. What is a composite sample? Why would you take composite samples? A composite sample is a collection of small samples from your plot, typically one sample per transect. 7. How many samples should you take so that your sample is representative and you can do statistical analysis? A minimum of 5, so that you can average the samples out for statistical analysis 8. What extra precautions should you take if the soil samples will be analyzed for micronutrients or trace elements? If you’re sampling for micronutrients or trace elements, you have to be careful not to touch the sample, and to wear gloves.

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