How and why does soil organic matter as a soil health indicator and difference between soil organic carbon and total carbon in soil?
Soil organic matter (SOM) is a crucial component of healthy soil, influencing various essential soil functions. It serves as a key indicator of soil health, providing valuable insights into the overall quality and productivity of soil.
Significance of Soil Organic Matter as a Soil Health Indicator:
SOM plays a pivotal role in maintaining soil health by influencing numerous soil properties and processes:
Difference between Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and Total Carbon (TC) in Soil:
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the carbon component of SOM, accounting for about 50-60% of its total weight. SOC is a more direct and measurable indicator of SOM than total carbon (TC), which includes both organic and inorganic carbon. TC is primarily composed of inorganic carbonates, which are not part of SOM and do not contribute to soil health. Therefore, SOC is the preferred measure for assessing SOM and its impact on soil health.
Measuring Soil Organic Matter:
SOM can be measured using various methods, including:
Regular monitoring of SOM levels is crucial for maintaining soil health and ensuring sustainable land management practices.
Soil organic matter improves soil structure. This ultimately helps to control soil erosion and improves water infiltration and water holding capacity, giving plant roots and soil organisms better living conditions. Here are some of the things that soil organic matter does for your soil: Provides essential nutrients for plants as it is decomposed by microbes. Feeds and provides habitats for diverse soil organisms, including those that help fight plant pests and diseases. Organic matter includes any plant or animal material that returns to the soil and goes through the decomposition process. In addition to providing nutrients and habitat to organisms living in the soil, organic matter also binds soil particles into aggregates and improves the water holding capacity of soil. Soil organic matter is the fraction of the soil that consists of plant or animal tissue in various stages of breakdown. Most of our productive agricultural soils have between 3 and 6% organic matter. Soil organic matter contributes to soil productivity in many different ways. Total carbon is the sum of three carbon forms; organic elemental and inorganic. The term total carbon is different to total organic carbon, which refers specifically to the organic carbon fraction. Total organic carbon (TOC) is the carbon (C) stored in soil organic matter (SOM). Organic carbon (OC) enters the soil through the decomposition of plant and animal residues, root exudates, living and dead microorganisms, and soil biota. Soil organic carbon (SOC) refers only to the carbon component of organic compounds, while soil organic matter (SOM) is primarily made up of carbon, but also contains hydrogen and oxygen, and is an important source of nutrients. Soil organic carbon is a component of soil organic matter. Organic matter is primarily made up of carbon (58%), with the remaining mass consisting of water and other nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium.
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