How do organic matter and minerals affect the water holding capacity of a soil and does manure increase water holding capacity of soil?
In the Rodale Institute studies on organic agriculture the way that organic matter transforms water relationships is revealed in the 40,000 lysimeter water samples on long term experimentation.
The transformation of the water relation is through the effect of increasing soil organic matter which changes the soil properties.
Soil organic matter opens the soil texture this in turn allows for greater percolation of water. In addition the organic matter and organo clay complex allows for increased retention of the water in the soil its self
One of the keys to these changes is managing the system for actively covering the soil surface.
In the Rodale experience cover cropping is fundamental as it reduces the losses of erosion which degrade rather than build soil.
When agrichemicals are withdrawn the active biological such as mycorrhizal fungi and fixing bacteria give soil conservation and improvement something which is absent in long term monoculture which decreases soil organic matter stocks;
The addition of organic matter to the soil usually increases the water holding capacity of the soil. This is because the addition of organic matter increases the number of micro pores and macro pores in the soil either by “gluing” soil particles together or by creating favorable living conditions for soil organisms. Organic matter can retain up to ten times its weight of water, because OM particles have a charged surface that attracts water so that it adheres to the surface like static cling. Recent studies have shown strong positive correlations between OM content and WHC within soils. The major polluting effect of biodegradable organic materials is the reduction in oxygen concentration in the water. Bacteria and other organisms (decomposers) break these materials down into simpler organic or inorganic substances. Increased soil organic matter enhances your soil's ability to absorb water, leading to less water stress during both dry and wet periods. This can be achieved by: Incorporate compost, manures, or other stable organic materials. Grow and incorporate a high biomass cover crop. It's critical that soil both let water flow through, and hold water for later. So, soil organic matter is critical for forming aggregates, and aggregates are critical for holding water. Because of that link, there is definitely a positive relationship between organic matter and water-holding capacity. If we make the assumption that organic matter holds 10 times its weight, or 82,026 kg (180,836 lbs) of water. There are 8.3454 lbs in a gallon, so that is 21,668 gallons of water. The math in our commonly quoted fact checks out. Soil productivity is influenced by levels of mineral nutrients available from the rocks from which that soil is derived. As limestone-derived soils tend to have a higher pH, allowing nutrients to be more available and in turn, to be more fertile. Organic matter particles have a charged surface that attracts water so that it adheres to the surface, like static cling, but may also have pores and charges that repel water. The soil water holding capacity (SWHC) can be used to estimate the maximum amount of water stored in the soil and reflects the capacity of the soil to provide water for plant growth. Farmers add manures to the soil which is a natural fertilizer for crops. It replenishes the nutrients in the soil which helps in increasing the crop yields. It also helps to loosen the soil which increases the absorption rate and increases the water holding capacity of the soil. Manure contains large quantities of organic matter and it is added to the soil to increase its fertility. Manure increases the water-holding capacity of the soil. This makes more water available to the plants. Manure is produced naturally by decomposing plant and animal wastes with the help of microorganisms. Clayey soil contains organic matter and important nutrients essential for growing crops such as wheat, paddy, and gram. The large surface area of the particles in clayey soil allows them to hold a large amount of water. Water-holding capacity is controlled primarily by soil texture and organic matter. Soils with smaller particles (silt and clay) have a larger surface area than those with larger sand particles, and a large surface area allows a soil to hold more water.
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