This document provides a summary of a presentation on various soil properties including soil water classification, lime requirement, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, and plant nutrient deficiencies. It discusses the different types of soil water, how lime requirement and pH are measured, and outlines the procedures for determining electrical conductivity and organic carbon. It also lists the major and micro nutrients needed for plants and examples of deficiency symptoms for each.

1. Presentation
On
Department of water in soil column,lime requirtment Soil PH, EC,
Organic Carbon and available major and micro
nutrient in soil and plant sample
Presented by
Damini Nishad
B.Sc. (Ag.) 4
th
year 2
nd
sem.
RNS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, AMBAGARH CHOWKI,
RAJNANDGAON (CG)

2. (A) Physical Classification
of Soil Water
1. Hygroscopic Water
2. Capillary Water
3. Gravitational Water
Such water held at hygroscopic cofficiend
Tension varies from 31-10,000 atmosphere
Held between field capacity and hygroscopic cofficient
Tension 0.1 - 31 atm.
Held between lessthan 0.1 - 31 atm
(B) Biological classification
of soil water
1.Super fluous Water
2.Available Water
3.Unavailable Water
Moisture tension ⅓ (lessthan or equal to),held at field capacity.
Held at field capacity and wilting coefficient (⅓ - 15 atm)
Held at permanent wilting point.
SOIL WATER
Classification Of Soil Water

3. Lime Requirement
The lime requirement (LR) of an acid soil is the amount of lime or other base
required to neutralize the acidity (both dissociated and undis- sociated) from the
initial acid condition to a selected less acid condition.
Principle:
In this method the soil is equilibrated with a pH 7.5 buffer solutions, whereby the reserve H is brought into
solution, which results in the depression of pH of the buffer solution, a note of which is made and
interpreted in terms of lime required to raise the pH to a desired value.
Reagents:
Extract ant buffer : Dissolve 1.8 g paranitrophenol, 3 g potassium chromate, 2g calcium acetate, 53.1 g
calcium chloride dehydrate (CaCl . 2H O) and 2.5 mLtriethanolamine in I liter of distilled water. Adjust the
pH to 7.5 with NaOH

4. Procedure:
● Determine the pH of soil sample in 1:2.5 soil water ratios.
● For this weigh 10 g soil and add 25 mLdistilled water.
● Shake intermittently for half an hour and record the soil pH exceeds 6.0 then
this method is not applicable.
● If the measured pH is 6.0 or low then proceed as follows: Weigh 5 g soil in a
50 mLbeaker.
● Add to it 5 mLof distilled water and 10 mLbuffer solution.
● Stir continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for 20 minutes.
● Determine the soil pH with the pH meter.
● Lime requirement is determined on the basis of soil - buffer pH

5. pH
Introduction:
The pH value is a measure of the hydrogen ion activity of the soil water and
expresses the acidity and alkalinity of the soil. The concept of pH was first
introduced by the Sorensen at the Carlsberg (1909).
Definition:
•It is the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration.
pH = -log [H+]
•PH is a unit of measure which describes the degree of acidity or alkalinity (basic)
of a solution.
Reagent:
•Buffer solution – 4 , 7 , 9.2 .
•Buffer solution required for calibration of pH meter may be of pH 4 and in other
ranges of expected soil pH values.

6. Procedure:
Take 10gm of soil in a 50 ml beaker
Add 40ml of distilled water and stir the suspension intermittently with glass rod for 30
min
Standardize the pH meter by using a buffer solution having 4 , 7 , 9.2 , pH wash the
electrode with a jet of water.
Insert the electrode in to the soil suspension and record the pH value
Remove the electrode from soil suspension and wash the adhering soil particles on
the electrode with a fine jet of water, wipe the electrode with tissue paper or muslin
cloth and processed for next sample.

7. Results: p H = 6.8 .
Electrical Conductivity
Introduction:
Specific EC of a solution is directly related to its ion content. It is measured with a
conductivity cell and expressed in Millimhos or Millisiemens (mS) per cm or ds m-1(
desi siemens per meter). Conductivity cell shows individual deviation, hence it is
necessary to calibrate the conductivity meter before use. The calibration of the conductivity
meter is made with 0.01 N KCL solution.
Principle:
The determination of EC is made with a conductivity cell by measuring the electrical
resistance of a 1:2.5 (soil : water) suspension.
Reagent:
Potassium chloride solution : Dissolve 0.7456 g of dry potassium chloride in distilled water
and made the volume up to one litre, At 25°c it gives an EC of 1.41 mmhos/cm the
conductivity meter is to be calibrated and cell constant determined with the help of this
solution.

8. Procedure:
Take 10 g of the soil in 25 ml beaker
Add 40 ml of distilled water and stir the suspension intermittently for half
an hour and keep it 30min without touch
Insert the conductivity cell in suspension solution and note the EC of the
sample
Wash the conductivity call using a fine jet of water
Result: EC = 0.32 ds/cm.

9. ORGANIC CARBON
Walkley and Black method –
The organic matter plays an important role in supplying nutrients to the plants and also by
providing good physical conditions to the soil system. This method estimates the organic
carbon of the soil to the extent of 77% of the total quantity of organic carbon through
oxidation and hence , to get the total amount of organic carbon, the per cent organic carbon
is multiplied by factor (correction in factor 100/77). The soil organic matter present in soil the
value is multiplied by van bemjmelen factor i.e. 1.724. Recently Broadbent (1953) suggested
1.9 and 2.9 and 2.5 as a multiplying factor for surface and sub surface soil respectively to
convert percentage of organic carbon to organic matter.
Principle –
•The soil organic carbon (humus), which contains about 48 to 58% organic carbon, is
oxidized by chromic acid utilizing the heat of dilution of salphuric acid.
•The unrelated chromic acid is determined by back titration with standard ferrous ammonium
sulphate solution using diphenylamine/ferroin as an indicator.

10. Procedure :
Take 1g soil in 500ml conical flask
Add 10ml of 1N Potassium dichromate and swirl little
Add 20 ml conc H
2
SO
4
and wait 30 min.
Add 200ml distilled water
Add 10 ml Ortho-phosphoric acid
Add 2-3 drops diphenylaminc indicator
Titrate the content with ferrous ammonium sulphate solution till
the colour change from blue violet to green

11. Major and Micro Nutrient in soil and Plant sample
Plant Nutrients Symptoms
Major / Macro Nutrients
Primary Nutrients
Nitrogen Light green to yellow leaves, stunted growth low protein level,
poor fruit development
Phosphorus Purple coloration on leaves, stunted growth and delay in
development, increased disease reduced drought tolerance.
Potassium Yellowing on edges on older leaves, dead leaves irregular
fruit development reduced drought tolerance.
Secondary Nutrients
Calcium Poor fruit development and appearance, symptoms appear in
new leaves and shoots.

12. Micro Nutrients
Iron Yellow or white areas on young leaves, leading to spots of dead tissue.
Manganese Yellowing or mottling on young leaves.
Zinc Yellowing on young leaves, stunted growth, delayed maturity.
Boron Deformed and discoloured leaves, appearance, premature leaf dropping.
Molybdenum Overall chlorosis, mottled spotting.

13. Sulphur Yellowing on younger leaves, otherwise similar
to nitrogen deficiency.
Magnesium Yellowing on older leaves, poor fruit
development
Copper Tips and Margin of young leaves show chlorosis
Chlorine Younger leaves will be chlorotic Cracking Symstoms
show on the fruits
Nickel Shoot and root growth is often suppress
Cobalt Nodule formation affect