Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Soil conditioners may be used to improve water retention in dry, coarse soils which are not holding water well. The addition of organic material for instance can greatly improve the water retention abilities of sandy soils and they can be added to adjust the pH of the soil to meet the needs of specific plants or to make highly acidic or ...
The porous properties of glauconite greensand allows for the absorption of water and minerals, making irrigation and nutrient delivery much more efficient (see soil conditioner). [citation needed] Greensand can be used to absorb excess water in clay-rich soils and to prevent water loss in sandy soils.
Water softening is the removal of calcium, magnesium, and certain other metal cations in hard water. The resulting soft water requires less soap for the same cleaning effort, as soap is not wasted bonding with calcium ions. Soft water also extends the lifetime of plumbing by reducing or eliminating scale build-up in pipes
Soil carbon sponge (or soil sponge) [1] is porous, well-aggregated soil [2] in good health, better able to absorb and retain water.Australian microbiologist and climatologist, Walter Jehne, articulated the concept of the soil carbon sponge in his 2017 paper, Regenerate Earth, [3] connecting soil carbon with a restored water cycle [4] able induce planetary cooling through evaporative cooling ...
Some effects of agricultural lime on soil are: it increases the pH of acidic soil, reducing soil acidity and increasing alkalinity [1] it provides a source of calcium for plants; it improves water penetration for acidic soils; it improves the uptake of major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) of plants growing on acid soils. [2]
Base-poor environments are characteristic of areas where underlying rocks (below soil) are sandstone or granite, or where the water is derived directly from rainfall (ombrotrophic). There is no correlation between base-richness and availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Latin word for "earth" or "ground". [2] In agriculture, "humus" sometimes also is used to describe mature or natural compost extracted from a woodland or other spontaneous source for use as a soil conditioner. [3]
Synthetic polymers began replacing other chemical binders for soil stabilization in agriculture in the late 20th century. [1] Compared to traditional chemical binders, polymer soil additives can achieve the same amount of strengthening at much lower concentrations – for example, mixtures of 0.5-1% of various biopolymers have strength levels that match or exceed those of 10% cement mixtures ...