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In agriculture, leaching is the loss of water-soluble plant nutrients from the soil, due to rain and irrigation. Soil structure , crop planting, type and application rates of fertilizers , and other factors are taken into account to avoid excessive nutrient loss.
Microbial soil enzymes may release nutrients from minerals or organic matter for use by plants and other microorganisms, sequester (incorporate) them into living cells, or cause their loss from the soil by volatilisation (loss to the atmosphere as gases) or leaching. [46]
Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and animals (including humans).
Nutrients in the soil are taken up by the plant through its roots, and in particular its root hairs.To be taken up by a plant, a nutrient element must be located near the root surface; however, the supply of nutrients in contact with the root is rapidly depleted within a distance of ca. 2 mm. [14] There are three basic mechanisms whereby nutrient ions dissolved in the soil solution are brought ...
The most abundant ion in plant cells is the potassium ion. [2] Plants take up potassium for plant growth and function. A portion of potassium uptake in plants can be attributed to weathering of primary minerals, but plants can also ‘pump’ potassium from deeper soil layers to increase levels of surface K. [2] Potassium stored in plant matter can be returned to the soil during decomposition ...
The specific heat of soil increases as water content increases, since the heat capacity of water is greater than that of dry soil. [89] The specific heat of pure water is ~ 1 calorie per gram, the specific heat of dry soil is ~ 0.2 calories per gram, hence, the specific heat of wet soil is ~ 0.2 to 1 calories per gram (0.8 to 4.2 kJ per ...
Roots have a negative electrical charge balanced by protons in the soil next to the roots, and these can be exchanged for essential nutrient cations such as potassium. [43] Decaying remains of dead plants in soil may form organic acids which, when dissolved in water, cause chemical weathering. [44]
Owing to irregular distribution of salt in the soil or to irregularity of the soil structure (figure 2), the leaching efficiency (E L) can be different from unity. Soils with a low leaching efficiency are difficult to reclaim. In the Tagus delta, Portugal, the leaching efficiency of the dense clay soil was found as low as 0.10 to 0.15. [4]