SECOND LAB REPORT : IMPATIENS BALSAMINA




 ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE LAB TWO REPORT

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (HS11)
SS11403 ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE
YEAR ONE SEMESTER 2 2017/2018



LECTURER: MDM. DIANA DEMIYAH
GROUP NAME: DINIE TEAM 5



NAME
MATRIC NUMBER
CHAN CHU YIN
BS17110446
CHOW YIAN PENG
BS17110592
DARREN NETANIEL ERIC ROGERS
BS17110402
MIMORI SOGA
BS17270765
NUR AISYIKIN BINTI ABDULLAH
BS17160683
NUR DINIE DAYANA BINTI MOHAMAD RAFI
BS17110064






INTRODUCTION

The variety of soil types depends on where the environment they are. Some soils can grow very well if the environment have the characteristics that they required. The characteristics of the soil can be determined by the soil pH and soil moisture analysis. These experiments used to determine the suitable pH value and moisture level that needed for the plant species to grow.
Soil pH is determined by measuring the alkalinity and acidity of the soil. Soil with pH value of 7.0 is neutral. Acidic soil will have a lower pH value which is in 1.0-6.9, pH value above 7.0 is basic or alkaline. Soil pH analysis is an important measurement for acidity or alkalinity of soil to determine the types of nutrient that can absorb by plants. The pH level that less than 4.5 can consider as extremely acidic while value of 8.5 - 9.0 is strong alkaline. Plants can absorb nutrients when the nutrients are dissolved in the water. When the soil’s pH is too acidic or alkali, some of the plants cannot grow well because lack of nutrients that needed. If the soil’s pH too acidic, phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen cannot be dissolved and absorbed properly, if soil’s pH too alkaline, phosphorus, manganese and iron are not easy to dissolve in soil solution. Hence, the most suitable soil’s pH value is in 6.0 - 7.5.
            Water is one of the basic requirement in plant growth. Without water, plant cannot grow up or even survive. Soil water holding capacity is the amount of water that a given soil can hold for plant use. Soil with high soil water capacity can optimize the plant growth. Soil texture and organic matter are the key components that determine soil water holding capacity. In terms of soil texture, those made up of smaller particle sizes, have larger surface area which easier for the soil to hold onto water.
Soil moisture is the water that is held in the spaces between soil particles. When the moisture content of soil in is optimum means the plant has absorbed water. The measurement of the amount of water can be helped us easier to understand the soil characteristics and the types of plants and microorganisms. The soil holds water due to their colloids and other particles. Moisture exists in soil within the pore spaces between soil aggregates. When the pore space is occupied entirely with air, the soils is dry. If all of the pores are filled with water, the soil is saturated.

Soil pH Analysis

Aim
Soils can be naturally acid or alkaline. Soil pH may also change with irrigation, fertiliser and crop management practices. As soil pH changes, the availability of soil nutrients may also change. Therefore, it is important to monitor soil pH changes over time.

Objective
Soil pH measured by using universal indicator, portable pH meter and soil pH meter

Soil Water Holding Capacity Analysis

Aims and Objective
To determine the soil water holding capacity for each soil

Soil Moisture Analysis

Aim
To determine the exactness and the soil drying duration of the microwave oven.

Objectives
-      To understand the vital role of soil moisture
-      To determine the water content of a soil sample by oven drying method

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS
1)      Soil samples, beakers, filter funnel, filter papers, test tubes, glass rods, universal indicator, portable pH meter, soil pH meter
2)      5 Aluminium tins, plastic containers, glass rods, filter papers, soil samples
3)      Water tester censor tool, analytic balance, soil samples


PROCEDURE

Soil pH Analysis

1.      The soil is spooned 5 times each into a beaker and mixed with the distilled water.
2.      A filter paper is folded and placed on a filter funnel sitting on a test tube.
3.      The mixture is filtered and the solution is taken for pH testing.
4.      By using the pH paper, the pH of the solution is taken and the result’s photos are taken.
5.      The colour of the pH paper is compared using the chart.
6.      By using the same solution, the pH of the solution is taken using different apparatus; pH meter and soil pH meter.
7.      The steps are repeated for different soil.

Soil Water Holding Analysis
1.      The top of the aluminium tin was cut for a better view of the inside of the tin and the bottom of the tin are holed.
2.      A filter paper is stuffed at the bottom of the tin.
3.      The tin is weighed along the filter paper and recorded on a piece of paper.
4.      Then, the soil is stuffed about half of the tin carefully on the filter paper inside the tin to ensure the soil is not out from the holed bottom.
5.      The soil is pressed and compacted gently until a uniform layer on top.
6.      The tin with the soil is weighed and the mass is recorded.
7.      On a plastic container, water is poured and the top of the tin that have been cut is placed on it to support the aluminium tin in contact with water.
8.      The tin is left undisturbed until the surface of the top of the soil is moist.
9.      Then, the tin is lifted and the bottom of the tin is cleaned from dripping water and weighed.
10.  The data is tabulated and the steps are repeated.

Soil Moisture Analysis

a) The Plant
1.      The plant soil’s moisture was taken using the soil moisture tool before watering the plant.
2.      The soil pH was taken using the soil pH meter.
3.      The steps are repeated for the other four plants.
b) The Air-dried Soil
1.      Previous lab, each type of soil is weighed by 100g and are left to dry.
2.      The soil is taken and weighed before the soil sample is heated up to 80 ℃ in the oven.
3.      After an hour, the soil is weighed again.
4.      The data was collected.
5.      The steps are repeated using different type of soil.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Soil pH Analysis

Type of soil
1st test
Universal indicator
2nd test
Soil pH meter
3rd test
Portable pH meter
Average
pH
Mangrove
4/5 (take 4.5)
5.2
5.0
4.9
Black soil
6.0
6.6
6.5
6.4
FSSA lake
4/5 (take 4.5)
4.8
4.4
4.6
Sand (ODEC)
6.0
5.0
5.0
5.3
Red soil (Tanah Bukit)
4.0
6.3
6.0
5.3
Table 1: Average pH of 5 soil samples measured by 3 methods

To determine the soil pH we have use 3 ways which are by using the universal indicator strips, soil pH meter and portable pH meter. Firstly, we observed all types of our soils using the universal indicator. If the universal indicator did not show the exact results by following the strips, then we will observe it again by using pH moisture meter or pH meter. Based on the results shown above, FSSA lake have the lowest or most acidic pH value of 4.6, while the highest is ODEC sand and red soil with pH value 5.3.
Soil Water Holding Capacity Analysis

Soil Sample
Weight of tin + Filter paper
(A)
Weight of tin + Filter paper + Soil sample
(B)
Weight of tin + Filter paper + Wet soil
(D)
Weight of dry soil
B - A = C
Weight of wet soil
D – A = E
Mass of water absorbed by soil
E – C = N
% of water holding capacity
  x 100%
(%)
Mangrove
10.69
152.36
210.15
141.67
199.46
57.79
28.97
FSSA lake
10.21
111.89
139.81
101.68
129.60
27.92
21.54
Red soil (tanah bukit)
10.27
114.57
139.82
104.30
129.55
25.25
19.49
ODEC soil
10.35
159.08
184.47
148.73
174.12
25.39
14.58
Black soil
10.62
81.92
117.21
71.30
106.59
35.29
33.11


Based on the results, soil sample which have the highest water holding capacity is black soil followed by mangrove, soil of FSSA lake, red soil, and last ODEC soil. The larger the surface area the easier it is for the soil to hold onto water so it has a higher water holding capacity. Sand in contrast has large particle sizes which results in smaller surface area. The water holding capacity for sand is the low. Hence, black soil has the highest soil water holding capacity while ODEC sand has the lowest soil water holding capacity. Soil water holding capacity influenced by the size of soil particles.

Soil Moisture Analysis

Type of soil
Result
Mangrove
WET
Black soil
WET
FSSA lake
WET
Sand (ODEC)
WET
Red soil (Tanah Bukit)
7.5

Soil moisture analysis (air-dried)

Before soil was air-dried

Type of soil
Weight of the soil (gram)
Mangrove
100.12
Black soil
100.12
FSSA lake
100.12
Sand (ODEC)
100.12
Red soil (Tanah Bukit)
100.12

After soil was air-dried

Type of soil
Weight of the soil (gram)
Mangrove
64.46
Black soil
67.50
FSSA lake
83.55
Sand (ODEC)
68.96
Red soil (Tanah Bukit)
79.32

After dried in oven with temperature 80 degree Celcius  (1 hour)

Type of soil
Weight of the soil (gram)
Mangrove
61.33
Black soil
64.39
FSSA lake
79.51
Sand (ODEC)
67.48
Red soil (Tanah Bukit)
77.88


Firstly, we use the pH moisture meter to observe the moisture of the soil. Our five types of soils which are black soil, red soil, FSSA lake’s soil, mangrove soil and sand had been tested by using the meter. However, only the red soil gave the reading meanwhile the others are “WET”. This is meaning that the soils are too wet to be tested for the moisture.
            Another test for soil moisture is through air-dried. The first test, we dry it naturally (put it outside at an open place) for a week. Every soils that we tested are having 100g. After a week, the soil weight shows decrease weight as the water inside the soil had evaporated. The second test is through oven with 80 degree Celcius in 1 hour. Also the same, each soil we take for 100g and dry it inside oven. After 1 hour, it is also decrease in weight which is also the same reason as the first test.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, soil pH is important and bring effects on the plant growth. Soil pH used to determine the suitable soil for the plants to grow well. Based on the experiment that we have done, the results showed the suitable soil for ‘Keembung’ plant to grow is red soil (tanah bukit) and black soil which the reading of pH scale of both types of soil are in 6.0 - 6.6.
The different textures of soil showed different soil moisture. For the soil moisture analysis, the sizes particles, organic matter and aeration are determined will bring impact to soil moisture. Based on the soil moisture analysis results, mangrove soil is a good air-dried soil because the soil has smaller particles and good aeration that can help the soil faster in air dried than FSSA lake soil. FSSA lake soil did not have much of air dried because the soil is not very good in aeration and has larger particles. Plant growth is influenced by the types of soil planted by referring to its pH value and moisture level.
REFERENCES

1. Soil pH - Acid Soil or Alkaline Soil - What You Need to Know https://www.the-compost-gardener.com/soil-ph.html

2. Soil: understanding pH and testing soil /RHS Gardening  https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=239

3. Importance of soil pH on crops http://www.agroservicesinternational.com/Balanced/pH.html

4.  Exp 06 Soil pH.doc - ESV-06-COMP-soil_ph.pdf http://www2.vernier.com/sample_labs/ESV-06-COMP-soil_ph.pdf

5. Soil Analysis-Determination of pH of Soil (Procedure) http://vlab.amrita.edu/?sub=2&brch=193&sim=1549&cnt=2

6. soil-moisture-learning-activity-2015-16.pdf http://www.soils4teachers.org/files/s4t/soil-moisture-learning-activity-2015-16.pdf

7. Determination of Moisture Content | Soil | Nature https://www.scribd.com/doc/38842684/Determination-of-Moisture-Content

8. Moisture Content Tests.pdf http://www.prbdb.gov.in/files/Quality%20Control%20Training/Tests%20on%20Soils/Moisture%20Content%20Tests.pdf

9. determination of water content http://www.uta.edu/ce/geotech/lab/Main/wtrcnt/wtrcnt.htm

10. Moisture_Content_ocr.pdf https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/downloads/jm214q048

11.Why is soil water holding capacity important?  Retrieved April 01, 2018, from http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/why_is_soil_water_holding_capacity_important



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Lab Report: Cotton

Image
1) Soil Texture INTRODUCTION Soil is a material composed of five ingredients — minerals, soil organic matter, living organisms, gas, and water (Needelman, 2013). Soil performs many essential functions in almost any ecosystems, like farm, forest, marsh and so on. Soil is a natural resource, an amazing substance. Earth is unique because there is dirt on Earth, Mars and Venus do not have soil. The texture and the distribution of mineral particles in the soil are the most important for the soil. Soil texture is an inherent soil quality property (Measuring Soil Texture in the Laboratory, 2018). The percentages of particles in these size classes is called soil texture (Needelman, 2013). Soil texture affects microbial activity by directly affecting water content and the temperature of soil (Chodak et al., 2010). The textural class is also important for soil aggregation and porosity. In addition, soil texture plays a key role in gas exchange (respiration of roots and microor...
Read more

Lab Report 2 : Sengkuang

Image
Second Lab Report : Sengkuang Lecturer: Mdm. Diana Demiyah Mohd Hamdan Group Members : 1.0  INTRODUCTION      Water holding capacity designates the ability of a soil to hold water. It is useful information for irrigation scheduling, crop selection, groundwater contamination considerations, estimating runoff and determining when plants will become stressed. Soil moisture available for plant growth makes up approximately 0.01 percent of the world's stored water. Soil texture and structure greatly influence water infiltration, permeability and water-holding capacity. Soil texture refers to the composition of the soil in terms of the proportion of small, medium and large particles (clay, silt, and sand, respectively) in a specific soil mass. For example, a coarse soil is sand or loamy sand, a medium soil is a loam, silt loam, or silt and a fine soil is a sandy clay, silt clay, or clay. Water holding capacity varies by soil textu...
Read more

First Lab Report: JAGUNG PANDAN (Analysis of Soil Colour and Soil Texture)

Image
Title: Soil Colour and Soil Texture Analysis Lecturer: Dr. Diana Demiyah Mohd Hamdan Date of Submission: 24th March 2018 NAME MATRIC NUMBER SOW XIAO HUI BS17110464 KONG WAN LING BS17110429 AARON CHIN VUI CHANG BS17160670 NURUL NATASYAH BINTI KANAPIA@HANAFIAH BS17110546 NURFATIN SOFEA BINTI MOHD HELMI BS17110574 Soil Colour Analysis 1.0 Introduction The colour of the soil is usually the first thing people notice. Mostly this is just the topsoil but it does not reflect the entire soil. The topsoil is usually darker than lower layers (or horizons) because this is where organic matter accumulates. Soil colour is usually due to 3 main pigments: black—from organic matter, red—from iron and aluminium oxides and white—from silicates and salt. Colour can be a useful indicator of some of the general properties of a soil, as well as some of the chemical processes that are occu...
Read more