SECOND LAB REPORT: PADI HUMA *STRING BEAN






FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
SS11403 ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE

Title: PADI HUMA *STRING BEAN
Date of Submission: 4 APRIL 2018
Lecturer: dr. diana demiyah mohd hamdan

  
NAME
MATRIC NO
JOHN NIELSON ANAK GRIFFIN

 INTAN NATASYA BINTI ABDUL HALIM
BS17110055

 BS17160681
Moganantheni A/P Segar
BS17110509
Nurzaharah Binti Omar Basa

BS17110518
Liew sin yin
BS17160664
Tan Shi MIN
Bs17110516










Introduction
SOIL PH
A measure of the acidity and alkalinity of soils is called soil pH. A pH value is actually a measure of hydrogen ion concentration. pH levels range from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral, below 7 acidic and above 7 alkaline. pH values of most soils are between 3.5 to 10. In higher rainfall areas, the soils typically range from pH 5 to 7, while on drier areas, the soils range from pH 6.5 to 9. The higher the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil, the more acidic the soil will be and thus the soil pH will be lower. From pH 7 to 0 the soil is increasingly more acidic and from pH 7 to 14 the soil is increasingly more alkaline or basic. Soil pH contributes to many chemical processes and so, it is very essential. It specifically affects plant nutrient availability by controlling the chemical forms of the different nutrients and influencing the chemical reactions they undergo. The sources of soil acidification are rainfall, fertilizer use, acid rain, oxidative weathering and so on. On the other side, the sources of soil alkalinity are weathering of silicate, aluminosilicate and carbonate minerals, addition of silicate, aluminosilicate and carbonate minerals, addition of water containing bicarbonate and so on.

SOIL MOISTURE
Soil moisture is the water present in the space between the soil particles. Soil moisture influence the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil. It is the percentage of moisture in a soil sample at any given time. Water is the major component of the soil in relation to plant growth. If the moisture content of a soil is optimum for plant growth, plants can readily absorb soil water. Not all the water held in soil is available for plants, mostly of water remains in the soil as thin film. Soil water dissolves salts and makes up the soil solution, which is an important medium for supply of nutrients to growing plants.
Soil moisture information is valuable to a wide range of government agencies and private companies concerned with weather and climate, runoff potential and flood control , soil erosion and slope failure , reservoir management , geotechnical engineering and water quality. Soil moisture is a key variable in controlling the exchange of water and heat energy between the land surface and the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. As a result, soil moisture plays and important role in the development of weather patterns and the production of precipitation. Soil water serves as a solvent and carrier of food nutrients for plant growth, yield of crop is more often determined by the amount of water available rather than the deficiency of other food nutrients. Soil water regulates soil temperature. Soil forming processes and weathering also depends on water and it also helps in chemical and biological activities of the soil.
The water is held on the surface of the colloids and other particles and in the pores. The forces responsible for the retention of water in the soil after drainage has stopped are due to surface tension and are called soil moisture tension. This refers to the energy concept in moisture retention relationships. The force with which water is held is also termed as suction.

SOIL WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
Soil water holding capacity is controlled primarily by the soil texture and the soil organic matter content. In the term of soil texture is a reflection of the particle size of distribution of a soil. The higher the percentage of silt and clay sized particles, the higher water holding capacity. Those made up of smaller particles sizes such as of silt and clay have the larger surface area than the larger sand particles. This large surface area allowed the soil to hold a greater quantity of water. The amount of organic material in a soil also influences the water holding capacity. As the level of organic increases in a soil, the water holding capacity also increases, due to the affinity of organic matter for water. Sand in contrast has large particle sizes which results in smaller surface area, thus the water holding capacity for sand is low.
The water holding capacity is defined as the water retained between field capacity and wilting point. Field capacity is the saturated state of water in the soil that can drain freely due to the force of gravity. For the wilting point is the soil water level after its absorption by a plant and field capacity is referred as gravitational water. Water that remains in the soil after draining is held by a force greater than gravity. The water level in the soil that can no longer be absorbed by the plants is referred as the permanent wilting point, and this water is strongly attached to the soil particles. The available water to the plant is considered to be 50% of the soil water holding capacity.
The water holding capacity of a soil is a very important agronomic characteristic. Soils that hold generous amounts of water are less subject to leaching losses of nutrients or soil applied pesticides. This is because a soil with a limited water holding capacity such as sandy loam reaches the saturation point much sooner than a soil with a higher water holding capacity such as clay loam. After a soil is saturated with water, all of the excess water and some of the nutrients and pesticides that are in soil solution are leached downward in the soil profile.

Objectives
SOIL PH
1.     To determine the soil pH.
2.     To study the suitability of the soil toward the plant.

SOIL MOISTURE
1.     To identify the volumetric soil water content in the soils.
2.     To investigate the relation between the soil moisture and environmental variables.

SOIL WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
1.     To measure the amount of water retained in the soils.

Materials
SOIL PH
1.     Spatula
2.     Beaker
3.     Distilled water
4.     pH paper
5.     Soil pH meter
6.     Universal indicator for pH
7.     Stirrer
8.     Filter funnel
9.     Glass rod
10.  Test tubes

SOIL MOISTURE
1.     Soil pH meter
2.     Portable soil moisture tool
3.     Oven

SOIL WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
1.     Filter paper
2.     Tins
3.     Scissors
4.     Soils
5.     Plastic rods

Methodology
SOIL PH
1.     A few sample of soil was transferred into a beaker and the solution that was mixed with deionized water was stirred.
2.     The solution was filtered into a folded filter paper on a funnel sitting on a test tube.
3.     pH paper was used to test the pH of each solution.
4.     The pH paper was dipped into a soil solution and took out to dry it for a while.
5.     The colour of the solution was compared with the chart.
6.     The photos of the solution was taken.
7.     The filtered solution was checked by using the soil pH meter in the lab.

SOIL MOISTURE
1.     Before watering the plant, the soil moisture was checked using the portable soil moisture tool.
2.     The soil pH was checked using the soil pH meter.
3.     The soil moisture that were dry air previous week lab was checked.
4.     If the sample did not completely dry, the soil sample was putted in the oven and heated up at 80 degree Celsius for about one hour.
5.     After the soil was completely dried, the dry soil was weighted.

SOIL WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
1.     A filter paper was took and placed at the bottom of the tin box.
2.     The tin was weighted along with the filter paper.
3.     Some of the soil was took and transferred in the tin box to make sure the sample soil have the same amount of volume.
4.     The soil was pressed gently as compact as possible until a uniform layer on top.
5.     The tin box was weighted and its weight was recorded.
6.     Water was poured into the weight plastic container and two small plastic rod was putted to support the tin box float in contact with water.
7.     The tin box was leave undisturbed until the water surface on top of the soil is moist.
8.     The tin box was lifted and the dripping water was wiped from the tin box before measure the weight.

Result
SOIL PH
A. By universal indicator
Type of soils
pH reading
A (Infront A1)
6.00
B (Parking Lot)
6.00
C (ODEC)
6.00
D (Mangrove)
5.00
E (Field)
6.00

B. By soil pH meter
Type of soils
pH reading
A (Infront A1)
6.70
B (Parking Lot)
6.60
C (ODEC)
6.70
D (Mangrove)
4.90
E (Field)
5.70

C. By portable pH meter
Type of soils
pH reading
A (Infront A1)
6.60
B (Parking Lot)
6.52
C (ODEC)
6.50
D (Mangrove)
5.48
E (Field)
5.01



A



 B
 C
 D

E

SOIL MOISTURE
A. Moisture Content in the different soil sample. 
Soil sample
Initial weight of wet soil (g)
Weight after drying soil(Ww), (g)
Weight after heating soil (Wd), (g)
Moisture Content (%)
Soil A
( In front A1 )
150.0
105.93
101.41
4.27
Soil B
( Parking Lot )
150.0
103.69
85.47
17.57
Soil C
( ODEC )
150.0
87.51
83.03
5.12
Soil D
( Mangrove )
150.0
84.03
79.62
5.25
Soil E
( Field )
150.0
60.71
58.36
3.87

Formula for Moisture Content:
MC (%) = ( (Ww - Wd ) / Ww ) x 100
In which:
MC = moisture content
Ww = weight after drying of soil sample
Wd  = weight after heating of soil sample
B. Soil moisture using Moisture Tester Sensor.
Soil Sample
First Reading, (X1)
Second reading, (X2)
Third reading, (X3)
Average of Moisture Content, (Y)
Soil A
( In front A1 )
3
5
4
4
Soil B
( Parking Lot )
4
7
5.5
5.5
Soil C
( ODEC )
3.5
2
3
2.8
Soil D
( Mangrove )
6
6.5
5
5.8
Soil E
( Field )
7
6.5
7
6.8
FORMULA :
Y= (( X1 + X2 + X3 ) / 3 )
In which :
Y = Average of Moisture Content
X1 = First Reading
X2 = Second Reading
X3 = Third Reading

SOIL WATER CAPACITY
Soil Sample
Weight of Tin
+
Filter paper
 (A)
/gm
Weight of Tin
+
Filter paper
+
Dry Soil
(B)
/gm
Weight of Tin
+
Filter paper
+
Wet Soil
(C)
/gm
Weight of Dry Soil (D)
=(B)-(A)
/gm
Weight of Wet Soil (E)
=(C)-(A)
/gm
Mass of Water Absorbed by Soil (M)
=(E)-(D)
/gm
Percentage of Water Capacity (%)
Soil A
( In front A1 )
9.84
109.82
126.70
99.98
116.86
16.88
14.11
Soil B
( Parking Lot )
10.38
108.14
117.85
97.76
107.47
9.71
9.04
Soil C
( ODEC )
10.32
93.34
117.11
83.02
106.79
23.77
22.26
Soil D
( Mangrove )
10.14
87.74
107.87
77.60
97.73
20.13
20.60
Soil E
( Field )
10.43
64.61
82.65
54.18
72.22
18.04
24.98
Discussion
SOIL PH
The physical characteristics of soil for a suitable growth of paddy plant is clay, slit clay and clay slit. The optimum wet pH range for paddy plant is 5.5 – 6.5 and for dry pH is 4.5 – 5.4.  In this experiment two methods were carried out to measure the pH value for five different types of soil. The methods used are pH meter and pH machine. As pH meter were used, both soil from Infront A1 and soil from ODEC showed the same and highest value of pH (6.7) when compared to the other type of soils. Parking lot soil showed pH of 6.6, Field with 5.7 and mangrove soil showed the lowest value with pH of 4.9.
By using pH machine, we can see that the highest value of pH was shown by soil from Infront A1 with 6.6, followed by Parking Lot soil with 6.52, ODEC with 6.5, mangrove soil with 5.48 and the lowest pH value is 5.01 by soil from Field.
          Generally, ODEC’s soil has been showing a good and suitable pH range for the growth of paddy plant. This is because soils that were formed under conditions of high annual rainfall are more acidic than are soils formed under more arid conditions, which are suitable for the growth.

SOIL MOISTURE
Soil moisture content is about how much water have in the soil and the very dependent on soil type. A saturated coarse, sandy soil can hold far less water than a saturated heavy silty clay. Sand has large particles which take up a lot of physical space. Also, as sand particles do not bind water, a lot of water will drain out of the sand due to gravity before field capacity is reached. For these two reasons, sand has a much lower maximum and minimum water content than a clay soil does. Clay soils often have a maximum moisture reading of 50% or more so if 20% is very dry. The clay particles also bind water to themselves and at low moisture contents like 20%, the clay will not give the water up for the roots to use. However, in sand the plants 20% moisture will be a good condition and as sand readily releases its moisture. Also, the most sand can hold is around 30%.
Based on the Table 1 which shows the result of Moisture Content in the five different soil sample. The moisture content of the five soil samples were calculated using the formula :
    Moisture content : (Weight of dried soil – weight of heated soil) X 100 %
    of soil sample 1                 Weight of dried soil
                             : (105.93– 101.41) X 100%
                                     105.93
                             : 4.27%
The soil moisture for the four other samples also were calculated using this formula and recorded in Table above. Through this calculation, we were able to show that soil Parking Lot which is soil sample 2 where the soil texture was sandy has the highest soil moisture percentage which is 17.57% compared to the other soil sample. This soil retain the most amount of water. Followed by mangrove soils which is 5.25% that also has sandy texture. Next, ODEC soil which has loamy sand texture has 5.12% in the soil moisture and for in front A1 soil is 4.27% also has a loamy sand texture. For Field soil, has the sandy texture has the lowest soil moisture which is 3.87%. The soil is retain a moderate amount of water.
     For the moisture tester sensor, we can see the results have been taken three times and calculated the average of soil moisture as the result with using formula given.
Average value of moisture content: (1st reading+ 2nd reading+ 3rd reading)
                                                                            3
                                                 : 3+5+4
                                                       3
                                                 : 4
The same method were used to calculate the pH of the rest of the soil samples. It can be observed that field soil has the least acidity which is 6.8 pH. The second lowest of acidity is mangrove which is 5.8 pH and followed by Parking Lot soil which is 5.5 pH. In Front A1 soils also acidity in soil moisture which is 4 pH. It can be see that ODEC soil is the most highest acidity which is 2.8 pH. The result moisture tester that have been taken with different reading which is due to the constant watering or rainfall that make the soil wet.
SOIL WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
Soil water holding capacity is defined as the amount of water that a given soil can hold for crop use. It is a very important agronomic characteristic. If the water content becomes too low, plants become stressed. Soils that hold generous amounts of water are less subject to leaching losses of nutrients. A soil with a limited water holding capacity reaches the saturation point much sooner than a soil with a higher water holding capacity. After a soil is saturated with water, all of the excess water and some of the nutrients that are in the soil solution are leached downward in the soil profile.
Generally, the soil water holding capacity is controlled mainly by the soil texture. In terms of soil texture, the soils that made up of particles that are smaller will have a higher surface area. The larger the surface area, the easier the soil can hold on water and thus, it has a higher water holding capacity. Silt and clay are made up of smaller particles while sand is made up of bigger particles.
For the experiment, the soils are collected from 5 different places. The soil that has highest percentage of water holding capacity is the soil from Field. The soil that is collected from Field is a clay. So, it has a higher surface area to hold a bigger amount of water. On the other hand, the soil that has the lowest percentage of water holding capacity is the soil from the parking lot of Kampung E. This soil is a loamy sand. So, it has a lower surface area and it could not hold a big amount of water.

Conclusion
           In conclusion, different type of soils show different value of soil moisture, pH and water holding capacity for different type of plant. This is mainly because the five soils have their own distinct physical features that differ them from each other. In pH analysis, a suitable value range of pH for the growth of paddy plant range between 5.5 – 6.5 for wet pH and 4.5 – 5.4 for dry pH. For instance, we can see that ODEC’s soils has been showing a fit pH value range for the growth of paddy plant, even though ODEC’s soil is lacking the ability to retain water and nutrients when compared to other type of soils. In soil moisture analysis, we can conclude that the ideal soil moisture for the paddy plant is loamy sand with a various particle size and an ample structure which can hold a large amount of water. The water holding capacity varies for different type of soils. In a nutshell, the ability of mangrove soil to hold water is way more coherent when compared to ODEC’s soil because the soil composition for sandy are mostly made up of silt and clay whereas for mangrove soil are mostly a mixture of sand, clay and silt.

References
Agsive Laboratories. (2018). Water Holding Capacity. Retrieved on 1st April 2018 from https://www.agvise.com/educational-articles/water-holding-capacity/

Bradley Schmitz. Determination of Moisture Content in Soil. Retrieved from https://www.jove.com/science-education/10011/determination-of-moisture-content-in-soil

Christina Curell. (2011). Why is soil water holding capacity important? Retrieved from http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/why_is_soil_water_holding_capacity_important.
Donald Bickelhaupt. (2018). Soil pH: What it Means. Retrieved from http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/soilph/soilph.htm.
Nancy Trautmann and Tom Richard. (2018). Cornell Composting Science and Engineering. Retrieved from http://compost.css.cornell.edu/calc/moisture_content.html

Queensland Government. (2013). Soil pH. Retrieved from https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/soil/soil-properties/ph-levels.

Oregon State University. (2018). Water holding capacity. Retrieved from http://forages.oregonstate.edu/ssis/soils/characteristics/water-holding-capacity.



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