Significance of Organic Matter in Determining Soil Colors

Complete Issue

“…March-April 2020 | Crops & Soils Magazine 33 1993; Schulze et al, 1993). When iron is reduced, or in Fe 2+ form, gray color dominates the soil matrix, as is the case in many oversaturated or hydric soils.…”

Field conditions and the accuracy of visually determined Munsell soil color

“…Soil color is a critical soil property that is often observed in the course of field descriptions and conveys a wealth of information related to properties that are far less apparent. Mineralogy, hydrology, and organic matter content are among the properties that affect soil color, for which direct observation involves costly and time-consuming laboratory analyses or years of field monitoring (Lindbo, Rabenhorst, & Rhoton, 1998;Richardson & Daniels, 1993;Schulze et al, 1993;Schwertmann, 1993). Consequently, soil color is relied on heavily in soil science for a wide variety of practical applications.…”

The development of a soil quality monitoring kit

“…Generally, darker soil colors near the soil surface are associated with higher organic matter levels. Schulze et al (1993) found that within similar landscapes and soil texture classes, there was a good linear correlation between Munsell soil color and soil organic matter for Ap horizons (Cited by Krull et al, 2002, p. 55). It is important to note however, that factors other than organic matter also affect soil color, notably soil moisture content and mineralogical composition.…”

“…The absence of significant correlations between %OM and soil color may be attributed to a small sample number. Nevertheless, many researchers have documented high correlations between organic matter and soil color (Schulze et al, 1993;Konen et al, 2003). For instance, Burras et al (1993) reported a correlation coefficient as high as 93%.…”

“…Generally darker soil colors near the soil surface are associated with higher organic matter levels. Schulze et al (1993) found that within similar landscapes and soil texture classes, there was a good linear correlation between Munsell soil color and soil organic matter for Ap horizons (Cited by . While there are large regional differences in soil organic matter content because of climate and other soil factors, soil color changes within a farmer's field can provide important information on the effect of cropland management on soil organic matter levels (Definition of Soil Organic Matter, 2005).…”