Visual assessment of soil structure: Evaluation of methodologies on sites in Canada, China and Germany

Mueller, Lothar; Kay, B. D.; Hu, Chunsheng; Li, Yong; Schindler, Uwe; Behrendt, Axel; Shepherd, T. Graham; Ball, B. C.

doi:10.1016/j.still.2008.12.015

Cited by 95 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although the results of the VESS have been highly correlated with other soil physical attributes evaluated in laboratory (Mueller et al 2009;Guimarães et al 2011;2013), as also observed in this study (Figure 1), this methodology provides only semi-quantitative information about the state of the soil physical quality (Mueller et al 2009). Thus, the VESS does not dispense the use of a laboratory method to assess soil structure.…”

Section: Structural Quality Alteration: Relations Between Visual Evalsupporting

confidence: 71%

Soil structural quality degradation by the increase in grazing intensity in integrated crop-livestock system

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Structural Quality Alteration: Relations Between Visual Evalsupporting

confidence: 71%

Soil structural quality degradation by the increase in grazing intensity in integrated crop-livestock system

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…The same principles have been used by Baumgartl and Köck (2004) who have described the volume changes of soil by combining theories of mechanics and hydraulic stresses. The same equation has been also used by other authors (Mouazen, Ramon, 2009;Mueller et al, 2009).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of soil structure and physical state in the seedbed under different tillage and environmental conditions

Nugis¹,

Velykis²,

Satkus³

2016

Zemdirbyste-Agriculture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soil structure and physical state are the basis of the conditions in which the crops grow. Tillage is an important factor affecting soil physical environment. No or reduced tillage under Nordic conditions often causes deterioration of soil physical condition. The aim of the study is to estimate the soil structure and physical state in the seedbed under different tillage and environmental conditions in Estonia and Lithuania. The study involved conventional (ploughing), reduced (ploughless) and no tillage (direct drilling) treatments. The soil structure in the seedbed prepared for spring crops was estimated using the same equipment and the same methods of assessment. The soil structure was estimated by the structure ratio (K str ) and by the structure index (B str ) which were calculated according to the amount of wet-sieved mature soil. In Estonia, the experiments were carried out on different (Fragi-Stagnic Albeluvisol, Endoeutri-Mollic Cambisol, Endoeutri-Haplic Luvisol, Endosceleti-Mollic Gleysol, Gleyc Albeluvisol and Mollic Gleysol) sandy loam soils during the periods 1995-1997 and 2012-2014. The most favourable level of soil structure was determined in the conventionally tilled (ploughed) plots in Gleyic Albeluvisol, Fragi-Stagnic Albeluvisol and in Endoeutri-Haplic Luvisol. Different tillage under conditions of various soils in Estonia also had a significant impact on soil physical properties (bulk density, water content, field capacity) in the seedbed. In heavier soil (clay loam Endocalcari-Endohypogleyic Cambisol) in Lithuania 2011-2014 the most favourable soil structure level in the seedbed was also obtained using conventional ploughing. The worst seedbed structure in clay loam soil was under no tillage in autumn with a cover crop for winter mulch; however, in this treatment the seedbed contained higher soil water content compared to other tillage systems.

show abstract

“…Thus, understanding the dynamics of soil physical properties is improved by using soil properties (such as soil bulk density and porosity) as proposed by Horn and Kutilek (2009). Although the effects of structural changes of the soil on crop yield can be observed, this is not an easy task since the physical properties of the soil change over time and depend on their position in the soil profile (Mueller et al, 2009;Gonçalves et al, 2013;Guimarães et al, 2013;Munkholm et al, 2013). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies have shown that this method of soil profile analysis can be helpful in qualitative evaluation of soil management (Coulomb et al, 1993;Roger-Estrade et al, 2000b;Mueller et al, 2009;Mueller et al, 2013;Munkholm et al, 2013;Guimarães et al, 2013;Tavares Filho et al, 2014;Boizard et al, 2016). It enables researchers to establish links between soil structure and other factors, such as root development (Roger-Estrade et al, 2000a;Mentges et al, 2016), the availability and distribution of minerals (Vizier et al, 1995), and hydrodynamic characteristics (Mentges et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical Properties of Soil Structures Identified by the Profil Cultural under Two Soil Management Systems

Macedo

Grimaldi

Medina

et al. 2017

Rev. Bras. Ciênc. Solo

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soil structure plays an important role in water retention, infiltration capacity, porosity, and penetration resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and physical properties of Oxisol soils (bulk density and macro-, micro-, and total porosity) in the structures identified using the profil cultural method in areas under two different management practices (perennial pasture and sugarcane). Three pits were dug in each plot to find out how homogeneous morphological structural units (HMSU) were organized in the soil. Next, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Ki) was measured in situ inside each HMSU using a triple-ring infiltrometer at multiple suction. Six samples were collected (two samples for each kind of structural organization in each pit) to determine soil bulk density, total porosity, and macro-and microporosity. Each management practice resulted in a distribution of structures in the soil profile. The behavior of morphologically similar clods was the same, regardless of the physical manipulation of the soil. The distribution of structures based on the management practice determines specific hydraulic conductivities in the soil profile.

show abstract

Visual assessment of soil structure: Evaluation of methodologies on sites in Canada, China and Germany

Cited by 95 publications

References 25 publications

Soil structural quality degradation by the increase in grazing intensity in integrated crop-livestock system

Soil structural quality degradation by the increase in grazing intensity in integrated crop-livestock system

Estimation of soil structure and physical state in the seedbed under different tillage and environmental conditions

Physical Properties of Soil Structures Identified by the Profil Cultural under Two Soil Management Systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About