Soil Chemistry

Most livestock producers, soil scientists favor index that considers phosphorus likelihood that it would leave the land.

The summer soil institute provides a unique opportunity to gain a fundamental and applied understanding of soil biology, chemistry, and physics with world-renowned faculty. Students will gain hands-on experience with lab and field techniques and will gain an enhanced appreciation for the importance of managing our soil resources sustainably. The course will be limited to a maximum of 25 students. Applications will be reviewed starting March 12.

Arsenic contaminated drinking water is a huge problem in Bangladesh. Scott alerts us to the news that the critical source of the contamination has been discovered: ponds excavated to provide material for flood protection.

Fleshing out my previous statements made in support of the need to start gauging the neutralizing power of biochar.

Determining the neutralizing potential of fly ash is standard practice for permitted land application. It should be a standard practice for land application of biochar.

I found an interesting and informative article about global phosphorus reserves and conservation in Scientific American:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=phosphorus-a-looming-cr...

Morocco is the Saudi Arabia of phosphorus? Reserves in North Carolina?

Wetland chemistry, bioremediation, septic system function hinges on soil redox, so dealing with redox issues is part and parcel to many a consulting soil scientist's daily job. Arguably it is pretty important to pedologists too, since secondary mineral formation is redox realm chemistry. But that doesn't mean we actually have a fully anatomically correct mental image of soil redox workings with which to work from. For sure a redox gradient grounded in soil must be produced when plants and microbes respire, throwing off trash electrons at the soil.

The ability of soil to retain applied phosphorus depends on the P sorption capacity and physico-chemical properties of soils. There are myriad ways to characterize P sorption capacity. I am on the hunt for commercial labs that work in this area. Any suggestions? I'll post more as I learn more.

Oxisols, ultisols and spodosols would increase in extent with increased soil weathering. But could it also mean lower plant disease, and more nutritious crops?

The Theory of Biorhexistasy describes climatic conditions necessary for periods of soil formation (pedogenesis) separated by periods of soil erosion. Proposed by pedologist H. Erhart in 1951, the theory defines two climatic phases: biostasy and rhexistasy.