Understanding Soils Webinar 28 August 2020

28/08/2020 - 00:00

Nathan Straume takes you on a quick journey below the surface to discover and explain the World of Soil Acronyms.

Anyone who comes in contact with soil, sooner or later hears about soil pH. An “easy” one to start with: pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. But do you know why it is important and how it affects nutrient uptake?

Next one: EC or electrical conductivity. Pure water does not conduct electricity, but most water, even tap water, has enough dissolved salts to be conductive. How is this related to soil quality?

NPK or the percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in a soil, soil amendment or fertilizer. Why does a plant need these elements?

OM means “every morning” in Latin (omni mane), but in soils this is the amount of organic matter. A key element for good soil structure, but what does it do?

CEC or Cation Exchange Capacity… say what? Basically a measurement for soil fertility...

WHC or water holding capacity: how much water can a soil retain?

Part of it will drain away: the part that isn’t is held at a “suction force” called FC or field capacity.
Some of that isn’t PAW or plant available water: the soil’s suction force gets to strong… it reaches WP or wilting point.

And to end with: HC or hydraulic conductivity describes the ease with which water move through the pore spaces.

Watch the free video and let Nathan explain this to you more in detail: