Physical and Chemical Properties of soils from Pecan Orchards Sheny Leon Mentor: Dr. Manoj Shukla Plant and Environmental Sciences, NMSU NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Introduction  Pecans in New Mexico Importance Successful in NM  Climate  Altitude  Water management Vital for sustaining yield Water use dependant on:  Type of soil, structure, water holding capacity  Pecan water use In southwest 1310 mm 1900 to 2500 mm depending on soil type NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Introduction  Problem Limited water availability High rates of evaporation Low availability of clean water resources  Using water sustainably Increasing irrigation application efficiency  Increased by applying water at right time  Improving irrigation system efficiency  Reducing deep water percolation losses by understanding extraction patterns of pecan NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Objectives:  Determination of depth-wise soil texture  Depth-wise soil pH and EC  Relate these to water holding capacity of soil  Use it to schedule irrigation NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Research Relevance  Water conservation  Yield  Sustainable Management NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Methods  Obtaining soil samples Leyendecker Riverside NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Riverside Pecan Site Leyendecker Pecan Site

Methods  Preparation and sieving of soil samples.  Textural analysis  Preparation of soil extract and chemical analysis NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Methods  Preparation of soil samples and textural analysis NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Methods  Chemical analysis (EC and pH)

Results DepthSand % Silt %Clay % Soil name Sandy Loam Loamy Sand Sand ,16Sand Sand  Textural analysis Riverside  Soil type: Loamy Sand to sand DepthSandSiltClaySoil Name Sand Sand Sand Sand NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Results  Textural analysis Leyendecker  Soil Type: Clay Loam to sand DepthSandSiltClaySoil Name Clay Loam Silty Clay Loam Silt Loam Loam Sandy Loam DepthSandSiltClaySoil Name Sandy Loam Loamy Sand Loamy Sand Sand NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Textural Triangle NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Results  Riverside EC NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Results  Riverside pH NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

The water transport and storage parameters Soil type ss rr WHC cm Ks cm/d Silty Clay Loam Silt Loam Clay Loam Sandy Loam Loam Sand

Discussion  Soil Analysis Soil type distribution Sandy loam vs. Loamy sand  EC Decreasing EC with increasing depth  pH Relatively neutral pH (between 7.9 and 8.4) NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Conclusions  The soil texture at Riverside site ranged from loamy sand to sand with depth  Soil pH at Riverside ranged from 7.9 to 8.5  Soil EC at Riverside site ranged from 1000 uS to 400 uS with increasing depth  WHC at Riverside site ranged from 5.10 to 4.80 with depth  The soil texture at Leyendecker site ranged from clay loam to sand with depth  WHC at Leyendecker site ranged from 5.40 cm to 4.80 cm with depth  Tests for soil pH and EC at Leyendecker still need to be done NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION

 NM AMP NSF Grant #NSF HRD for their support and interest in our research.  Dr. Shukla for support, guidance and review during the research. Acknowledgments NEW MEXICO AMP ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION