1. Soil Science Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection Martin Kočárek: office no. 225,
Practicals / Seminars
Introduction. Semestral work setting. Morphological features of soil horizons. Soil profiles description. Soil texture analysis: presentation of principles and methodology.
Soil texture analysis: sample preparation, measurement 
Soil organic matter content determination. 
Soil reaction. Explanation of principles. Determination of pHH2O, pHKCl, exchangeable acidity. 
Soil sorption characteristics: explanation of principles; determination of C.E.C. by Bower method. 
Soil sorption characteristics: determination of hydrolytic acidity; calculation of base saturation. 
Soil salinity: principles of determination; measurement of electrical conductivity soil alcohol extracts. 
Presentation of advanced methods of soil analysis 
Soil maps, soil information systems  
Presentation of students' semestral work 
Discussion of major problems of soil degradation in Europe and in the World: case studies. Credit. 

2. Protocols Soil texture analysis
Soil organic matter content determination. 
Soil reaction. Determination of pHH2O, pHKCl, exchangeable acidity
Soil sorption characteristics: determination of C.E.C. by Bower method, determination of hydrolytic acidity; calculation of sum of base cation and base saturation. 
Soil salinity
Summarization of protocols (students' semestral work)

3. Requirements for credit
Protocols
Presentation of students' semestral work
Presence at the practicals 80 %

4. Semestral work setting.
You will work in pairs
At the beginning of the semester you will be given a soil sample from soil units which are localized close to Suchdol
Each practical lesson you will determine some soil property (mentioned above) of your sample. For each soil property you will complete a protocol
At the end of the semester you will summarize the results about your samples and samples of your colleagues (to describe the whole soil profile of the soil unit) in a semestral work which you will present in the last lesson

5. Morphology of Soil Profile - Horizon
Colour
Structure
Texture
Coarse Fragment Content
Humidity
Consistence
Concretions
Redoximorphic Features and other New formations
Carbonates and soluble salt content
Porosity and cracks
Rooting and a biological activation
Width and Topography of horizon boundary

6. Width of Soil Horizon Boundary
ABRUPT (0-2cm)
CLEAR (2-5cm)

7. Width of Soil Horizon Boundary
GRADUAL (5-15 cm)
DIFFUSE (>15 cm)

8. Topography of Soil Horizon Boundary
Smooth
Oblique
Wavy
Irregular
Broken
pockets are wider than depths
pockets are deeper than width
horizon is not continuous

9. Soil Horizon Boundary
Wavy
Oblique

10. Soil Horizon Boundary
Smooth
Irregular

11. Soil Colour Subjective description e.g. „ light brown, dark gray“
Objective description – Munsell colour system
e.g. „7,5YR 4/6“

12. 5YR 4/6 Hue = Basic color R – red Y – yellow G – green B – blueRP
R – red
Y – yellow
G – green
B – blue
P - purple Y P GY
5YR 4/6 PB G B BG
Chroma = intensity level
hue 5 yellow red
value 4
chroma 6
Value = tint (admixture of gray)

13. Chroma refers to the relative purity or strength of the spectral color
Chroma refers to the relative purity or strength of the spectral color. Chroma runs from 0 (neutral gray) to 8 (highest strength of color found in soils).
Chroma increases to the right across the Munsell page. All chips in a column have equal chroma.
Zero-chroma chips have no color, they are neutral gray. Often they are simply given a hue designation N (neutral).

14. Value refers to the amount of light reflected from the chip
Value refers to the amount of light reflected from the chip. On a neutral gray scale, a value of 10 indicates pure white, and value of 0 indicates pure black.
Value runs north-south (Vertical) on the Munsell page. All chips in a row have equal value.

15. VALUE
CHROMA

16. Soil Colour

17. Soil Structure
natural organization of soil particles into discrete soil units (aggregates or peds)
Structureless - Single grain
Structureless – Massive coherent mass
Structural (soil aggregates)

18. Structure types according to shape
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
equally developed
vertically
elongated
Horizontally
elongated
prism-like
spheroidal
angular
platy
upper part without rounding
Rounded
tops
granual
angular
blocky
subangular
blocky
columnar
prismatic

19. Soil Structure

20. Soil Structure
A-horizon
E-horizon

21. Soil Structure
B-horizon
B-horizon

22. Soil Structure

23. Soil Structure
B-horizon
Bt-horizon

24. Structure types according to shape
1 - Granual
2 - Angular
3a - Prismatic
4 - Platy
3b - Columnar

25. Structure

26. Soil Texture 20 % Sand 30 % Silt 50 % Clay Sand + Silt + Clay = 100%
Texture = Clay
20 % Sand
30 % Silt
50 % Clay

27. Soil Texture Classes

28. Coarse surface fragments

29. Humidity
- Dry
Moist
Wet

30. Consistence

31. Consistence
Stickiness – moist soil

32. Consistence
Plasticity – moist soil

33. Concretions – Cutanic Features
features of clay iluviation (e.g.: clay coatings on
the structure elements – peds)

34. Concretions – Cutanic Features
vertic features – wedge-like peds

35. Concretions – Cutanic Features
vertic features –cracks

36. Concretions – Cutanic Features
vertic features –slickensides

37. Concretions – Cutanic Features
Ortstein features (in Podzols)
kvádrový pískovec
štěrkopísek

38. Concretions – Cutanic Features
Gleyic features – rusty coatings

39. Concretions – Cutanic Features
Gleyic features – rusty coatings

40. Concretions – Cutanic Features
mottling

41. Concretions – Cutanic Features

42. Concretions – Cutanic Features
Fe - Mn concretions – nodules

43. Concretions – Cutanic Features
CaCO3 accumulation
pseudomycelias
Hard hollow
concretions

44. Concretions – Cutanic Features
biological activity – Crotovinas

45. Concretions – Cutanic Features
biological activity - earthworm coprolites

46. Roots
Size (diameters)
Abundance
Depth

47. Carbonates reaction with10% HCl depth
content (intensity of effervescence)
forms of secondary carbonates

48. Carbonates reaction with10% HCl depth content (intenzita šumění)
forms of secondary carbonates
reaction with10% HCl
depth
content (intenzita šumění)

49. Hydrometric method Measuring cylinder and hydrometer calibration
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Measuring cylinder and hydrometer calibration
For correction of hydrometer weight base volume
Scale markings
1,030
Weighted base

50. Hydrometric method Measuring cylinder and hydrometer calibration 1,000
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Measuring cylinder and hydrometer calibration
1,000
hR = h1 + h0/2
∆h = h – h0
∆h = V/F
V/F = h – h0
h0 = h – V/F
h0/2 = h/2 – V/2F
hR = h1 + h/2 – V/2F
h1 = L – R.L/S
S – the number of units on the scale (30)
h1 = L/S (S – R) L R
1,019 h1 h1
1,030 ∆h hR h0 h F ∆h V

51. Hydrometric method S The number of units on the scale (30)
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
S The number of units on the scale (30)
R Hydrometer reading (1,019; CORRECTION 19!!!!!)
L Scale lenght (cm)
h/2 Half height of weighted base (cm)
V Volume of weighted base (cm3)
F Area of measuring cylinder base (cm2)

52. Hydrometric method Sample preparation
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Sample preparation
To break soil aggregates to single (elementary) grains
Can by done by mechanical way, chemical way or combination of both
Methodology of sample preparation:
Soil weight: 80 – 100 g Light soil
40 – 60 g Intermediate soil
20 – 40 g Heavy soil
Place soil sample into the boiling cup and mix it with distillate water and dispersing agent (Na3(PO4)6) by ratio 1g : 1ml : 1ml
Boil the soil suspension for 3 min. and move it quantitatively into measuring cylinder

53. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Move the soil suspension into measuring cylinder and fill the measuring cylinder to the mark of 1000 ml
Stir the soil suspension in measuring cylinder violently
Put hydrometer into measuring cylinder and read the values in defined times (see below)
Measure the soil suspension temperature after every hydrometer reading

54. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses Time
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Time
Temperature R R0 hR d Σ%
30´´ T1
1,029 1´ 26 2´ 23 5´ 19
10´ T2 14
20´ T3 13
30´ T4 12
40´ T5 11
50´ T6
60´ T7
Leave the hydrometer in soil suspension
Remove the hydrometr afther every reading and clean it

55. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses Time Temp. R
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Time
Temp. R R0 hR
d (mm) Σ%
30´´ T1 29 1´ 26 2´ 23 5´ 19
10´ T2 14
20´ T3 13
30´ T4 12
40´ T5 11
50´ T6
60´ T7

56. °C 20 21 22 23 24 25
Correction 0
+ 0,5
+ 0,36

57. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses Time Temp. R
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Time
Temp. R R0 hR
d (mm) Σ%
30´´ T1 29 1´ 26 2´ 23 5´ 19
10´ T2 14
20´ T3 13
30´ T4 12
40´ T5 11
50´ T6
60´ T7
R + correction

58. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses Time Temp. R
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Time
Temp. R R0 hR
d (mm) Σ%
30´´ T1 29 1´ 26 2´ 23 5´ 19
10´ T2 14
20´ T3 13
30´ T4 12
40´ T5 11
50´ T6
60´ T7

59. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses Time Temp. R
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Time
Temp. R R0 hR
d (mm) Σ%
30´´ T1 29 1´ 26 2´ 23 5´ 19
10´ T2 14
20´ T3 13
30´ T4 12
40´ T5 11
50´ T6
60´ T7

60. d v Time ρZ A T Nomogram for Particle Size Determination ρz hours
dynamic viscosity of liquids [g.cm-1.s-1]
particle density [g.cm-3]
specific gravity of liquid [g.cm-3]
sedimentation rate [cm.s-1]
particle diameters [mm]
suspension temperature [OC]
Depth [cm]
time
Nomogram
for Particle Size
Determination
Temperaure correction ( t )
Key for particle size determination
hours
seconds
minutes
(Casagrande A., Modified) ρz d v
Time ρZ A T

61. Hydrometric method Methodology of soil texture analyses Time Temp. R
KPG
Katedra pedologie a geologie
Hydrometric method
Methodology of soil texture analyses
Time
Temp. R R0 hR
d (mm) Σ%
30´´ T1 29 1´ 26 2´ 23 5´ 19
10´ T2 14
20´ T3 13
30´ T4 12
40´ T5 11
50´ T6
60´ T7
Σ% = 100/g * (ρZ.R0 / ρZ-1)
g......Soil weight used for analyses

62. PARTICLE SIZE CURVE Grevel Sand Silt Clay Particle size diameters [mm]
Percentage of particle size
Grevel
Sand
Silt
Clay
Clay % 11
Silt % 26
Sand % 63
PARTICLE SIZE CURVE
2 mm
0.063 mm
0.002 mm

63. Soil Texture
by Feel
Analyses

64. PARTICLE SIZE CURVE Grevel Sand Silt Clay 2 mm 0.063 mm 0.002 mm
Percentage of particle size
Particle size diameters [mm]

65. Nomogram for Particle Size Determination
dynamic viscosity of liquids [g.cm-1.s-1]
particle density [g.cm-3]
specific gravity of liquid [g.cm-3]
sedimentation rate [cm.s-1]
particle diameters [mm]
suspension temperature [OC]
Depth [cm]
time
Nomogram
for Particle Size
Determination
Temperaure correction ( t )
Key for particle size determination
hours
seconds
minutes
(Casagrande A., Modified) ρz