Category: Soil Science

[1] Pesticide and Nutrient Movement into Subsurface Tile Drains on a Silt Loam Soil in Indiana The objectives of this study were to determine field‐scale pesticide and nutrient losses to subsurface tile drains over a 3‐yr period on a low organic matter and poorly structured silt loam soil under typical agricultural management practices. A subsurface drain spacing study was instrumented to measure drain discharge rates and to collect drainflow samples continuously on a flow‐proportional basis. Two replicates of three drain … Continue reading “News Update on Loam Soil : April 21”

[1] Influence of Planting Soil Mix Characteristics on Bioretention Cell Design and Performance Municipalities are increasingly interested in using rain gardens, or bioretention cells, as a “best management practice” (BMP) for storm-water management and as a component of low impact development. However, improved technical reference materials are needed to determine the influence of planting soil mix design on the hydrologic and water quality performance of bioretention cells. This article describes three investigations undertaken to determine the influence of planting soil … Continue reading “Latest Research News on Planting Soil April-21”

The use of microbial parameters in monitoring soil pollution by heavy metals Microbial parameters appear very useful in monitoring soil pollution by heavy metals, but no single microbial parameter can be used universally. Microbial activities such as respiration, C and N mineralization, biological N2 fixation, and some soil enzymes can be measured, as can the total soil microbial biomass. [1] Limitations of soil enzymes as indicators of soil pollution Soil enzyme activities are considered to be sensitive to pollution and have … Continue reading “Latest Research on Soil Pollution: March – 2020”