UNDERSTANDING TURF MANAGEMENT

The third in a series by

R.W.Sheard, PhD., P.Ag.

SOIL STRUCTURE, DENSITY AND POROSITY

I tfhe mixture of sand, silt and clay

particles in the soil remained
iron and the type ofclay also have an
effect.
sand as sands will not form ag-
gregates. This is why selection of
separated as individual particles the It is necessary, however, to move the the correct size distribution of
smaller particles of clay and silt particles close together before the sands is critical to prevent migra-
would migrate into the holes be- cementing action can become effec- tion of fine sand particles into the
tween the larger sand fragments to tive. This movement is brought spaces between the larger sand
create a dense material such as about through root action, soil or- grains, creating a dense root zone.
found at depth in the subsoil of a ganisms such as earthworms,
normal soil.An analogy would be to freezing and thawing, and wetting SOIL DENSITY
take a bin of softballs, fill the bin and drying of the soil. The degree of compaction of a soil is
with marbles, shake it till no more Of prime importance is the resis- measured by determining the ap-
marbles can be added, then add SCD tance of the aggregates to disin- parent (bulk) density of the soil.The
pellets until no more of them can be tegration under the destructive for- determination is a simple proce-
added. This simulation would have ces of wind, rain, vehicle and foot dure, involving the insertion of a
little porosity and is analogous to a traffic;the latter two being the forces small (5-emdiam. X2-emdeep) ring
dense, compacted soil. ofconcern on sport fields. Stabilityis into the soil. The ring is carefully
Such a soil would be very poor for very closely related to the amount excavated, trimmed level at the top
root growth as it would have little and type of organic matter present, and bottom and dried for48hours at
air or water movement and much with turf providing the most effec- lOOC. The density is the dry weight
resistance to root penetration. Good tive means of promoting stable soil ofthe soilin each cubiccentimetre of
turf management requires the use of structure. Nevertheless under con- volume;this volume includes both
cultural practices which will help to tinued traffic, particularly when the solid particles and the spaces be-
reverse this situation. soil is excessively moist, the struc- tween the particles - the porosity.
ture can be destroyed and the soil The more compacted a soil the
SOIL STRUCTURE will compacted. greater the density; that is, the
Soil structure is of great significance greater the weight of soil particles
Fortunately soil particles tend to
where the soil contains silt and clay. compressed into each cubic cen-
group together into larger, semi-per-
Soil structure, however, is not a fac- timetre and the smaller the air
manent arrangements known as
tor in sport fields constructed on spaces (Table 1).
aggregates (clods, peds, crumbs).
The result of aggregation is called
soil structure and its importance is
Table 1: The relationship between compaction, apparent density and
that it tends to make soils which are porosity.
high in clay act like sand in terms of
air and water movement. Degree of Apparent Total Macro Micro
There are a number of factors in- Compaction Density Porosity Porosity Porosity
fluencing the ability of a soil to have (gm/cm 3
) (%) (%) (%)
a stable soil structure. The primary
Low 1.31 50.5 21.5 29.0
factor is soil organic matter whose
breakdown products create a Medium 1.49 43.7 15.8 27.9
cementing effect, holding the High 1.64 38.1 10.9 27.2
mineral particles together. Calcium,
Soils may vary in density from 1.0 to the size of the pores which is impor- water.
1.75 gm/ cm3. Then ideal soil tant in water movement. Compaction results in a reduction in
described. in the first article of this Other techniques, which give an as- the number, size and continuity of
series would have a density of 1.32. sessment of the relative size of the the soil pores. Generally the macro
It may be calculated to show that pores are based on the amount of pores will be destroyed first (Table
such a value would have 50% pore water retained in the soil in a con- l),reducingtherateofwaterinfiltra-
space. Natural soils with densities tainer, such as the ring described tion and the drainage ability of the
beyond 1.55 can be considered to above, when it is placed in a special soil, the aeration of the soil and the
have compaction problems. Sports apparatus to which suction can be ability of roots to penetrate the soil.
fields constructed on sand, how- applied. When the soil is saturated The lack of oxygen further reduces
ever, can be expected to have a with water 100% of the pores are the grass roots ability to penetrate
density as high as 1.65 while still filled with water, thus the total pore the soil. The more moist a soil the
retaining good air and water charac- space equals the volume of water in more easily it can be compacted be-
teristics. a measured volume of soil. If the soil cause the water acts as a lubricant
is allowed to drain freely until all the allowing the particles to move into
SOIL POROSITY water that will flow out due to the closer arrangements.
pull of gravity has occurred the Fortunately, the grass ecosystem is
The first article in this series describe
the relationship between mineral
macro pores will be empty. The recognized as the optimum system
volume of water that is removed in for promoting soil structure, hence
and organic material, air and water.
this process from a measured reducing the apparent density of the
The air and water in the soil existed
volume of soil is the macro porosity. soil and increasing the porosity of
in the pore space in the soil, thus an
Since the macro porosity plus the the soil, particularly the macro
understanding of soil porosity is a
micro porosity must equal the total porosity. Hence using cultural prac-
further step in understanding good
porosity the micro porosity is ob- tices which favour vigorous turf
turf management.
tained by subtraction. growth, combined with adequate
The size of the pores range from sub-
Macro porosity (non-capillary drainage, is the best preventative
microscopic between silt and clay
porosity, aeration porosity) is im- system against compaction.
particles to the very large pores
portant in the rapid drainage of
visible to the eye which are formed
excess water from the soil after a
by earthworms and decaying root
heavy rain or excessive irrigation.
channels - commonly called bio-
Rapid removal of this water allows
pores. For this discussion they may
the air essential for root function to
be divided into two broad groups -
return to the soil.
macro pores, the larger pores, and
micro pores, the smaller range of .Micro porosity (capillary porosity)
pores. retains the water required for plant
growth. It also becomes filled with
Analytical techniques exist which
air as the plant extracts the water
permit the assessment of the relative
from these fine pores. The water in
percentage of each group of pores in
these pores is not lost by the forces
a soil sample. The total porosity may
of gravity. However, the smaller the
be calculated directly from the den-
pores, the greater the difficulty the
sity measurements. This single
plant experiences in extracting the
value, however, says nothing about