Soil Health Land Management FACT SHEET

Physical Soil Properties

Soil physical properties affect the behavior of soil and the functional processes required to meet environmental and human needs… Texture Proportion of sand, silt and clay which Which soil physical properties determines the type of soil (e.g. loam, clay loam, sandy loam) and its natural limitations affect soil health? Many

properties affect soil health; however, two Aggregation Arrangement of primary soil particles (sand, of the most important are soil aggregation silt, clay) around soil organic matter and and structure. Both properties can be through particle associations. Aggregate maintained or enhanced though various stability is a good indicator of soil health. management strategies. Structure reflects the arrangement of soil Structure How can soil physical and Porosity aggregates and primary soil particles (sand, silt, clay). It influences water and air properties affect crops? Soil movement in the soil. texture, aggregation and structure are all Bulk Density Indicates level of compaction and is a inter-related and greatly influence root measure of the dry weight of soil within a development, water and air movement in given volume. soil. Managing your soils for physical soil properties along with other management strategies can result in uniform crop Strength from the soil establishment and sustainability.

Department of Soil Science Carrington Research Extension Center Fargo, ND 58108 Hettinger Research Extension Center 701.231.8881 Langdon Research Extension Center Crusting Dispersed North Central Research Extension Center 12

SoilLorem structureIpsum and aggregation promote:

• Water infiltration/internal drainage and water retention

• Soil aeration

• Resistance to erosion

• Organic matter accumulation

• Soil-seed contact, germination, rooting and Root development, water and air movement crop uniformity within the soil are reduced when soils are compacted Poor aggregation and compaction lead to: Can I change the texture Using cover cropping

• Reduced circulation of air of my field? Soil texture is a and crop rotations to and water in soil product of geologic material improve soil conditions: • Shallow and lateral rood weathering over thousands of development (leading to years, making it a permanent Cover cropping reduces soil poor plant growth) characteristic of any given field. erosion by providing additional Though you cannot change soil cover for a longer period of time • Reduced ground coverage texture, you can utilize and enhanced erosion Both reduce soil compaction management practices suited for through root systems of varying • Poor crop yields soils of varying textures. depths and structure Causes of Compaction: How can I improve Both increase organic matter and

• Heavy traffic (from farm aggregation in my recycle soil nutrients, which implements), especially on improves aggregation fields? Use minimum wet fields (conservation) tillage or no-till to: Both improve aggregate stability • Continuous disking or reduce the breaking apart of via root entanglement around soil plowing to the same depth aggregates, increase organic particles and root secretion, which matter (via crop residue) which act as glues to hold soil particles • Limited changes in crop together rotations serves as a nucleus for aggregate formation, and enhance microbial Both improve water infiltration by • Removal of crop residues populations important for creating root channels and or burning aggregate formation, such as soil improved soil structure fungi. • Overgrazing by cattle