Project 3: SOIL IS A BUFFERED MEDIUM

Project 3: SOIL IS A BUFFERED MEDIUM

Introduction
Soil has considerable buffering capacity. It helps to overcome the problems associated with various acidic or alkaline inputs which are frequently being added to the soils. An idea about how this buffering activities help to sustain the soil condition may be obtained through a simple experimentation.

Objectives

1. To study buffering action of soil
2, To assess the efficiency of soil organic matter influencing buffering capacity of soil
Methodology:

• Study will carried out using soil-column preparing in waste plastic drinking water bottle, the bottom of which will have to be perforated carefully with sharp nail. Number of perforation of all the bottles should be equal
• Organic matter (Farm yard manure or vermin-compost or decomposed cow dung etc.) in different proportions will be mixed well with the finely grindedsoils.
• A piece of blotting paper or filter paper should carefully insert and placed at the bottom of the bottles, so that the perforations do not get plugged with the soil particles
• The plastic bottles are to be filled-up with the soil with occasional tapering to attain natural density.
• Artificially prepared acidic solutions (pH arround 5.0) will be used
• Different amount of acidic solution of same pH will be added to different soil column and the pH of soils as well as filtrate from the soil coloumn will be analysed after stabilization of pH

Observation

Variation in pH of soils with or without organic matter as well as filtrates will be recoded

Relevance
Results of this experiment will help the student to understand how soils can resist the abrupt pH changes and other stresses imposed on soil by anthropogenic activities. This will also help the students to realize the role of OM in such function of soil.