Table of Contents
What is the meaning of soil organic matter?
Soil organic matter is the fraction of the soil that consists of plant or animal tissue in various stages of breakdown (decomposition). Most of our productive agricultural soils have between 3 and 6% organic matter. Soil organic matter contributes to soil productivity in many different ways.
How does organic matter affect soil composition?
Organic matter causes soil to clump and form soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil structure, permeability (infiltration of water through the soil) improves, in turn improving the soil’s ability to take up and hold water.
How is organic matter defined?
Organic matter refers to substances that are composed on a fundamental molecular level from compound cells originating from plants, animals and their associated products. The presence of organic matter on a material increases the rate of corrosion.
What is the composition of organic matter?
Generally, organic matter, in terms of weight, is: 45–55% carbon. 35–45% oxygen. 3–5% hydrogen.
What is organic matter composed of?
Aboveground organic matter comprises plant residues and animal residues; belowground organic matter consists of living soil fauna and microflora, partially decomposed plant and animal residues, and humic substances.
Why is organic matter important in soil?
CHEMICAL: Soil organic matter significantly improves the soil’s capacity to store and supply essential nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium), and to retain toxic elements. It allows the soil to cope with changes in soil acidity, and helps soil minerals to decompose faster.
What are examples of organic matter in soil?
In one sense, we refer to plant material in the form of crops, green manures, animal manures, compost, or wood shaving / straw animal bedding all as examples of fresh organic matter or organic amendments that can be added to soil as mulch or food to increase or maintain soil biology.
What is organic matter and examples?
Organic matter is anything that contains carbon compounds that were formed by living organisms. It covers a wide range of things like lawn clippings, leaves, stems, branches, moss, algae, lichens any parts of animals, manure, droppings, sewage sludge, sawdust, insects, earthworms and microbes.
What are three benefits of organic matter?
Organic matter plays a significant role in crop production and soil health by improving physical, chemical, and biological functions in the soil. Increasing levels of organic matter aid in soil structure, water-holding capacity, nutrient mineralization, biological activity, and water and air infiltration rates.
Why is organic matter important?
Organic matter includes any plant or animal material that returns to the soil and goes through the decomposition process. In addition to providing nutrients and habitat to organisms living in the soil, organic matter also binds soil particles into aggregates and improves the water holding capacity of soil.
What are components of organic matter?
Most soil organic matter originates from plant tissue. Plant residues contain 60-90 percent moisture. The remaining dry matter consists of carbon (C), oxygen, hydrogen (H) and small amounts of sulphur (S), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg).
What is the main source of organic matter in soil?
On farms the main sources of organic matter are plant litter (plant roots, stubble, leaves, mulch) and animal manures. Earthworms and microorganisms decompose these materials. The process of decomposition releases nutrients which can be taken up by plant roots.