Farming

Recognizing the Different Types of Soil

Published:

November 21, 2024

Key Takeaways:

Soil composition is influenced by its own characteristics as well as environmental factors. Understanding your soil type forms the foundation for efficient and effective soil management.
Agribusiness strongly depends on soil monitoring and management but soil characteristics are also analyzed in a variety of industries: construction, mining, and even telecommunications.
Soil-testing technologies provide the data you need to improve soil conditions and optimize operations.

We think dirt is “tough” because it seems to have always been an entity on Earth, and we assume it is unchanging. But the fact is, our soil is highly sensitive to environmental influences. It is resilient, but it can also be volatile. Access to water or rainfall, amounts and types of vegetation, temperature fluctuations, pollution—all these contribute to the soil horizons (layers). Those layers ultimately create unique profiles of different soil varieties.

Even at its most basic level of analysis, studying and understanding soil science is beneficial for enhanced farming, so let’s explore soil types in more detail.

Soil Types & Characteristics

Understanding the characteristics of soil types is important for diverse industries, so their classifications may depend on application. For example, construction projects that include excavation may classify soils as types A, B, or C based on soil stability: cohesive, unable to bond, and unstable.

In farming, on the other hand, classification is based on soil composition because it affects texture, fertility, and nutrient availability. The major elements of soil are minerals, water, air, and organic substances; the type of soil depends on the predominance of one or several of the following components: chalk, clay, loam, peat, sand, and silt.

Understanding different kinds of soil based on composition helps to choose crops that will grow best in a specific location. It also makes it possible to reshape soil properties to accommodate the types of crops we want or need to grow. For example, wheat prefers loamy soil while tomatoes can be grown in sandy ground.

Soil Characteristics That Influence Farming

There are differences between soil characteristics and soil properties. Soil characteristics are the features that describe the soil and its type, for example:

Color: Soil variety can often be identified by colors, such as black, white/gray, red, yellow/orange, and shades of brown.
Drainage: Excess water in the soil must be drained to ensure appropriate density and help maintain optimal air and moisture levels. Waterlogged fields often have increased bacteria levels which can lead to crop disease.
Fertility: Fertile soils effectively provide nutrients, maintain adequate water levels, and support plant growth in current environmental settings. Fertile soil is influenced by its moisture levels and drainage, pH, structure, and organic matter.
Organic matter/organisms: Most of the soil composition is inorganic material, but plant and animal residues and bacterial decay are usually present too. Organic fertilizers are also added to increase crop production.
pH: Potential hydrogen is measured to determine the alkalinity or acidity of the soil, which is directly connected with the availability of nutrients for plants. Different crops require different pH levels to thrive, and various fertilizers help maintain or adjust these levels.
Structure/density: Soil’s natural structure and porosity influence the ability of air, nutrients, and water to move and interact with plants.
Temperature: Soil temperature is critical for crop survival at every stage, from germination to maturity. The ideal soil temperature varies among crops, and even varieties of the same crop; for example, wheat or rice cultivated in different regions have adapted to different environmental conditions.
Texture: Soil texture depends on the amount of clay, sand, and silt in the soil and impacts the moisture and drainage, erosion, productivity, and the growing environment’s temperature.

The above-mentioned soil characteristics directly impact soil properties. Soil texture influences water retention and aeration; for instance, high clay content improves the former and decreases the latter. Also, the amount of organic matter affects soil fertility, and moisture levels impact the risk of erosion.

How Soil Types Impact Plant Growth

Soil types and their diverse characteristics are some of the biggest influences on crops. Each type has pros and cons, depending on specific agricultural needs, and it’s also possible to change the value of different soils by optimizing their levels of fertility. Here is a more detailed overview:

Loam: Loamy soils are made of clay, sand, and silt, and these three elements combine effectively for good water retention and a texture that encourages air circulation and drainage. Loam is nutrient-rich and maximizes the retention of added organic matter.
Clay: Clay soil is unsuitable for many types of plants, but flowers and some types of trees can thrive, thanks to its high nutrient content. Clay retains moisture which is beneficial during dry or drought seasons.
Chalk: Achieving and maintaining crop productivity is difficult in chalky soil. Introducing organic matter helps, but the nourishment quickly deteriorates in the fast-draining, somewhat pebbly chalk-type soil.
Peat: Grass, salad crops, and some types of trees thrive in peaty soils. The high concentration of organic matter can add acidity, which may be desired for some plants but needs to be reduced for others. Peat retains water so well that additional drainage solutions may be required.
Sand: Crops that grow in sandy soil can include beets, grains, and some types of root vegetables. Retaining nutrients and water is problematic in sandy-type soils; adding organic matter can increase retention.
Silt: Clay and sand properties contribute to the texture of silt, making it highly fertile with good air and water circulation. Drainage solutions may be needed; grasses and non-root vegetables will thrive when a drainage system is channelized correctly for silty soil.

Technologies for Testing & Improving Soil

Expenses in the farm sector are increasing while revenue decreased by 20.9% in 2023, and is anticipated to decrease by another 7.2% in 2024. Due to these and other issues in modern agriculture, optimization of resources has become a necessity, and in terms of soil management, it starts with a clear understanding of the current soil health status.

To name just a few, it is important to measure organic matter content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), nutrient levels, and saturation. With such detailed data, planning agricultural operations becomes easier and more efficient. For example, a known nutrient deficiency leads to a more timely and targeted application of organic matter or particular chemicals to balance minerals and improve soil fertility.

Technology for soil testing is constantly developing: in addition to manual testing of soil samples, modern options are available, such as aerial imaging, mapping, robotics, and soil sensors. Cropler also offers cutting-edge solutions for field monitoring that are affordable, save time, and deliver measurable ROI. In addition to a portable agri-camera with real-time imagery, we work on a soil sensing technology that is going to subtract the amount of guesswork and advance soil measurement precision.

When you have questions, we'll help you find the answers you need to take control of your fields and the harvest you care about. Contact Cropler to discover more about our products and the ways we help you proactively protect your operations from the effects of crop diseases. Learn more

Use Cropler for Improved Monitoring

Your fields have comprehensive data you can use to improve yield and operational efficiency. With real-time monitoring through Cropler agri-cameras, you can reduce the amount of time you spend scouting fields, and the upcoming soil sensor will help get data right from the soil faster, followed by AI-driven analytics and insights.

Move toward sustainable farming and maximize your harvests with Cropler — contact us today to learn how you can benefit from our technology.