This lab manual provides a hands-on introduction to basic principles of soil science -- with a focus on the natural properties and processes that govern soil. Contemporary and practical in perspective, it emphasizes factor analysis throughout and makes extensive use of the World Wide Web for gathering the most up-to-date data. Laboratories cover: Minerals, Rocks and Weathering; Soil Texture, Structure and Water Relations; Routine Soil Particle size Analysis; Bulk Density, Particle Density and Porosity of Soil; Field Study of Local Soils; Soil Organic Matter, Humus and Microbial Activity; Soil Testing and Fertilizers; Soil Survey Reports; Soils and the Environment; and Salt Affected Soils. Keys laboratories to discussions of associated topics in Soils in Our Environment, 8/E by Miller and Gardiner (Prentice Hall, 1997). For anyone wanting a hands-on introduction to the basic principles of soil science.

With the help of this guide, you can use obtained test results to evaluate the fertility status of soils and the nutrient element status of plants for crop production purposes. It serves as an instructional manual on the techniques used to perform chemical and physical characteristic tests on soils. Laboratory Guide for Conducting Soil Tests and Pl

Now in its sixth edition, Soil Mechanics Laboratory Manual is designed for the junior-level soil mechanics/geotechnical engineering laboratory course in civil engineering programs. It includes eighteen laboratory procedures that cover the essential properties of soils and their behavior under stress and strain, as well as explanations, procedures, sample calculations, and completed and blank data sheets. Written by Braja M. Das, respected author of market-leading texts in geotechnical and foundation engineering, this unique manual provides a detailed discussion of standard soil classification systems used by engineers: the AASHTO Classification System and the Unified Soil Classification System, which both conform to recent ASTM specifications.To improve ease and accessibility of use, this new edition includes not only the stand-alone version of the Soil Mechanics Laboratory Test software but also ready-made Microsoft ExcelRG templates designed to perform the same calculations. With the convenience of point and click data entry, these interactive programs can be used to collect, organize, and evaluate data for each of the book's eighteen labs. The resulting tables can be printed with their corresponding graphs, creating easily generated reports that display and analyze data obtained from the manual's laboratory tests.FeaturesBL Includes sample calculations and graphs relevant to each laboratory testBL Supplies blank tables (that accompany each test) for laboratory use and report preparationBL Contains a complete chapter on soil classification (Chapter 9)BL Provides references and three useful appendices:Appendix A: Weight-Volume RelationshipsAppendix B: Data Sheets for Laboratory ExperimentsAppendix C: Data Sheets for Preparation of Laboratory Reports

A thorough presentation of analytical methods for characterizing soil chemical properties and processes, Methods, Part 3 includes chapters on Fourier transform infrared, Raman, electron spin resonance, x-ray photoelectron, and x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies, and more.

The importance of soil; Soil origin and development; Physical properties os soil; Soil water; Water conservation; Irrigation and drainage; Life in the soil; Organic matter; Soil fertility; Soil pH and salinity; Plant nutrition; Soil sampling and testing; Fertilizers; Organic amendments; Tillage and cropping systems; Horticultural uses of soil; Soil classification and survey; Soil Conservation; Urban soil; Government agencies and programs; Some basic chemistry; Sedimentation test of soil texture; Soil orders of the United States; Soil horizon symbol suffixes; Land evaluation.