Methods of Soil Physical Analysis

Contents: 1. Soil sampling. 2. Soil texture. 3. Soil structure. 4. Soil density and porosity. 5. Soil colour. 6. Soil consistency. 7. Soil water content. 8. Soil water retention. 9. Pore size distribution. 10. Readily available water. 11. Water holding capacity and water potential. 12. Hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity of soil. 13. Water infiltration and sorptivity. 14. Soil resistance. 15. Least limiting water range. 16. Soil air and temperature. 17. Soil water balance. 18. Rocks and minerals.

Soil physical analysis provides the foundational tools needed to understand how soils behave, respond to management, and support plant, water, and environmental functions. These methods quantify key physical attributes —such as texture, structure, density, porosity, water retention, infiltration, aeration, and thermal properties—that determine the movement of water, air, and heat in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. The book provides fully illustrated, step-by-step protocols for every major soil physical test with advanced and digital techniques in laboratory and field conditions. Photographs, flowcharts, and instrument diagrams with highlighting notes make complex methods easy to understand.