To understand soil management and to maintain soil quality, we need
to know about the chemical aspects of the soil, such as:
soil pH,
Soil texture
cation exchange capacity,
organic matter
soil nutrient content.
The soil texture from the researched points, in the first 40 cm, is medium
clay loamy (soil sampling 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), medium loamy (soil sampling 2),
loamy clay (soil sampling 4, 7) for the hungarian samples and medium clay
loamy (soil sampling 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), loamy clay (soil sampling 2) , silty
clay (soil sampling 4) for the romanian samples.
Soil pH is probably the most commonly
measured soil chemical property and is also
one of the more informative.
8.2
8.1
8
7.9
7.8
7.7
7.6
Othalom
Forest
Kalasz
Meadow
Bio
Szentes
Szandorfalva Derekegshaza Ujszentes
Mako
8.5
8
7
6.5
6
Cenad 1
Cenad 2
cenad 3
Cenad 4
Sanicolau
Mare 1
Sanicolau
Mare 2
Lovrin
Clarii Vii
Beregsau
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
5.5
0-20
pH
7.5
5
Becicherecu
mic
Soil pH values in Hungary – Romania border area
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
0-20
7.4
20-40
7.5
Humus provides soil with a number of very important
benefits:
It enhances a soil's ability to hold and store moisture.
It reduces the eluviation of soluble nutrients from the soil
profile.
It is the primary source of carbon and nitrogen required by
plants for their nutrition.
It improves soil structure which is necessary for plant
growth.
6
5
H%
4
3
2
1
0
0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40
H%
Othalom
Forest
Kalasz
Meadow
Bio
Szentes
Szandorfalva Derekegshaza Ujszentes
Mako
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40
Cenad 1
Cenad 2
cenad 3
Cenad 4
Sanicolau
Mare 1
Sanicolau
Mare 2
Lovrin
Clarii Vii
Soil humus values in Hungary – Romania border area
Beregsau
Becicherecu
mic
Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth. It
stimulates growth of young plants, giving them a
good and vigorous start. Phosphorus
management and nutrition has both economic
and environmental implications.
95
85
P ppm
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
0-20
20-40
Othalom
0-20
20-40
Forest
0-20
20-40
Kalasz
0-20
20-40
Meadow
0-20
20-40
Bio
0-20
20-40
Szentes
0-20
20-40
Szandorfalva
0-20
20-40
0-20
Derekegshaza
20-40
Ujszentes
0-20
20-40
Mako
160
140
P ppm
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40 0-20 20-40
Cenad 1
Cenad 2
Cenad 3
Cenad 4
Sanicolau
Mare 1
Sanicolau
mare 2
Lovrin
Clarii Vii
Beregsau
Soil phosphorus values in Hungary – Romania border area
Becicherecu
Mic
To fulfill its many roles in plants, potassium K
is absorbed in rather large quantities, even
exceeding the amount of nitrogen
Mako
Szandorfa Derekegsh
lva
aza
Ujszentes
20-40
Szentes
20-40
Bio
20-40
0-20
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
0-20
20-40
Meadow
20-40
Kalasz
20-40
Forest
20-40
Othalom
0-20
20-40
0-20
0-20
0-20
0-20
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Soil potassium values in Hungary border area
Becicher
Clarii Vii Beregsau ecu Mic
20-40
Lovrin
20-40
Sanicola Sanicola
Cenad 4 u Mare 1 u mare 2
20-40
Cenad 3
20-40
Cenad 2
20-40
Cenad 1
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
0-20
0-20
20-40
0-20
20-40
0-20
0-20
0-20
0-20
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Soil potassium values in Romania border area
Heavy metal Normal values
Cd
1
Cu
20
Pb
20
Zn
100
Mn
900
Ni
20
alert
threshold
3
100
50
300
1500
75
threshold for
intervention
5
200
100
600
2500
150
Total zinc content in soil is ranged between 40 ppm and 140 ppm in
Hungary, and between 30 ppm and 75 ppm in Romania.
Copper content in soils vary in a large domain, being ranged
betwwen 20 ppm and 130 ppm for Hungary, and respectively 71 ppm for
Romania.
Highest manganese content was determined in Romanian soils,
maximum value was 967 ppm.
Hungarian soils are richer in nickel, highest value being determined
in Mako area, 50,1 ppm.
Soils from Hungary – Romania border area have a low cadmium
content, non of the values exced maximum admitance levels.
Lead content of Romanian soils are relatively low (2 – 30 ppm), but in
Hungary in Mako and Forest are, at depth of 0 -20 cm, lead content
exceded admitance level of 50 ppm. In Ujszeged and Othalom this
value is exceded at depth of 20 – 40 cm, perhaps because of lead
levigation.
Considering all determined chemical indicators, we can conclude
that the soils of the Hungary - Romania are quality soil, with pH from
acid to slightly alkaline, medium humus content and well supplied
with phosphorus and potassium.
To maintain quality in terms of soil chemistry, is required:
•Enhance organic matter
•Manage nutrients and pests efficiently
•Prevent soil compaction
•Diversify cropping systems