PHYSICAL QUALITY EVALUATION OF SOME SOILS FROM DOLJCOUNTY

Abstract

The quantity and quality of yield is determined by the soil quality. The agriculture is one of the main human activities that affect soil quality. In Dolj, the agriculture occupies an important place in the economy of the County. The main soils found in DoljCounty were Chernozems and Luvisols. Several indicators are used to quantify the physical quality of the soil.

To assess soil physical quality, disturbed samples from each pedogenetic horizon were collected to analyse: particle size distribution, soil organic content, dispersion and macrohydrostability. Undisturbed samples were also collected (by using a core sampler), for: bulk density, total porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, resistance to penetration determination. The degree of compaction, the packing density, the structural stability index as well as the structural instability index were obtained by calculation.  The results showed that according to the degree of compaction values, both studied Luvisols (except ArenicLuvisols), and HyposodicCalcaro-calcic Chernozems and Haplic Chernozems with fine texture were severely compacted and required loosening works. Most of the studied horizons of Luvisols had low – extremely low permeability. With a few exceptions, the values of the resistance to penetration were medium. The HyposodicCalcaro-calcic Chernozems shows the highest values of structural instability index.