ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF UPLAND SOILS

IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SIGMA, CAPIZ

A Research Proposal

Presented to the Faculty of the College of Agriculture and Forestry

Capiz State University

Burias Campus

Burias, Mambusao, Capiz

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Major in Soil Science

DIETHER A. DAVID

2022
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Importance of the Study

Soil is the top layer of the earth’s crust that performs many vital functions such as food and
biomass production, storage, filtration and transformation of many macro and micro nutrients
(Kaur et al., 2014). The proper functions of soil can only be imagined when they have capacity
to supply essential plant nutrients. Soil fertility is defined as the ability of a soil to supply
essential elements for plant growth without a toxic concentration of any element (Foth, 1990).

The profile character varies distinctly from place to place, particularly with respect to their
depth, colour and composition. The soil is a natural body of mineral and organic material
differentiated into horizons (Joffe, 1949). Soil is important everyone either directly or indirectly.
It is natural body on which agriculture product grow and it is fragile ecosystem (Sinha and
Shrivastav, 2000) . It is one of the most important natural resource of a country and knowledge
about its characteristics is essential for developing optimum land use plan for maximizing
agricultural production (Kumar et. al., 2013).

Soil fertility is an important factor, which determine the growth of plant. It is depends on the
concentration of N,P,K organic and inorganic materials, micronutrients and water. In general
soil chemical fertility and in particular lack of nutrient inputs is a major factor in soil
degradation (Hartemink, 2010). Soil farming factors intraction results into the properties of soil.
Physico chemical characteristics of different soils vary in space and time due to variation in
topography, climate, physical weathering processes, vegetation cover, microbial activities, and
several other biotic and abiotic variables (Paudel and Sah, 2003). Different factors create
different type of soil. The properties of soil along with its type have a great importance in
agriculture (Ahire et. al., 2013). The industrialization and development in agriculture are
necessary to meet the basic requirement of people, at the same time it is necessary to preserve
the environment (Joshi and Kumar, 2011). The food productivity and environmental quality is
dependent on the physico-chemical properties of soil, so it is very important to know the basic
knowledge about the physico-chemical properties of soil.

Soil characterization in relation to evaluation of fertility status of soils of an area or region is an

important aspect in context of sustainable agricultural production. Soil testing is a management
tool that can help accurately determine the available nutrient status of soils and guide the
efficient use of fertilizers (Hak-Jin et al., 2009). Describing the spatial variability of soil fertility
across a field has been difficult until new technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
Studies related to the soil fertility status of Sugarcane Farm in Sigma, Capiz are scant.
Therefore, it is important to investigate the soil fertility status and may provide valuable
information relating sugarcane research. Keeping these facts, the present study was initiated
with the objective to assess the soil physico-chemical properties of upland soils in Sigma, Capiz.

Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study is to assess the physico-chemical properties of the upland
soils in Sigma, Capiz. Specifically, the study aims to:

1. Evaluate the physical properties of upland soils in Sigma, Capiz

2. Evaluate the chemical properties of upland soils in Sigma, Capiz

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study will be limited to the assess of physical and chemical properties of upland soils. The
data on physical properties will be limited to determined using such parameters as soil texture,
colour, structure, and density. Chemical properties will be limited to determined using such
parameters as soil pH, organic matter and NPK.

Time and Place of the Study

The study will be conducted at Brgy. Mianay, Sigma, Capiz from ___________________ to
___________________ .

Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined as used in this study:

Physical Properties refers to measured by physical means and expressed in physical terms, such
as texture, colour, structure, and density.

Chemical Properties refers to environment is dynamic and reaction that maintain dilute
solution of nutrient element are indispensable for continual plant growth. In this study,
chemical was measured in terms of soil pH, organic matter and NPK.
 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Municipality of Sigma, Capiz

Sigma is a landlocked municipality in the coastal province of Capiz. The municipality has a land
area of 101.71 square kilometers or 39.27 square miles which constitutes 3.92% of Capiz's total
area. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 31,688. This represented 3.94% of
the total population of Capiz province, or 0.40% of the overall population of the Western
Visayas region. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 312 inhabitants
per square kilometer or 807 inhabitants per square mile.
(https://www.philatlas.com/visayas/r06/capiz/sigma.html)

Sugarcane

Sugarcane, (Saccharum officinarum), perennial grass of the family Poaceae, primarily cultivated
for its juice from which sugar is processed. Most of the world’s sugarcane is grown in
subtropical and tropical areas. The sugarcane plant produces a number of stalks that reach 3 to
7 metres (10 to 24 feet) high and bear long sword-shaped leaves. The stalks are composed of
many segments, and at each joint there is a bud. Sugarcane is grown in various kinds of soils,
such as red volcanic soils and alluvial soils of rivers. The ideal soil is a mixture of sand, silt, and
clay particles, with a measure of organic material. To attain good yields, sugarcane requires
2,000 to 2,300 mm (80 to 90 inches) of water during the growing period.
(https://www.britannica.com/plant/sugarcane). Sugarcane remains one of the largest
agricultural subsectors in the Philippines. Presently cultivated in over 420,000 hectares
representing about 3.4 percent of the country’s arable lands across 19 provinces (DBP, 2015),
its gross value-added recently grew by 14.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared
with the same period a year ago (PSA, 2018). In absolute terms, one estimate puts the
sugarcane industry’s contribution to the nationally economy at PhP 70 billion annually (SRA,
2012). The crop is processed into three major products (i.e. sugar, bioethanol and power), with
four-fifths of the overall production being consumed locally (DBP, 2015).

Physico-Chemical Properties of Upland Soils

Soil is one of the most important resources of the nature. All living things depends on plants,
and plants grow in soil for day to day need. Soils are medium in which crop grow to food and
cloth. Soil is not only important for agriculture but also have more useful for living organisms.
Soil as a component of the terrestrial ecosystem fulfills many function including those that are
essential for sustaining plant growth (Nwachokor et. al., 2009). An understanding of physical
and chemical condition of any soil is essential for proper implementation of the other
management practices. Therefore the physico-chemical study of upland soil is very important
because both physical and chemical properties which affect the soil productivity. This
knowledge will create awareness among the farmers about economic productivity.
 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Geographical Area of the Study

The study will conducted at Brgy. Mianay, Sigma, Capiz (Figure 1). The research site is situated
at the latitude 11°28'17" N and longitude 122°42'3" E as well at altitude 25.3 m above sea level.

Figure 1: Location Map of Brgy. Mianay, Sigma, Capiz

Soil Sampling Site

Surface soil samples (0-20 cm depth) were collected from Brgy. Mianay, Sigma, Capiz.
Altogether, twenty soil samples were collected from the different blocks namely; A, B, C, D, and
E of the sugarcane farm. The exact locations of the samples were recorded using a handheld
GPS receiver. The random method based on the variability of the land was used to collect soil
samples.
Laboratory Analysis

The collected soil samples were analyzed in Department of Agriculture Soil Laboratory, Iloilo
City. The different soil parameters tested as well as methods adopted in labs to analyze is
shown on the Table 1.

Table 1: Parameters and methods adopted for the laboratory analysis at Department of
Agriculture Soil Laboratory, Iloilo City.

S. N. Parameters Methods

1. Physical Properties

Soil Texture Hydrometer (Bouyoucos, 1927)

Soil Colour Munshell colour chart

Soil Structure Field-feel

Soil Density Rubber Balloon, Sand Cone, and

Nuclear Density

2 Chemical Properties

Soil pH Potentiometric 1:2 (Jackson, 1973)

Soil Organic Matter % Walkely and Black (Walkely and Black,

1934)

Total Nitrogen % Kjeldahl (Bremner and Mulvaney, 1982)

Available P2O5 ppm Olsen (Olsen et al., 1954)

Extractable K2O ppm Ammonium acetate (Jackson, 1973)

Statistical Analysis

Statistical difference in soil characteristics among land use types was analyzed by a one- way
analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p<0.01 and 0.05 significant levels. Least significant difference
(LSD) test and Correlation analysis were employed to assess mean difference and the
association between soil variables.
 LITERATURE CITED

Ahire DV, Chaudhari PR, Ahire VD and Patil AA, Correlations of Electrical Conductivity and
Dielectric Constant with Physico-Chemical Properties of Black Soils, Inte. J. Scientific and Res.
Publications, 2013, 3(2), 1-16. Retrieved on January 7, 2022.

Bouyoucos, G. J. 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle-size analysis of soils.
Agron. J. 53: 464 – 465. Date Retrieved on October 27, 2021.

Bremner, J. M., and C. S. Mulvaney. 1982. Nitrogen total. In: Methods of soil analysis. Agron.
No. 9, Part 2: Chemical and microbiological properties, 2nd ed. (A.L. Page, ed). Am. Soc. Agron.,
Madison, WI, USA. pp 595 – 624. Date Retrieved on October 27, 2021.

Development Bank of the Philippines. 2015. One-pager information on current developments in

agriculture: Sugarcane industry. Industry Monitor: Strategic Planning and Research. Retrieved
from https://www.devbnkphl.com/UserFiles/IndustryMonitorSugarCaneIndustry2015.pdf on 02
Jun 2017. Date Retrieved on November 23, 2021.

Foth, H. D. 1990. Fundamentals of soil science. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Date Retrieved
on October 25, 2021.

Hak-Jin, K. K., A. Sudduth and J.W. Hummel. 2009. Soil macronutrient sensing for precision
agriculture, J. Environ. Monit., 11: 1810-1824. Date Retrieved on October 25, 2021.

Hartemink E, Land use change in the tropics and its effect on soil fertility,2010, 19th World
Congress of Soil Science, Soil Solutions for a Changing World 1 – 6 August 2010, Brisbane,
Australia.Published on DVD. Date Retrieved on January 7, 2022

Jackson, M. L. 1973. Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. Date
Retrieved on October 27, 2021.

Joffe JS, 1949. Pedology: PedologyPubl., New Brunswick, N. J. Date Retrieved on January 7,
2022.

Joshi N and Kumar A,Physico-chemical analysis of soil and industrial effluents of Sanganer
region of Jaipur Rajsthan,Res.J. of Agric.Sci. 2011,2(2),354-356. Date Retrieved on January 7,
2022.

Kaur, R., Y.B Pakade, and J.K. Katnoria. 2014..A study on physic-chemical analysis of road and
railway track side soil samples of Amritsar (Punjab) and their genotoxic effects. International
Journal of Environmental, Ecological, Geological and Mining Engineering, 8(7): 498-501. date
Retrieved on October 25, 2021.
Kumar P,Kumar A,Dhyani BP,Kumar P,Shahi UP,Singh SP,Kumar R,KumarY,Kumar A,Raizada S,
Soil fertility status in some soils of Muzaffarnagar District of Uttar Pradesh, India, along with
Ganga canal command area.African J.of Agric.Res. 2013,8(14),1209-1217. Date Retrieved on
January 8, 2022.

Nwachokor MA, Uzu FO and Molindo WA, Variations in Physicochemical Properties and
Productivity Implications for Four Soils in the Derived Savannah of Southern Nigeria,American-
Eurasian Journal of Agronomy, 2009,2 (3), 124-129. Date Retrieved on January 8, 2022.

Olsen, S. R., C. V. Cole, F. S. Watanabe, and L. A. Dean. 1954. Estimation of available phosphorus
in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. U. S. Dep. Agric. Circ. 9, USA. 39 p. Date
Retrieved on October 27, 2021.

Paudel S and Sah JP, Physiochemical characteristics of soil in tropical sal (Shorea robusta
Gaertn.) forests in eastern Nepal. Himalayan J. Sci. 2003, 1(2),107-110. Date Retrieved on
January 8, 2022.

Philippine Statistics Authority, Performance of Philippine Agriculture January – March 2018,

Philippines, 2018. Date Retrieved on November 23, 2021

Sinha AK and Shrivastav,2000,Earth Resource and Environmental issues, 1st edition. ABD
publisher Jaipur, India 2000. Date Retrieved on January 8, 2022.

Sugar Regulatory Administration. 2012. THE PHILIPPINE SUGARCANE INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES

AND OPPORTUNITIES. https://www.sra.gov.ph/the-philippine-sugarcane-industry-challenges-
and-opportunities/. Date Retrieved on November 23, 2021

Walkley, A.J. and I.A. Black. 1934. Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration
method. Soil Sci. 37: 29-38. Date Retrieved on October 27, 2021.

https://www.britannica.com/plant/sugarcane. Sugarcane. Date Retrieved on November 21,

2021.

https://www.philatlas.com/visayas/r06/capiz/sigma/mianay.html. Mianay, Municipality of

Sigma, Province of Capiz. Date Retrieved on November 21, 2021.