The knowledge of physical phenomena in agricultural environment allows increasing efficiency of use of water and chemicals in agriculture and decreasing biomass losses during harvest, transport, storage, and processing.

Robert Demorest Miller

Agrophysics is a branch of science bordering on agronomy and physics, whose objects of study are the agroecosystem – the biological objects, biotope and biocoenosis affected by human activity, studied and described using the methods of physical sciences.

Physics begets many of medicine’s current practices and technologies, including, but not limited to X-rays, medical imaging procedures such as Doppler ultrasound, echocardiography, MRI and the operation of ventilator machines.

Soil physics deals with the dynamics of physical soil components and their phases as solid, liquids, and gases. It draws on the principles of physics, physical chemistry, engineering, and meteorology. Soil physics applies these principles to address practical problems of agriculture, ecology, and engineering.

In addition to providing understanding of the physical properties and processes, the science of soil physics also addresses practical problems of agriculture (e.g., compaction, consistency, tilth, drainage, irrigation, infiltration, erosion by water and wind), engineering (e.g., soil strength, elasticity, plasticity.

Darcy’s law, mathematical relationship discovered (1856) by the French engineer Henri Darcy that governs the flow of groundwater through granular media or the flow of other fluids through permeable material, such as petroleum through sandstone or limestone.

Academically, soil scientists tend to be drawn to one of five areas of specialization: microbiology, pedology, edaphology, physics or chemistry.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, pedology is ‘the scientific study of soil, especially its formation, nature, and classification. A person who practices pedology is a pedologist. Soil, the focus of pedology, is ‘the uppermost unconsolidated part of the Earth.

Soil is composed of both biotic—living and once-living things, like plants and insects—and abiotic materials—nonliving factors, like minerals, water, and air. Soil contains air, water, and minerals as well as plant and animal matter, both living and dead. These soil components fall into two categories.

The basic components of soil are minerals, organic matter, water and air. The typical soil consists of approximately 45% mineral, 5% organic matter, 20-30% water, and 20-30% air.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the organic component of soil, consisting of three primary parts including small (fresh) plant residues and small living soil organisms, decomposing (active) organic matter, and stable organic matter (humus).

Properties influenced by organic matter include: soil structure; moisture holding capacity; diversity and activity of soil organisms, both those that are beneficial and harmful to crop production; and nutrient availability. It also influences the effects of chemical amendments, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Soil organic matter is the remains of dead plants, animals and microbes. It is usually dark brown or black in colour. Normal (mineral) soils contain between 1 and 6% organic matter, but peat soils contain >60% organic matter.

Here’s some information to help you determine which type(s) of organic matter is best suited to your garden.

1. Compost. Either homemade or commercially produced. Average pH:
2. Mushroom Soil/Compost. Average pH: Nutritional Content:
3. Sphagnum Peat Moss. Average pH:
4. Leaf Mold/Humus. Average pH:
5. Manures. Average pH:

Organic matter is constructed from cellulose, tannin, cutin, and lignin and various proteins, lipids and sugars. These are all based on chains of carbon molecules which mean that a measure of soil organic carbon can give an indirect measure of soil organic matter.

Biodiversity means more pollinators and higher plant yields. And better nutritional quality of the soil means better plants. Organic farmers view that as a win-win for the farm and surrounding ecosystem. Organic farming may also protect the land by counteracting harmful effects of climate change.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is formed through the partial decomposition and transformation of plant inputs (for example, above- and below-ground litter and exudates) by soil organisms. Clearly we miss the nexus between plant input decay and SOM formation.

It is matter composed of organic compounds that have come from the remains of organisms such as plants and animals and their waste products in the environment. Organic molecules can also be made by chemical reactions that don’t involve life.

Organic matter includes any plant or animal material that returns to the soil and goes through the decomposition process. In addition to providing nutrients and habitat to organisms living in the soil, organic matter also binds soil particles into aggregates and improves the water holding capacity of soil.

You can increase the amount of organic matter in your soil by adding compost, aged animal manures, green manures (cover crops), mulches or peat moss.

What is another word for organic matter?