Some physical properties of long-term irrigated fluvisols of valley the river Beli Drim in Klina (Serbia)

Abstract

Physical properties play an important role in determining suitability of soil for agricultural, amelioration, ecological and technical purposes. They are influence on movement, storage and availability of water and nutrients for plants, ease of plant root penetration and movement of heat and air. Furthermore, they are also effect chemical and biological properties of soil. Although Fluvisols (alluvial-meadow soils) are one of the most widespread soils in Serbia, little research has been done on them. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the most important physical properties of long-term irrigated Fluvisols that were formed on the carbonate deposit of the White Drim River in Kosovo and Metohija (Serbia). Eight profiles, i.e. 23 undisturbed soil samples and 69 disturbed soil samples were examined. The depth of the upper part of the soil profile, which lies above the layer of sand, stones and gravel, in which the roots of the plants develop, is very uneven from profile to profile, i.e. it varies from small (approx. 30 cm) to very large (>200 cm). The investigated Fluvisols are heavy textured (>50% clay content). The results show a high variability of the physical properties in the surface layer of these soils. Most of the investigated physical properties of the eight open Fluvisol profiles, in addition to the heavy texture, are quite favorable and fairly uniform in the plow layer, while they are much less favorable, though not particularly unfavorable, under the plow layer in deeper profiles.

Fizička svojstva igraju važnu ulogu u određivanju pogodnosti zemljišta za poljoprivredne, melioracione, ekološke i tehničke namene. Od njih zavisi kretanje, zadržavanje i dostupnost vode i hranljivih materija biljkama, lakoća prodiranja korena biljaka, te kretanje toplote i vazduha. Takođe, ona utiču na hemijska i biološka svojstva zemljišta. Iako su fluvisoli (aluvijalno-livadska zemljišta) jedno od najrasprostranjenijih zemljišta u Srbiji, oni su još uvek nedovoljno istraženi. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio proceniti glavna fizička svojstva stolećima navodnjavanih fluvisola formiranih na karbonatnom nanosu reke Beli Drim na Kosovu i Metohiji (Srbija). Proučavano je osam profila, tj. 23 uzorka zemljišta u poremećenom stanju i 69 uzoraka u neporemećenom stanju. Dubina gornjeg dela zemljišnog profila, koji leži iznad sloja peska, kamenja i šljunka, u kom se razvija koren biljaka, je veoma neujednačena idući od profila do profila, odnosno varira od male (oko 30 cm) pa do veoma velike (>200 cm). Istraženi fluvisoli pripadaju teškim glinušama (>50% frakcije gline). Rezultati ukazuju na visoku varijabilnost fizičkih svojstava u površinskom sloju zemljišta. Većina istraženih fizičkih svojstva osam otvorenih profila fluvisolova, i pored prilično teškog mehaničkog sastava, dosta su povoljne i uz to prilično ujednačene u orničnom horizontu, dok su znatno manje povoljne, mada ne izrazito nepovoljne, u podorničnom horizontu dubljih profila.