The soil in pistachio cultivation.

After the climate, soil is the second most important element when establishing a pistachio plantation.

The soil is the medium in which the roots of the plant reside. Trees extract the nutrients and minerals they need from the soil to grow and produce their fruits.

The type of soil conditions the management and viability of a pistachio crop, making it essential to understand the science that lies behind this element for a successful pistachio plantation.

Contents

What is soil science and what does it have to do with soil?

Soil science is the scientific discipline that focuses on studying soil with a special approach. It studies soil as a living ecosystem where crops develop, rather than as an inert element.

Soil science is the science that studies the formation and status of soil as a living ecosystem.

For this reason, soil science focuses on studying:

• The origin and formation of soil: How the soil we work with today is created and evolves.

• Composition: Analyzes the elements that make up the soil, dividing them into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological.

• Soil conservation techniques: Develops techniques for preventing and reversing erosion.

Formal definition of soil science

? Soil science is a branch of soil science that studies the role of soil as an active ecological system, analyzing how its physical, chemical, and biological properties influence living organisms—especially plants—and the functioning of ecosystems.

Source: Chertov, O. G., Nadporozhskaya, M. A., & Priputina, I. V. (2018). Edaphology in the structure of soil science and ecosystem ecology. Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology, 3.

Soil science in current agriculture

Currently, soil science is used to design practices that help improve soil fertility, prevent degradation, optimize water inputs, select the right varieties for each farm, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Vegetative covers prevent soil erosion and are a solution proposed by soil science.

The 3 properties of soil and pistachio cultivation

The properties of soil can be divided into 3 categories: physical, chemical, and biological properties. All of these condition the viability of a pistachio plantation, although each does so in a specific way.

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Physical properties

The physical properties of soil are based on its composition and determine the physical interaction of the soil with other elements.

In practice, they determine the soil's moisture retention and filtration capacity, which conditions the amount of irrigation to be applied to the crop.

Soils can be classified as sandy, loamy, clayey, or a mix of the three.

In general, soils are a mix of sandy, loamy, and clayey.

Sandy soils

As the name suggests, sandy soils are mainly composed of sand particles, ranging from 0.05 to 2mm.

They are characterized by having high water filtration, low retention, and difficulty in compaction.

Pistachio can survive in sandy soils if irrigated frequently, but it is not efficient at the agronomic level as it requires high water and nutrient input.