GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -Organic matter (%) = Total organic carbon (%) x 1.72 This conversion factor assumes organic matter contains 58 % organic carbon. However this can vary with the type of organic matter, soil type and soil depth.

Detailed explanation-2: -Soil organic matter is estimated by multiplying soil C by 1.72 (Walkley-Black C x 1.72 = OM). Large amounts of manganese or carbonates in soils may interfere with C results from this method. Pretreatment of soil with 0.1N HCl can remove carbonates and manganese.

Detailed explanation-3: -Carbon mass Soil bulk density is measured by taking a known volume of soil, drying it in an oven at 105C, and dividing the dry weight by the bulk volume at field moisture, explains Dr Morgan. “You then simply multiply the bulk density number by the carbon concentration to get to your carbon stocks.”

Detailed explanation-4: -Organic matter is primarily made up of carbon (58%), with the remaining mass consisting of water and other nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium. Carbon is the largest and easiest component of organic matter to measure and as a result SOC is typically measured and reported in a standard soil test.