THE INFLUENCE OF STEAM ON SOME CHEMICAL SOIL PROPERTIES - REVIEW

Abstract

Soil forms a thing mantle over the Eart¢s surface and acts as the interface between the atmosphere and lithosphere, the outermost shell of the Earth. It is a multiphase system, consisting of mineral material, plant roots, water and gases, and organic matter at various stages of decay (Bardgett R., 2005,). Soil temperature influence plant nutrients uptake through a multitude of chemical, physical and biological processes that intercat over wide range of spatial and temporal scales (BassiriRad H, 2005) Steaming is traditionally used in glasshouses to sterilise the soil and control both weeds and diseases prior to crop establishment. Steam is applied under pressure beneath metal pans forced down onto freshly formed beds for periods of 3-8 minutes. The steam raises the soil temperature to 70-100 °C killing most weed seeds to a depth of at least 10 cm. The increase in inorganic substances in soil due to steaming means an increased fertility as more nutrients become available for the plant (Bond et al., 2003)

Keywords

• soil, steam, chemical properties.