Tools for soil understanding: Hot Ball method, XRD, and AC complex conductivity

摘要

The social dependence on the soil to guarantee its fertility and ensure food security have generated poor management practices globally. Nevertheless, the soil is considered a fundamental factor in the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy because of its societal importance due to the biomass source to produce value-added products. Soil thermal properties are critical factors because of the microclimate, so fertility and soil chemistry are controlled by the heat exchange between the soil and the surrounding; therefore, knowledge of these parameters is essential to crop planning better. Access to advanced techniques to monitor the growth and quality of crops in rural areas of the Latin American region is scarce. Several characterization techniques have been used to get soil thermal properties but are needed to provide open access to these techniques and obtain higher-resolution data. This study employs the so-called Hot Ball method to obtain thermal conductivity. The effect of particle size, thermal stability, and mineralogical composition on thermal conductivity is studied. Also, soil structure and electrical conductivity are studied. This study is expected to be a tool for making strategic decisions that lead to better planning of crops in the bioeconomy context.