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EXPLANATION ABOUT OUR WEBSITE

Sopdet is an application web who has as purpose gives to the user an estimated of

the probability about soil fertility with which himself has been working.

The calculation about this probability is accomplished in base of variables,

determined for characteristics quantifiable that a soil fertile required, as:

Porosity

Depth

utrients

!oisture

"rganic matter

#ll of these variables get a percent of importance, based on bibliographical

revisions, who allow ease the calculation required.

ABOUT THE VARIABLES

What is soil?

Soil is defined for $uropean %ommission as the top layer of the earth&s crust. 't is

formed by mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and living organisms. 't is infact an e(tremely comple(, variable and living medium. #s soil formation is an

e(tremely slow process, soil can be considered essentially as a non)renewable

resource. The interface between the earth, the air and the water soil performs

many vital functions: food and other biomass production, storage, filtration and

transformation of many substances including water, carbon, and nitrogen. Soil has

a role as a habitat and gene pool, serves as a platform for human activities,

landscape and heritage and acts as a provider of raw materials. 't contains around

twice the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and three times the amount to be

found in vegetation. These functions are worthy of protection because of their

socio)economic as well as environmental importance.

What means Soil fertility?

*ased on +ood and #griculture "rganiation of the -nited ations +#"/, this

refers to the ability of the soil to supply essential plant nutrients and soil water in

adequate amounts and proportions for plant growth and reproduction in the

absence of to(ic substances which may inhibit plant growth.

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The fertility of soil also can be considered in different ways, depending on land use.

'n intensively managed agricultural and horticultural systems, and even in forestry,

soil fertility can be defined in terms of the value of products produced relevant to

inputs used including economic aspects of nutrient budgeting/. #lternatively, the

emphasis may be on quality or productivity

0owever, in all conte(ts, soil fertility depends on physical, chemical and biological

characteristics.

Why This Variales? What means ea!h one?

1e use some of the characteristics that are important in the determination of a

fertile soil, we use these specific properties because are quantifiable and therefore

give us the possibility to allocate measuring units, all in order to improve user

usability

POROSIT"# 2Soil porosity2 refers to the amount of pore, or open space

between soil particles. Pore spaces may be formed due to the movement of

roots, worms, and insects3 e(panding gases trapped within these spaces by

groundwater3 and4or the dissolution of the soil parent material. Soil te(ture

can also affect soil porositySoil porosity is important for many reasons. # primary reason is that soil

pores contain the groundwater that many of us drink. #nother important

aspect of soil porosity concerns the o(ygen found within these pore spaces.

#ll plants need o(ygen for respiration, so a well)aerated soil is important for

growing crops. %ompaction by construction equipment or our feet can

decrease soil porosity and negatively impact the ability of soil to provide

o(ygen and water.

$EPTH# The effective depth of a soil for plant growth is the vertical distance

into the soil from the surface to a layer that essentially stops the downward

growth of plant roots. The barrier layer may be rock, sand, gravel, heavy

clay, or a cemented layerDepth of soil and its capacity for nutrients and water frequently determine

the yield from a crop, particularly annual crops that are grown with little or no

irrigation. Plants growing on shallow soils also have less mechanical support

than those growing in deep soils. Trees growing in shallow soils are moreeasily blown over by wind than are those growing in deep soils

NUTRIENTS# #ll plants need soil take 56 mineral elements. #re the

essential mineral nutrients. So that if a floor there was nothing, ero grams

of any of them, the plant would die, because all are essential.

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The amount of nutrients in the soil will determine the potential of this to feed

crops that are developed on it. The fact cultivate makes soil nutrients that

become part of the plants are e(hausted.

utrients are usually classified into macro and micronutrients under a

criterion requiring crops amount of each of them and their presence inplants, but we should not think that micronutrients, by requiring less quantity,

are less important for the proper development crop. !icronutrient

deficiencies are taken little account3 however, more attention to the P7

nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium/ lends macronutrients, resulting ma8or

shortcomings, damage to crops, bad developments in crops. 0ence also

denominated micronutrients as trace elements sparingly but essential/.

Soil macronutrients: nitrogen /, phosphorus P/, potassium 7/, calcium

%a/, magnesium !g/, sulfur S/.

Soil micronutrients: 'ron +e/, inc 9n/, manganese !n/, boron */, copper

%u/, molybdenum !o/, chlorine %l/.

%OISTURE# 1ater contained in soil is called soil moisture. The water is

held within the soil pores. Soil water is the ma8or component of the soil in

relation to plant growth. 'f the moisture content of a soil is optimum for plant

growth, plants can readily absorb soil water. ot all the water, held in soil, is

available to plants. !uch of water remains in the soil as a thin film. Soil

water dissolves salts and makes up the soil solution, which is important as

medium for supply of nutrients to growing plants.

OR&ANI' %ATTER#

5. "rganic !atter creates a granular condition of soil which maintains

favorable condition of aeration and permeability.

. 1ater holding capacity of soil is increased and surface runoff, erosion

etc., are reduced as there is good infiltration due to the addition of "!.

6. Surface mulching with coarse "! lowers wind erosion and lowers soil

temperatures in the summer and keeps the soil warmer in winter.

;. "! serves as a source of energy for the microbes and as a reservoir of

nutrients that are essential for plant growth and also hormones, antibiotics.

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=. "rganic acids released from decomposing "! help to reduce alkalinity in

soils3 organic acids along with released %" dissolve minerals and make

them more available.

>. 0umus a highly decomposed "!/ provides a storehouse for the

e(changeable and available cations.

?. 't acts as a buffering agent which checks rapid chemical changes in p0

and soil reaction.

Ho( this )esi*ne) o+r We A,,li!ation?

1e can say that Sopdet is divided in five segments.

5. The first one let us see the image or logo of our app.. The Second "ne is the header that includes de name of the app6. "n the left the user can find a brief e(planation of the purpose of this #pp;. !eanwhile at the @ight side are possible see three tabs:

-ertility Parameters#'n this we e(plain each one of the parameters or

variables that we use for calculate de probability of fertility.

User Re*istration )ata#1ith the aim of quantify and take a register of

the number of users who make use of this app, Sopdet has an -ser

registration data that allows see this, because all user registered it

becomes part of our database.

A,,li!ation#This tab allows the user enter data of each variable that we

mentioned previously about her4him own soil and this way the user get

the knowledge about the probability that has the soil of be fertile.

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This people could use the app and prevented or minimied the amount of lost in a

pro8ect that involves the soil.

Why nee)s an en.ironmental en*ineer /no( ao+t the soil an) the fertility of

this?

+or an environmental engineer itBs important to know about soil and the fertility of

this because the soil itBs an important part of the development the lives of many

organisms and is an important part of the economy of many countries

't&s important recognies the role that plays the soil in the environmental regulation,

like being a filter of contaminants from atmosphere, preventing them from reaching

groundwater.

#lso they provide a good biological habitat for a big amount of species, have a biggenetic reserve, and allow the regulation of weather and many others important

functions in the environment.

'tBs also important recognie to the economic importance that soil has in a %ountry

like %olombia whose principal economic activity is the agriculture, soil provides an

optimal space for growing crops, considering the conditions that requires a fertile

soil as we could learn through this pro8ect.

#s can we see the knowledge about soil itFs an important factor for students like us

who pretend understand the environmental conditions for generate sustainable

chances and economically profitable