Syllabus - Soil Technology –II (AT402)

Agriculture Technology

Soil Technology –II (AT402)

IV-Semester

UNIT I

Soil as a source of plant nutrients; Essential and beneficial elements, criteria of essentiality, forms of nutrients in soil; Mechanisms of nutrient transport to plants, factors affecting nutrient availability to plants; Measures to overcome deficiencies and toxicities

UNIT II

Problem soils-acid, salt affected and calcareous soils, characteristics, nutrient availabilities; Reclamation-mechanical, chemical and biological methods.

UNIT III

Movement of soil water - Saturated and unsaturated flow of water, Poiseuille’s law, Darcy’s law; Hydraulic conductivity, permeability and fluidity, hydraulic diffusivity; Infiltration, Percolation, Permeability, Drainage; Solute transport, movement of chemicals in soil-root continuum; Quality of irrigation water and its appraisal.

UNIT IV

Soil fertility-Different approaches for soil fertility evaluation; Methods, soil testing-Chemical methods, critical levels of different nutrients in soil; Soil test based fertilizer recommendation to crops; Factors influencing nutrient use efficiency ( NUE) in respect of N,P,K,S, Fe and Zn fertilizer; Source, method and scheduling of nutrients for different soils and crops grown under rainfed and irrigated conditions.

Course Objective

The course introduces students to advance knowledge related to the management of soil health and improvement of soil fertility for higher crop production.

Course Outcome

After successful completion of the course, students are expected to possess basic understanding and knowledge towards better management of soil fertility to support higher crop production and maintenance of soil health.

Practicals

  • Principles of analytical Instruments and their calibration and applications

  • Colorimetry and flame photometry

  • Estimation of cation exchange capacity

  • Estimation of available N, P, K, S and Zn in soils

  • Preparation of interpretative reports of soil analysis and fertilizer recommendation

  • Lime requirement and gypsum requirement of problem soils

  • Evaluation of liquid and plastic limits

  • Soil compaction test

  • Evaluation of water retention characteristics of soil

  • Measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil

  • Measurement of infiltration rate

Reference Books

  • Soils and soil fertility – C.M. Thomson and F.R. Troeh

  • Soil fertility and fertilizers – S.L.Tisdale, W.L.Nelson, J.D. Beaton and J.L. Havlin

  • Soil Chemistry – Kim H. Tan