M.Sc. in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry

 M.Sc. in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry

SOIL SCIENCE 

Course Structure - at a Glance 

 

• COURSE TITLE 
• SOIL PHYSICS  
• SOIL FERTILITY AND FERTILIZER USE 
• SOIL CHEMISTRY 
• SOIL MINERALOGY, GENESIS, CLASSIFICATION AND SURVEY 
• SOIL EROSION AND CONSERVATION PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY 
• SOIL BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 
• GEOMORPHOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY 
• RADIOISOTOPES IN SOIL AND PLANT STUDIES 
• SOIL, WATER AND AIR POLLUTION 
• REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TECHNIQUES FOR SOIL AND CROP STUDIES  
• ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND INSTRUMENTAL 
• METHODS IN SOIL AND PLANT ANALYSIS 
• SYSTEM APPROACHES IN SOIL AND CROP STUDIES 
• MANAGEMENT OF PROBLEMATIC SOILS AND WATER 
• FERTILIZER TECHNOLOGY 
• LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION  
• MASTER'S SEMINAR MASTER'S RESEARCH 
• ADVANCE IN SOIL PHYSICS 
• ADVANCES IN SOIL FERTILITY 
• PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF SOILS 
• SOIL GENESIS AND MICROPEDOLOGY 
• BIOCHEMISTRY OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER 
• LAND USE PLANNING AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT 
• DOCTORAL SEMINAR I DOCTORAL SEMINAR II 
• DOCTORAL RESEARCH 

 

SOIL SCIENCE  

Course Contents  

 

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SOIL PHYSICS

Objective  

• To impart basic knowledge about soil physical properties and processes in  relation to plant growth.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Scope  of soil physics and  its relation  with  other  branches  of  soil  science;  soil as a three phase system.  
• UNIT II  
• Soil texture, textural classes, mechanical analysis, specific surface.  
• UNIT III  
• Soil consistence; dispersion and workability  of soils;  soil  compaction  and  consolidation; soil strength; swelling and shrinkage - basic concepts.  
• UNIT IV  
• Soil   structure   -   genesis,   types,   characterization   and   management   soil  structure; soil aggregation, aggregate stability; soil tilth,   characteristics of  good soil tilth; soil crusting - mechanism, factors affecting and evaluation;  soil  conditioners;  puddling,  its  effect  on  soil  physical  properties;  clod  formation.  
• UNIT V  
• Soil water: content and potential, soil water retention, soil-water constants,  measurement  of  soil  water  content,  energy  state  of  soil  water,  soil  water  potential,  soil-moisture    characteristic  curve;  hysteresis,  measurement  of  soil-moisture potential.  
• UNIT VI  
• Water  flow  in  saturated  and  unsaturated  soils,  Poiseuille's  law,  Darcy's  law; hydraulic conductivity, permeability and fluidity, hydraulic diffusivity;  measurement of hydraulic conductivity in saturated and unsaturated soils.  
• UNIT VII  
• Infiltration;  internal  drainage  and  redistribution;  evaporation;  hydrologic  cycle, field water balance; soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.  
• UNIT IX  
• Composition of soil air; renewal of soil air - convective flow and diffusion;  measurement  of  soil  aeration;  aeration  requirement  for  plant  growth;  soil  air management.  
• UNIT X  
• Modes  of  energy  transfer  in  soils;  energy  balance;  thermal  properties  of  soil; measurement of soil temperature; soil temperature in relation to plant  growth; soil temperature management. 

 

Practical  

• Mechanical analysis by pipette and international methods  
• Measurement of Atterberg limits  
• Aggregate analysis - dry and wet  
• Measurement of soil-water content by different methods  
• Measurement of soil-water potential by using tensiometer and gypsum  blocks  
• Determination of soil-moisture characteristics curve and computation of  pore-size distribution  
• Determination of hydraulic conductivity under saturated and unsaturated  conditions  
• Determination of infiltration rate of soil  
• Determination of aeration porosity and oxygen diffusion rate  
• Soil temperature measurements by different methods  
• Estimation of water balance components in bare and cropped fields  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Baver LD, Gardner WH & Gardner WR. 1972. Soil Physics. John Wiley &  Sons.  
• Ghildyal BP & Tripathi RP. 2001. Soil Physics. New Age International.  
• Hanks JR & Ashcroft GL.  1980. Applied Soil Physics. Springer Verlag.  
• Hillel D. 1972. Optimizing the Soil Physical Environment toward Greater  Crop Yields. Academic Press.  
• Hillel D. 1980. Applications of Soil Physics. Academic Press.  
• Hillel D. 1980. Fundamentals of Soil Physics. Academic Press.  
• Hillel D. 1998. Environmental Soil Physics. Academic Press.  
• Hillel  D.  2003.  Introduction  to  Environmental  Soil  Physics.  Academic  Press.  
• Indian Society of Soil Science. 2002. Fundamentals of Soil Science. ISSS,  New Delhi.  
• Kirkham   D   &   Powers   WL.   1972.   Advanced   Soil   Physics.   Wiley-  Interscience.  
• Kohnke H. 1968. Soil Physics. McGraw Hill.  
• Lal R  & Shukla MK. 2004. Principles of Soil Physics. Marcel Dekker.  
• Oswal MC. 1994. Soil Physics. Oxford & IBH.  
• Saha AK. 2004. Text Book of Soil Physics. Kalyani.  

 

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Objective  

SOIL FERTILITY AND FERTILIZER USE  

• To impart knowledge about soil fertility and its control, and to understand  the role of fertilizers and manures in supplying nutrients to plants so as to  achieve high fertilizer use efficiency.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Soil   fertility   and   soil   productivity;   nutrient   sources   -   fertilizers   and  manures; essential plant nutrients - functions and deficiency symptoms.  
• UNIT II  
• Soil   and   fertilizer   nitrogen   -   sources,   forms,   immobilization   and  mineralization,  nitrification,  denitrification;  biological  nitrogen  fixation  -  types,   mechanism,   microorganisms   and   factors   affecting;   nitrogenous  fertilizers  and  their  fate  in  soils;  management  of  fertilizer  nitrogen  in  lowland and upland conditions for high fertilizer use efficiency.  
• UNIT III  
• Soil  and  fertilizer  phosphorus  -  forms,  immobilization,  mineralization,  reactions in acid and alkali soils; factors affecting phosphorus availability  in  soils;  phosphatic  fertilizers  -  behavior  in  soils  and  management  under  field conditions.  
• UNIT IV  
• Potassium  -  forms,  equilibrium  in  soils  and  its  agricultural  significance;  mechanism  of  potassium  fixation;  management  of  potassium  fertilizers  under field conditions.  
• UNIT V  
• Sulphur - source, forms, fertilizers and their behavior in soils; calcium and  magnesium-  factors  affecting  their  availability  in  soils;  management  of  sulphur, calcium and magnesium fertilizers.  
• UNIT VI  
• Micronutrients  -  critical  limits  in  soils  and  plants;  factors  affecting  their  availability and correction of their deficiencies in plants; role of chelates in  nutrient availability.  
• UNIT VII  
• Common   soil   test   methods   for   fertilizer   recommendations;   quantity-  intensity  relationships;  soil  test  crop  response  correlations  and  response  functions.  
• UNIT VIII  
• Fertilizer  use  efficiency;  blanket  fertilizer  recommendations  -  usefulness  and   limitations;   site-specific   nutrient   management;   plant   need   based  nutrient management; integrated nutrient management.  
• UNIT IX  
• Soil fertility evaluation - biological methods, soil, plant and tissue tests; soil  quality in relation to sustainable agriculture.  

 

Practical  

• Principles of colorimetry  
• Flame-photometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy  
• Chemical analysis of soil for total and available nutrients  
• Analysis of plants for essential elements  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Brady NC & Weil RR. 2002. The Nature and Properties of Soils. 13   Ed.  th  Pearson Edu.  
• Kabata-Pendias A & Pendias H. 1992. Trace Elements in Soils and Plants.  CRC Press.  
• Kannaiyan    S,    Kumar    K    &    Govindarajan    K.    2004.    Biofertilizers  Technology. Scientific Publ.  
• Leigh JG. 2002. Nitrogen Fixation at the Millennium. Elsevier.  
• Mengel K & Kirkby EA. 1982.  Principles of Plant Nutrition. International  Potash Institute, Switzerland.  
• Mortvedt JJ, Shuman LM, Cox FR & Welch RM. 1991. Micronutrients in  Agriculture. 2    Ed. SSSA, Madison.  
• Pierzinsky  GM,  Sims  TJ  &  Vance  JF.  2002.  Soils  and  Environmental  Quality. 2    Ed. CRC Press.  
• Stevenson   FJ   &   Cole   MA.   1999.   Cycles   of   Soil:   Carbon,   Nitrogen,  Phosphorus, Sulphur, Micronutrients. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Tisdale  SL,  Nelson  SL,  Beaton  JD  &  Havlin  JL.  1999.  Soil  Fertility  and  Fertilizers. 5   Ed. Prentice Hall of India.  
• Troeh FR & Thompson LM. 2005. Soils and Soil Fertility. Blackwell.  

 

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SOIL CHEMISTRY

Objective  

• To  introduce  the  classical  concepts  of  soil  chemistry  and  to  familiarize  students  with  modern  developments  in  chemistry  of  soils  in  relation  to  using soils as a medium for plant growth.  
• UNIT I  
• Chemical (elemental) composition of the earth's crust and soils.  
• UNIT II  
• Elements     of     equilibrium     thermodynamics,     chemical     equilibria,  electrochemistry and chemical kinetics.  
• UNIT III  
• Soil colloids:  inorganic and organic colloids - origin of charge, concept of  point  of  zero-charge  (PZC)  and  its  dependence  on  variable-charge  soil  components,  surface  charge  characteristics  of  soils;  diffuse  double  layer  theories  of  soil  colloids,  zeta  potential,  stability,  coagulation/flocculation  and  peptization  of  soil  colloids;  electrometric  properties  of  soil  colloids;  sorption  properties  of  soil  colloids;  soil  organic  matter  -  fractionation  of  soil organic matter and different fractions, clay-organic interactions. 
• UNIT IV  
• Ion exchange processes in soil; cation exchange- theories based on law of  mass    action    (Kerr-Vanselow,    Gapon    equations,    hysteresis,    Jenny's  concept),  adsorption  isotherms,  donnan-membrane  equilibrium  concept,  clay-membrane       electrodes       and       ionic       activity       measurement,  thermodynamics, statistical mechanics; anion and ligand exchange - inner-  sphere and outer-sphere surface complex formation, fixation of oxyanions,  hysteresis in sorption-desorption of oxy-anions and anions, shift of PZC on  ligand exchange, AEC, CEC; experimental methods to study ion exchange  phenomena and practical implications in plant nutrition.  
• UNIT V  
• Potassium,  phosphate  and  ammonium  fixation  in  soils  covering  specific  and  non-specific  sorption;  precipitation-dissolution  equilibria;  step  and  constant-rate K; management aspects.  
• UNIT VI  
• Chemistry   of   acid   soils;   active   and   potential   acidity;   lime   potential,  chemistry of acid soils; sub-soil acidity.  
• UNIT VII  
• Chemistry of salt-affected soils and amendments; soil pH, EC e, ESP, SAR  and important relations; soil management and amendments.  
• UNIT VIII  
• Chemistry and electrochemistry of submerged soils.  

 

Practical  

• Determination of CEC and AEC of soils  
• Analysis  of equilibrium soil solution  for pH,  EC,  E h  by  the  use  of E h-pH  meter and conductivity meter  
• Determination   of   point   of   zero-charge   and   associated   surface   charge  characteristics by the serial potentiometric titration method  
• Potentiometric and conductometric titration of soil humic and fulvic acids  
• (E 4/E 6)  ratio  of  soil  humic  and  fulvic  acids  by  visible  spectrophotometric  studies and the ∆ (E 4/E  6) values at two pH values  
• Adsorption-desorption    of    phosphate/sulphate    by    soil    using    simple  adsorption isotherm  
• Construction      of      adsorption      envelope      of      soils      by      using  phosphate/fluoride/sulphate  and  ascertaining  the  mechanism  of  the  ligand  exchange process involved  
• Determination of titratable acidity of an acid soil by BaCl  2-TEA method  
• Determination of lime requirement of an acid soil by buffer method  
• Determination of gypsum requirement of an alkali soil  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Bear RE. 1964. Chemistry of the Soil. Oxford and IBH.  
• Bolt GH & Bruggenwert MGM. 1978. Soil Chemistry. Elsevier.  
• Greenland  DJ  &  Hayes  MHB.  1981.  Chemistry  of  Soil  Processes.  John  Wiley & Sons.  
• Greenland DJ & Hayes MHB. Chemistry of Soil Constituents. John Wiley  & Sons.  
• McBride MB. 1994. Environmental Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press.  
• Sposito  G.  1981.  The  Thermodynamics  of  Soil  Solutions.  Oxford  Univ.  Press.  
• Sposito G. 1984. The Surface Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press.  
• Sposito G. 1989. The Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press.  Stevenson FJ. 1994. Humus Chemistry. 2    Ed. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Van Olphan H. 1977. Introduction to Clay Colloid Chemistry. John Wiley  & Sons.  

 

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SOIL MINERALOGY, GENESIS, CLASSIFICATION AND SURVEY  

Objective  

• To acquaint students with basic structure of alumino-silicate minerals and  genesis of clay  minerals; soil genesis in terms of factors and processes of  soil formation, and to enable students conduct soil survey and interpret soil  survey reports in terms of land use planning.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Fundamentals   of   crystallography,   space   lattice,   coordination   theory,  isomorphism and polymorphism.  
• UNIT II  
• Classification,   structure,   chemical   composition   and   properties   of   clay  minerals; genesis and transformation of crystalline and non-crystalline clay  minerals;  identification  techniques;  amorphous  soil  constituents  and  other  non-crystalline  silicate  minerals  and  their  identification;  clay  minerals  in  Indian soils.  
• UNIT III  
• Factors  of  soil  formation,  soil  formation  models;  soil  forming  processes;  weathering  of  rocks  and  mineral  transformations;  soil  profile;  weathering  sequences of minerals with special reference to Indian soils.  
• UNIT IV  
• Concept   of   soil   individual;   soil   classification   systems   -   historical  developments   and   modern   systems   of   soil   classification   with   special  emphasis  on  soil  taxonomy;  soil  classification,  soil  mineralogy  and  soil  maps - usefulness.  
• UNIT V  
• Soil   survey   and   its   types;  soil   survey   techniques   -   conventional   and  modern;  soil  series  -  characterization  and  procedure  for  establishing  soil  series;  benchmark  soils  and  soil  correlations;  soil  survey  interpretations;  soil  mapping,  thematic  soil  maps,  cartography,  mapping  units,  techniques  for generation of soil maps. 
• UNIT VI  
• Landform  -  soil  relationship;  major  soil  groups  of  India  with  special  reference   to   respective   states;   land   capability   classification   and   land  irrigability   classification;  land  evaluation   and  land  use  type  (LUT)  -  concept and application; approaches for managing soils and landscapes in  the framework of agro-ecosystem.  

 

Practical  

• Identification and quantification of minerals in soil fractions  
• Morphological properties of soil profile in different landforms  
• Classification of soils using soil taxonomy  
• Calculation of weathering indices and its application in soil formation  
• Grouping soils using available data base in terms of soil quality  
• Aerial photo and satellite data interpretation for soil and land use  
• Cartographic techniques for preparation of base maps and thematic maps,  processing of field sheets, compilation and obstruction of maps in different  scales  
• Land use planning exercises using conventional and RS tools  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Brady NC & Weil RR. 2002. The Nature and Properties of Soils. 13   Ed.  th  Pearson Edu.  
• Buol  EW,  Hole  ED,  MacCracken  RJ  &  Southard  RJ.  1997.  Soil  Genesis  and Classification. 4   Ed. Panima Publ. th   
• Dixon JB & Weed SB. 1989. Minerals in Soil Environments. 2    Ed. Soil  nd  
• Science Society of America, Madison.  
• Grim RE. 1968. Clay Mineralogy. McGraw Hill.  
• Indian Society of Soil Science 2002. Fundamentals of Soil Science. ISSS,  New Delhi.  
• Sehgal J. 2002.   Introductory Pedology: Concepts and Applications. New  Delhi  
• Sehgal J. 2002. Pedology - Concepts and Applications. Kalyani.  USDA. 1999. Soil Taxonomy. Hand Book No. 436. 2    Ed. USDA NRCS,  Washington.  
• Wade   FA   &   Mattox   RB.   1960.   Elements   of   Crystallography   and  Mineralogy. Oxford & IBH.  
• Wilding LP & Smeck NE. 1983. Pedogenesis and Soil Taxonomy: II. The  Soil Orders. Elsevier.  
• Wilding NE & Holl GF. (Eds.). 1983. Pedogenesis and Soil Taxonomy. I.  Concept and Interaction. Elsevier.  

 

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SOIL EROSION AND CONSERVATION

Objective  

• To enable students to understand various types of soil erosion and measures  to be taken for controlling soil erosion to conserve soil and water.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• History, distribution, identification and description of soil erosion problems  in India.  
• UNIT II  
• Forms  of  soil  erosion;  effects  of  soil  erosion  and  factors  affecting  soil  erosion; types and mechanisms of water erosion; raindrops and soil erosion;  rainfall  erosivity  -  estimation  as  EI30  index  and  kinetic  energy;  factors  affecting  water  erosion;  empirical  and  quantitative  estimation  of  water  erosion;  methods  of  measurement  and  prediction  of  runoff;  soil  losses  in  relation to soil properties and precipitation.  
• UNIT III  
• Wind erosion- types, mechanism and factors affecting wind erosion; extent  of problem in the country.  UNIT IV  
• Principles of erosion control; erosion control measures - agronomical and  engineering; erosion control structures - their design and layout.  UNIT V  
• Soil conservation planning; land capability classification; soil conservation  in   special   problem   areas   such   as   hilly,   arid   and   semi-arid   regions,  waterlogged and wet lands.  
• UNIT VI  
• Watershed   management   -   concept,   objectives   and      approach;   water  harvesting and recycling; flood control in   watershed  management; socio-  economic  aspects  of  watershed  management;  case  studies  in  respect  to  monitoring   and   evaluation   of   watersheds;   use   of   remote   sensing   in  assessment and planning of watersheds.  

 

Practical  

• Determination of different soil erodibility indices - suspension percentage,  dispersion ratio, erosion ratio, clay ratio, clay/moisture equivalent ratio,  percolation ratio, raindrop erodibility index  
• Computation of kinetic energy of falling rain drops  
• Computation of rainfall erosivity index (EI  30) using rain gauge data  
• Visits to a watersheds  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Biswas TD & Narayanasamy G. (Eds.) 1996. Soil Management in Relation  to Land Degradation and Environment. Bull. Indian Society of Soil  Science No. 17.  
• Doran  JW  &  Jones  AJ.  1996.  Methods  of  Assessing  Soil  Quality.  Soil  Science Society of America, Spl Publ. No. 49, Madison, USA.  
• Gurmal Singh, Venkataramanan C, Sastry G & Joshi BP. 1990. Manual of  Soil and Water Conservation Practices. Oxford & IBH.  
• Hudson N. 1995. Soil Conservation. Iowa State Univ. Press.  
• Indian Society of Soil Science 2002. Fundamentals of Soil Science. ISSS,  New Delhi.  
• Oswal MC. 1994. Soil Physics. Oxford & IBH.  

 

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Physical Chemistry 

•  Kinetic theory of gases. First, second and third laws of thermodynamics. Free energy and work function relationships. Nernst’s heat theorem, entropy and probability, dilute solutions, colligative properties, Lechatelier principle, electrolytic dissociation, transport numbers, electrochemistry, ionic equilibria, electromotive force and electrode potential, ionic activity, phase rule, chemical kinetics, colloids, electrical phenomena – application to claywater systems.  

SOIL BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

Objective   

• To  teach  students  the  basics  of  soil  biology  and  biochemistry,  including  biogeochemical  cycles,  plant  growth  promoting  rhizobacteria,  microbial  interactions in soil and other soil activities.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Soil biota, soil microbial ecology, types of organisms in different soils; soil  microbial biomass; microbial interactions; un-culturable soil biota.  
• UNIT II  
• Microbiology  and  biochemistry  of  root-soil  interface;  phyllosphere;  soil  enzymes, origin, activities and importance; soil characteristics influencing  growth and activity of microflora.  
• UNIT III  
• Microbial   transformations   of   nitrogen,   phosphorus,   sulphur,   iron   and  manganese  in  soil;  biochemical  composition  and  biodegradation  of  soil  organic  matter  and  crop  residues,  humus  formation;  cycles  of  important  organic nutrients.  
• UNIT IV  
• Biodegradation of pesticides, organic wastes and their use for production of  biogas and manures; biotic factors in soil development; microbial toxins in  the soil.  
• UNIT V  
• Preparation  and  preservation  of  farmyard  manure,  animal  manures,  rural  and urban composts and vermicompost.  
• UNIT VI  
• Biofertilizers    -    definition,    classification,    specifications,    method    of  production and role in crop production.  

 

Practical  

• Determination of soil microbial population  
• Soil microbial biomass  
• Elemental composition, fractionation of organic matter and functional  groups  
• Decomposition of organic matter in soil  
• Soil enzymes  
• Measurement of important soil microbial processes such as  ammonification, nitrification, N 2 fixation, S oxidation, P solubilization and  mineralization of other micro nutrients  Study of rhizosphere effect  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Alexander M. 1977. Introduction to Soil Microbiology. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Burges A & Raw F. 1967. Soil Biology. Academic Press.  
• McLaren  AD  &  Peterson  GH.  1967.  Soil  Biochemistry.  Vol.  XI.  Marcel  Dekker.  
• Metting  FB.  1993.  Soil  Microbial  Ecology  -  Applications  in  Agricultural  and Environmental Management. Marcel Dekker.  
• Paul EA & Ladd JN. 1981. Soil Biochemistry. Marcel Dekker.  
• Reddy MV. (Ed.). Soil Organisms and Litter in the Tropics. Oxford & IBH.  
• Russel RS. 1977. Plant Root System: Their Functions and Interaction with  the Soil. ELBS & McGraw Hill.  
• Stotzky  G  &  Bollag  JM.  1993.  Soil  Biochemistry.  Vol.  VIII.  Marcel  Dekker.  
• Sylvia  DN.     2005.  Principles  and  Applications  of  Soil  Microbiology.  Pearson Edu.  
• Wild  A.  1993.  Soil  and  the  Environment  -  An  Introduction.  Cambridge  
• Univ. Press.  

 

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GEOMORPHOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY

Objective  

• To impart knowledge about the landforms, physiography and morphology  of the earth surface, and distribution and weathering elements in the earth  crust.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• General   introduction   to   geology   and   geochemistry,   major   and   minor  morphogenic  and  genetic  landforms,  study  of  schematic  landforms  and  their elements with special reference to India.  
• UNIT II  
• Methodology of geomorphology, its agencies, erosion and weathering; soil  and physiography relationships; erosion surface of soil landscape.  
• UNIT III  
• Geochemical    classification    of    elements;    geo-chemical    aspects    of  weathering   and   migration   of   elements;   geochemistry   of   major   and  micronutrients and trace elements.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Brikland  PW.  1999.    Soils  and  Geomorphology.  3rd      Ed.  Oxford  Univ.  Press.  
• Likens GE & Bormann FH. 1995. Geochemistry. 2    Ed. Springer Verlag.  nd  
• Mortvedt JJ, Shuman LM, Cox FR & Welch RM. 1991. Micronutrients in  Agriculture. 2nd    Ed. SSSA, Madison.  

 

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RADIOISOTOPES IN SOIL AND PLANT STUDIES

Objective  

• To train students in the use of radioisotopes in soil and plant research  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Atomic  structure,  radioactivity  and  units;  radioisotopes  -  properties  and  decay principles; nature and properties of nuclear radiations; interaction of  nuclear radiations with matter  
• UNIT II  
• Principles  and  use  of  radiation  monitoring  instruments  -  proportional,  Geiger  Muller  counter,  solid  and  liquid  scintillation  counters;  neutron  moisture meter, mass spectrometry, auto radiography  
• UNIT III  
• Isotopic  dilution  techniques  used  in  soil  and  plant  research;  use  of  stable  isotopes;  application  of  isotopes  in  studies  on  organic  matter,  nutrient  transformations, ion transport, rooting pattern and fertilizer use efficiency;  carbon dating  
• UNIT IV  
• Doses  of  radiation  exposure,  radiation  safety  aspects  regulatory  aspects,  collection, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes  
• Storage and handling of radioactive materials  
• Determination of half life and decay constant  
• Preparation of soil and plant samples for radioactive measurements  
• Setting up of experiment on fertilizer use efficiency and cation exchange  equilibria using radioisotopes  
• Determination of A, E and L values of soil using    P/    Zn  32         65  
• Use of neutron probe for moisture determination  Sample preparation and measurement of    N enrichment by mass  spectrophotometery/ emission spectrometry  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Comer CL. 1955. Radioisotopes in Biology and Agriculture: Principles and  Practice. Tata McGraw Hill.  
• Glasstone S. 1967. Source Book on Atomic Energy. East West Press.  
• Michael  FL  &  Annunziata.  2003.  Handbook  of  Radioactivity  Analysis.  Academic Press.  

 

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SOIL, WATER AND AIR POLLUTION

Objective  

• To make the students aware of the problems of soil, water and air pollution  associated with use of soils for crop production.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Soil,  water  and  air  pollution  problems  associated  with  agriculture,  nature  and extent.  
• UNIT II  
• Nature  and  sources  of  pollutants  -  agricultural,  industrial,  urban  wastes,  fertilizers  and  pesticides,  acid  rains,  oil  spills  etc.;  air,  water  and  soil  pollutants  -  their  CPC  standards  and  effect on  plants,  animals  and  human  beings.  
• UNIT III  
• Sewage  and  industrial  effluents  -  their  composition  and  effect  on  soil  properties/health,  and  plant  growth  and  human  beings;  soil  as  sink  for  waste disposal.  
• UNIT IV  
• Pesticides  -  their  classification, behavior  in  soil  and effect  on  soil  micro-  organisms.  
• UNIT V  
• Toxic  elements  -  their  sources,  behavior  in  soils,  effect  on  nutrients  availability, effect on plant and human health.  
• UNIT VI  
• Pollution  of  water  resources  due  to  leaching  of  nutrients  and  pesticides  from  soil;  emission  of  greenhouse  gases  -  carbon  dioxide,  methane  and  nitrous oxide.  
• UNIT VIII  
• Remediation/amelioration  of  contaminated  soil  and  water;  remote  sensing  applications in monitoring and management of soil and water pollution.  
• Sampling of  sewage waters, sewage  sludge,  solid/liquid industrial wastes,  polluted soils and plants  
• Estimation  of  dissolved  and  suspended  solids,  chemical  oxygen  demand  (COD),  biological  demand  (BOD),  nitrate  and  ammoniacal  nitrogen  and  phosphorus, heavy metal content in effluents  
• Heavy metals in contaminated soils and plants  
• Management of contaminants in soil and plants to safeguard food safety  
• Air sampling and determination of particulate matter and oxides of sulphur  
• Visit to various industrial sites to study the impact of pollutants on soil and  plants  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Lal R, Kimble J, Levine E & Stewart BA. 1995. Soil Management and  Greenhouse Effect. CRC Press.  
• Middlebrooks  EJ.     1979.  Industrial  Pollution  Control.     Vol.  I.  Agro-  Industries. John Wiley Interscience.  
• Ross SM. Toxic Metals in Soil Plant Systems. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Vesilund PA & Pierce 1983. Environmental Pollution and Control.  Ann  Arbor Science Publ.  

 

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REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TECHNIQUES FOR SOIL, WATER AND CROP STUDIES  

Objective  

• To  impart  knowledge  about  the  basic  concepts  of  remote  sensing,  aerial  photographs  and  imageries, and  their  interpretation;  application  of remote  sensing  in  general  and  with  special  reference  to  soil,  plants  and  yield  forecasting;  to  impart  knowledge  about  geo-statistical  techniques  with  special reference to krigging, and GIS and  applications in agriculture.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Introduction   and   history   of   remote   sensing;   sources,   propagation   of  radiations in atmosphere; interactions with matter.  
• UNIT II  
• Sensor    systems    -    camera,    microwave    radiometers    and    scanners;  
• fundamentals              of         aerial  photographs    and      image              processing              and  interpretations.  
• UNIT III  
• Application  of  remote  sensing  techniques  -  land  use  soil  surveys,  crop  stress   and   yield   forecasting,   prioritization   in   watershed   and   drought  management, wasteland identification and management.  
• UNIT IV  
• Significance  and  sources  of  the  spatial  and  temporal  variability  in  soils;  variability  in  relation  to  size  of  sampling;  classical  and  geo-statistical  techniques of evolution of soil variability.  
• UNIT V  
• Introduction to GIS and its application for spatial and non-spatial soil and  land attributes.  
• Familiarization with different remote sensing equipments and data products  
• Interpretation of aerial photographs and satellite data for mapping of land  resources  
• Analysis of variability of different soil properties with classical and geo-  statistical techniques  
• Creation of data files in a database programme  
• Use of GIS for soil spatial simulation and analysis  
• To enable the students to conduct soil survey and interpret soil survey  reports in terms of land use planning  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Brady NC & Weil RR. 2002.  The Nature and Properties of Soils. 13 th  Ed.  Pearson Edu.  
• Elangovan K. 2006. GIS Fundamentals, Applications and Implementations.  New India Publ. Agency.  
• Lillesand   TM   &   Kiefer   RW. 1994.  Remote   Sensing   and   Image  
• Interpretation. 3   Ed.  Wiley.  rd  
• Nielsen DR & Wendroth O. 2003. Spatial and Temporal Statistics. Catena  Verlag Gmbh.  
• Star J & Esles J. 1990.  Geographic Information System: An Introduction.  Prentice Hall.  

 

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ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND INSTRUMENTAL METHODS IN SOIL AND PLANT ANALYSIS  

Objective  

• To   familiarize   the   students   with   commonly   used   instruments   -   their  working,  preparations  of  common  analytical  reagents  for  qualitative  and  quantitative analysis of both soil as well as plant samples.  

 

Practical  

• UNIT I  
• Preparation of solutions for standard curves, analytical reagents, qualitative  reagents,   indicators   and   standard   solutions   for   acid-base,   oxidation-  reduction  and  complexometric  titration;  soil,  water  and  plant  sampling  techniques, their processing and handling.  
• UNIT II  
• Determination  of  nutrient  potentials  and  potential  buffering  capacities  of  soils for phosphorus and potassium; estimation of phosphorus, ammonium  and potassium fixation capacities of soils.  
• UNIT III  
• Principles  of  visible,  ultraviolet  and  infrared  spectrophotometer,  atomic  absorption,  flame-photometry,  inductively  coupled  plasma  spectrometry;  chromatographic       techniques,       mass       spectrometry       and       X-ray  diffractometry; identification of minerals by X-ray by different methods.  
• UNIT IV  
• Electrochemical   titration   of   clays;   determination   of   cation   and   anion  exchange  capacities  of  soils;  estimation  of  exchangeable  cations  (Na,  Ca,  Mg, K); estimation of root cation exchange capacity.  
•  UNIT V  
• Analysis of soil and plant samples for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn,  B and Mo; analysis of plant materials by digesting plant materials by wet  and dry ashing and soil by wet digestion methods.  
• UNIT VI  
• Determination of lime and gypsum requirement of soil; drawing normalized  exchange isotherms; measurement of redox potential.  
• UNIT VII  
• Analysis of soil extracts and irrigation waters for their soluble cations and  anions and interpretation of results.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Hesse P. 971. Textbook of Soil Chemical Analysis. William Clowes & Sons.  
• Jackson ML. 1967. Soil Chemical Analysis. Prentice Hall of India.  
• Keith  A  Smith  1991.  Soil  Analysis;  Modern  Instrumental  Techniques.  Marcel Dekker.  
• Kenneth   Helrich   1990.   Official   Methods   of   Analysis.   Association   of  Official Analytical Chemists.  
• Page AL, Miller RH & Keeney DR. 1982. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part II.  SSSA, Madison.  
• Piper CE. Soil and Plant Analysis. Hans Publ.  
• Singh D, Chhonkar PK & Pandey RN. 1999. Soil Plant Water Analysis - A  Methods Manual. IARI, New Delhi.  
• Tan KH. 2003. Soil Sampling, Preparation and Analysis. CRC Press/Taylor  & Francis.  
• Tandon  HLS.  1993.  Methods  of  Analysis  of  Soils,  Fertilizers  and  Waters.  FDCO, New Delhi.  
• Vogel  AL.  1979.  A  Textbook  of  Quantitative  Inorganic  Analysis.  ELBS  Longman.  

 

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SYSTEM APPROACHES IN SOIL AND CROP STUDIES

Objective  

• To  train  the  students  in  concepts,  methodology,  technology  and  use  of  systems simulation in soil and crops studies.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Systems  concepts  -  definitions,  general  characteristics;  general  systems  theory; systems thinking, systems dynamics, systems behavior and systems  study.  
• UNIT II  
• Model:   definition   and   types;   mathematical   models   and   their   types;  modeling:  concepts,  objectives,  processes,  abstraction  techniques;  simulation  models,  their  verification  and  validation,  calibration;  representation  of  continuous  systems  simulation  models  -  procedural  and  declarative.  
• UNIT III  
• Simulation  -  meaning  and  threats;  simulation  experiment,  its  design  and  analysis.  
• UNIT IV  
• Application   of   simulation   models   in   understanding   system   behavior,  optimizing   system   performance,   evaluation   of   policy   options   under  different  soil,  water,  nutrient,  climatic  and  cultural  conditions;  decision  support system, use of simulation models in decision support system.  

 

Practical  

• Use of flow chart or pseudo-code in the program writing  
• Writing a small example simulation model program - declarative (in  Vensim PLE, Stella or Simile) and procedural (in Java, Fortran, QBasic or  V Basic)  
• Conducting simulation experiments in DSSAT, WOFOST or EPIC with  requirement of report and conclusion  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Benbi   DK   &   Nieder   R.   (Eds.).   2003.   Handbook   of   Processes   and  Modelling in the Soil - Plant System. Haworth Press.  
• Hanks  J  &  Ritchie  JT.  (Eds.).  1991.  Modelling  Plant  and  Soil  System.  
• Agronomy.  Bull. No 31. Soil Sci. Society of America, Madison.  
• Rajaraman V. 2004. Computer Programming in Fortran 90 and 95.  PHI.  
• Tsuji   GY,   Gerrit   H   &   Philip   T.   1998.   Understanding   Options   for  Agricultural Production. Kluwer.  von   Bertalanffy   Ludwig   1969.   General   Systems   Theory:   Foundation  Development   and   Application.   Revised   Ed.   George   Braziller  Reprint 1998.  
• Web sites  
• Documentation of the respective models. 
• (http://www.simulistics.com/  for Simile; http://www.iseesystems.com for Stella; and  http://www.vensim.com/software.html for vensim PLE)  
• http://www.icasa.net/dssat/index.html for DSSAT;  http://www.brc.tamus.edu/epic/ for EPIC  
• http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/century/ for Century  
• http://www.alterra.wur.nl/NL/for WOFOST  
• http://www.apsru.gov.au/ apsru/Default.htm for APSIM 
• http://eco.wiz.uni-kassel.de/ecobas.html online Register of ecological  models  
• Plentinger MC Penning de Vries FWT, Editors (1996) CAMASE  
• Register of Agro-ecosystems Models. DLO-Research Institute for  
• Agrobiology and Soil Fertility (AB-DLO)  o    Agricultural Systems - Elsevier at  http://www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home /405851  
• Ecological Modeling - Elsevier at  http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolmodel  

 

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MANAGEMENT OF PROBLEM SOILS AND WATERS  

Objective  

• To  educate  students  about  basic  concepts  of  problem  soils  and  brackish  water, and their management. Attention will be on management of problem  soils and safe use of brackish water in relation to crop production.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Area and distribution of problem soils - acidic, saline, sodic and physically  degraded  soils;  origin  and  basic  concept  of  problematic  soils,  and  factors  responsible.  
• UNIT II  
• Morphological  features  of saline,  sodic  and  saline-sodic  soils;  characterization  of  salt-affected  soils  -  soluble  salts,  ESP,  pH;  physical,  chemical and microbiological properties.  
• UNIT III  
• Management of salt-affected soils; salt tolerance of crops - mechanism and  ratings; monitoring of soil salinity in the field; management principles for  sandy, clayey, red lateritic and dry land soils.  
• UNIT IV  
• Acid  soils  -  nature  of  soil  acidity,  sources  of  soil  acidity;  effect  on  plant  growth,   lime   requirement   of   acid   soils;   management   of   acid   soils;  biological sickness of soils and its management.  
• UNIT V  
• Quality  of  irrigation  water;  management  of  brackish  water  for  irrigation;  salt balance under irrigation; characterization of brackish waters, area and  extent; relationship in water use and quality.  
• UNIT VI  
• Agronomic  practices  in  relation  to  problematic  soils;  cropping  pattern  for  utilizing poor quality ground waters.  

 

Practical  

• Characterization of acid, acid sulfate, salt-affected and calcareous soils  
• Determination of cations (Na , K  , Ca    and Mg   ) in ground water and soil  +       +         ++              ++  samples  
• Determination of anions (Cl , SO   , CO -       4 --       3 -- and HCO 3 ) in ground waters and  - soil samples  
• Lime and gypsum requirements of acid and sodic soils  Suggested Readings  
• Bear FE. 1964.  Chemistry of the Soil. Oxford & IBH.  
• Jurinak   JJ.   1978.   Salt-affected   Soils.   Department   of   Soil   Science   &  Biometeorology. Utah State Univ.  
• USDA Handbook No. 60. 1954. Diagnosis and improvement of Saline and  Alkali Soils. Oxford & IBH.  

 

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FERTILIZER TECHNOLOGY 

Objective  

• To  impart  knowledge  about  how  different  fertilizers  are  manufactured  using  different  kinds  of  raw  materials  and  handling  of  fertilizers  and  manures.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Fertilizers - production, consumption and future projections with regard to  nutrient use in the country and respective states; fertilizer control order.  
• UNIT II  
• Manufacturing   processes   for   different   fertilizers   using   various   raw  materials, characteristics and nutrient contents.  
• UNIT III  
• Recent  developments  in  secondary  and  micronutrient  fertilizers  and  their  quality control as per fertilizer control order.  
• UNIT IV  
• New and emerging issues in fertilizer technology - production and use of  slow   and   controlled   release   fertilizers,   supergranules   fertilizers   and  fertilizers for specific crops/situations.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Brady NC & Weil RR. 2002. The Nature and Properties of Soils. Pearson  Edu.  
• Fertilizer  (Control)  Order,  1985  and  the  Essential  Commodities  Act.  FAI  New Delhi.  
• Kanwar JS. (Ed.). 1976. Soil Fertility: Theory and Practice. ICAR.  
• Olson RA, Army TS, Hanway JJ & Kilmer VJ. 1971. Fertilizer Technology  and Use. 2    Ed. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Madison.  
• Prasad   R   &   Power   JF.   Soil   Fertility   Management   for   Sustainable  Agriculture. CRC Press.  
• Tisdale  SL,  Nelson  SL,  Beaton  JD  &  Havlin  JL.  1999.  Soil  Fertility  and  Fertilizers.  McMillan Publ.  
• Vogel AI. 1979. Textbook of Quantitative Inorganic Analysis. ELBS.  

 

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LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION

Objective  

• To  impart  knowledge  related  to  various  factors  and  processes  of  land  degradation and their restoration techniques.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Type, factors and processes of soil/land degradation and its impact on soil  productivity, including soil fauna, biodegradation and environment.  
• UNIT II  
• Land restoration and conservation techniques - erosion control, reclamation  of   salt-affected   soils;   mine   land   reclamation,   afforestation,   organic  products.  
• UNIT III  
• Extent,  diagnosis  and  mapping  of  land  degradation  by  conventional  and  modern  RS-GIS  tools;  monitoring  land  degradation  by  fast  assessment,  modern  tools,  land  use  policy,  incentives  and  participatory  approach  for  reversing land degradation; global issues for twenty first century.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Biswas TD & Narayanasamy G. (Eds.). 1996. Soil Management in Relation  to  Land  Degradation  and  Environment.  Bull.  Indian  Soc.  Soil  Sci.  17, New Delhi.  
• Doran  JW  &  Jones  AJ.  1996.  Methods  of  Assessing  Soil  Quality.  Soil  Science Society of America, Madison.  
• Greenland  DJ  &  Szabolcs  I.  1994.  Soil  Resilience  and  Sustainable  Land  Use. CABI.  
• Lal  R,  Blum  WEH,  Vailentine  C  &  Stewart  BA.  1997.  Methods  for  Assessment of Soil Degradation. CRC Press.  
• Sehgal J & Abrol IP. 1994. Soil Degradation in India - Status and Impact.  Oxford & IBH.  

 

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ADVANCES IN SOIL PHYSICS

Objective         

• To provide knowledge of modern concepts in soil physics.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Soil-water        interactions,    soil       water  potential,         free      energy             and  thermodynamic basis of potential concept, chemical potential of soil water  and entropy of the system.  
• UNIT II  
• Fundamentals  of  fluid  flow,  Poiseuilles  law,  Laplace's  equation,  Darcy's  law   in   saturated   and   unsaturated   flows;   development   of   differential  equations  in  saturated  and  unsaturated  water  flow,  capillary  conductivity  and  diffusivity;  limitations  of  Darcy's  law;  numerical  solution  for  one  dimensional water flow.  
• UNIT III  
• Theories  of  horizontal  and  vertical  infiltration  under  different  boundary  conditions.  
• UNIT IV  
• Movement of salts in soils,  models for  miscible-immiscible displacement,  diffusion,  mass flow and dispersion of solutes and their solutions through  differential equations; break-through curves.  
• UNIT V  
• Soil air and aeration, mass flow and diffusion processes; thermal properties  of   soil,   heat   transfer   in   soils,   differential   equation   of   heat   flow,  measurement of thermal conductivity of soil. 
• UNIT VI  
• Soil crust and clod formation; structural management of puddled rice soils;  soil   conditioning-   concept,   soils   conditioners   -   types,   characteristics,  working principles, significance in agriculture.  
• UNIT VII  
• Solar and terrestrial radiation measurement, dissipation and distribution in  soil-crop systems; prediction of evapotranspiration using aerodynamic and  canopy  temperature-based  models;  canopy  temperature  and  leaf  diffusion  resistance  in  relation  to  plant  water  deficit;  evaluation  of  soil  and  plant  water status using infra-red thermometer.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Baver LD, Gardner WH & Gardner WR. 1972. Soil Physics. John Wiley &  Sons.  
• Hanks and Ascheroft. 1980. Applied Soil Physics. Springer Verlag.  
• Hillel D. 1980. Applications of Soil Physics. Academic Press.  
• Hillel D. 1980. Environmental Soil Physics. Academic Press.  
• Indian Society of Soil Science 2002. Fundamentals of Soil Science. ISSS,  New Delhi.  
• Kirkham   D   &   Powers   WL.   1972.   Advanced   Soil   Physics.   Wiley  Interscience.  
• Lal R & Shukla MK. 2004. Principles of Soil Physics. Marcel Dekker.  Oswal MC.1994. Soil Physics. Oxford & IBH.  

 

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ADVANCES IN SOIL FERTILITY 

Objective  

• To provide knowledge of modern concepts of soil fertility and nutrient use  in crop production.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Modern  concepts  of  nutrient  availability;  soil  solution  and  plant  growth;  nutrient response functions and availability indices.  
• UNIT II  
• Nutrient  movement  in  soils;  nutrient  absorption  by  plants;  mechanistic  approach    to    nutrient    supply    and    uptake    by    plants;    models    for  transformation and movement of major micronutrients in soils. 
• UNIT III  
• Chemical  equilibria  (including  solid-solution  equilbria)  involving  nutrient  ions in soils, particularly in submerged soils. 
• UNIT IV  
• Modern   concepts   of   fertilizer   evaluation,   nutrient   use   efficiency   and  nutrient budgeting.  
• UNIT V  
• Modern    concepts    in    fertilizer    application;    soil    fertility    evaluation  techniques; role of soil tests in fertilizer use recommendations; site-specific  nutrient management for precision agriculture.  
• UNIT VI  
• Monitoring  physical,  chemical and  biological changes  in  soils;  permanent  manurial trials and long-term fertilizer experiments; soil productivity under  long-term  intensive  cropping;  direct,  residual  and  cumulative  effect  of  fertilizer use.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Barber SA. 1995. Soil Nutrient Bioavailability. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Barker  V  Allen  &  Pilbeam  David  J.  2007.  Handbook  of  Plant  Nutrition.  CRC / Taylor & Francis.  
• Brady NC & Weil RR. 2002. The Nature and Properties of Soils. 13   Ed.  th  Pearson Educ.  
• Cooke  GW.  1979.  The  Control  of  Soil  Fertility.  Crossby  Lockwood  &  Sons.  
• Epstein E. 1987. Mineral Nutrition of Plants - Principles and Perspectives.  
• International Potash Institute, Switzerland.  
• Kabata-  Pendias  Alina  2001.  Trace  Elements  in  Soils  and  Plants.  CRC  /  Taylor & Francis.  
• Kannaiyan    S,    Kumar    K    &    Govindarajan    K.    2004.    Biofertilizers  Technology. Scientific Publ.  
• Mortvedt   JJ,   Shuman   LM,   Cox   FR   &   Welch   RM.   (Eds.).   1991.  Ed.  Soil  Science  Society  of  Micronutrients  in  Agriculture.  2  
• America, Madison.  
• Prasad  R  &  Power  JF.  1997.  Soil  Fertility  Management  for  Sustainable  Agriculture. CRC Press.  
• Stevenson   FJ   &   Cole   MA.   1999.   Cycles   of   Soil:   Carbon,   Nitrogen,  Phosphorus, Sulphur, Micronutrients. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Stevenson  FJ.  (Ed.).  1982.  Nitrogen  in  Agricultural  Soils.  Soil  Science  Society of America, Madison.  
• Tisdale SL, Nelson WL, Beaton JD & Havlin JL. 1990. Soil Fertility and  Fertilizers.  5   Ed.  Macmillan Publ. th             
• Wild A. (Ed.).  1988. Russell's Soil Conditions and Plant Growth. 11   Ed.  th  Longman.  

 

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PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF SOILS

Objective  

• To impart knowledge about modern concepts of physical chemistry of soils  and  clays,  with  emphasis  on  understanding  the  processes  involved  with  practical significance.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Colloidal  chemistry  of  inorganic  and  organic  components  of  soils  -  their  formation, clay organic interaction.  
• UNIT II  
• Predictive  approaches  for  cation  exchange  equilibria  -  thermodynamics,  empirical  and  diffuse  double  layer  theory  (DDL)  -  relationships  among  different selectivity coefficients; structure and properties of diffuse double  layer.  
• UNIT III  
• Thermodynamics of nutrient transformations in soils; cationic and anionic  exchange and their models, molecular interaction.  
• UNIT IV  
• Adsorption/desorption    isotherms    -    Langmuir    adsorption    isotherm,  Freundlich   adsorption   isotherm,   normalized   exchange   isotherm,   BET  equation;   selective   and   non-selective   adsorption   of   ions   on   inorganic  surfaces   and   organic   surfaces   of   soil   materials   (citation   of   utility   in  agricultural system).  
• UNIT V  
• Common  solubility  equilibria  -  carbonates,  iron  oxide  and  hydroxides,  aluminum   silicate,   aluminum   phosphate;   electrochemical   properties   of  clays (citation of examples from agricultural use).  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Bear RE. 1964. Chemistry of the Soil. Oxford & IBH.  
• Bolt GH & Bruggenwert MGM. 1978. Soil Chemistry. Elsevier.  
• Fried M & Broeshart H. 1967. Soil Plant System in Relation to Inorganic  Nutrition.  Academic Press.  
• Greenland  DJ  &  Hayes  MHB.  1981.  Chemistry  of  Soil  Processes.  John  Wiley & Sons.  
• Greenland DJ & Hayes MHB. 1978. Chemistry of Soil Constituents. John  Wiley & Sons.  
• Jurinak  JJ.  1978.  Chemistry  of  Aquatic  Systems.  Dept.  of  Soil  Science  &  Biometeorology, Utah State Univ.  
• McBride MB. 1994. Environmental Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press. 
• Sparks DL. 1999. Soil Physical Chemistry. 2    Ed. CRC Press.  
• Sposito  G.  1981.  The  Thermodynamics  of  Soil  Solutions.  Oxford  Univ.  Press.  
• Sposito G. 1984. The Surface Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press.  
• Sposito G. 1989. The Chemistry of Soils. Oxford Univ. Press.  
• Stevenson FJ. 1994. Humus Chemistry. 2    Ed. John Wiley.  
• van Olphan H. 1977. Introduction to Clay Colloid Chemistry. John Wiley  & Sons.  

 

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SOIL GENESIS AND MICROPEDOLOGY

Objective  

• To   impart   knowledge  about   the  pedogenic   processes   in   soils   and   to  acquaint with the micro-pedological study of soil profile.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Pedogenic evolution of soils; soil composition and characterization.  
• UNIT II  
• Weathering and soil formation - factors and pedogenic processes; stability  and weathering sequences of minerals.  
• UNIT III  
• Assessment  of  soil  profile  development  by  mineralogical  and  chemical  analysis.  
• UNIT IV  
• Micro-pedological features of soils - their structure, fabric analysis, role in  genesis and classification.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Boul SW, Hole ED, MacCraken RJ & Southard RJ. 1997. Soil Genesis and  
• Classification. 4   Ed. Panima Publ.  
• Brewer  R.  1976.  Fabric  and  Mineral  Analysis  of  Soils.    John  Wiley  &  Sons.  

 

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BIOCHEMISTRY OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER

Objective  

• To   impart   knowledge   related   to   chemistry   and   reactions   of   organic  substances and their significance in soils.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Organic matter pools in soil; composition and distribution of organic matter  in  soil  and  its  functions;  environmental  significance  of  humic  substances;  decomposition  of  organic  residues  in  soil  in  relation  to  organic  matter  pools.  
• UNIT II  
• Biochemistry   of   the   humus   formation;   different   pathways   for   humus  synthesis in soil; soil carbohydrates and lipids.  
• UNIT III  
• Nutrient  transformation  -  N,  P,  S;  trace  metal  interaction  with  humic  substances, significance of chelation reactions in soils.  
• UNIT IV  
• Reactive  functional  groups  of  humic  substances,  adsorption  of  organic  compounds  by  clay  and  role  of  organic  substances  in  pedogenic  soil  aggregation processes; clay-organic matter complexes.  
• UNIT V  
• Humus - pesticide interactions in soil, mechanisms.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• Beck   AJ,   Jones   KC,   Hayes   MHB   &   Mingelgrin   U.   1993.   Organic  
• Substances   in   Soil   and   Water:   Natural   Constituents   and   their  
• Influences on Contaminant Behavior. Royal Society  of Chemistry,  
• London.  
• Gieseking   JE.   1975.   Soil   Components.   Vol.   1.   Organic   Components.  Springer-Verlag.  
• Kristiansen P, Taji A & Reganold J. 2006. Organic Agriculture: A Global  Perspective.  CSIRO Publ.  
• Magdoff   F   &   Weil   RR   2004.   Soil   Organic   Matter   in   Sustainable  Agriculture. CRC Press.  
• Mercky  R  &  Mulongoy  K.  1991.  Soil  Organic  Matter  Dynamics  and  Sustainability of Tropical Agriculture. John Wiley & Sons.  
• Paul EA. 1996. Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry.  Academic Press.  
• Stevenson   FJ.   1994.   Humus   Chemistry   -   Genesis,   Composition   and  Reactions.  John Wiley & Sons.  

 

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LAND USE PLANNING AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT  

Objective  

• To teach the better utilization of land for agricultural purposes, and better  management  of  run-off  or  surplus/excessive  rain-water  in  the  catchment  area for agricultural purposes in a watershed.  

 

Theory  

• UNIT I  
• Concept  and  techniques  of  land  use  planning;  factors  governing  present  land use.  
• UNIT II  
• Land  evaluation  methods  and  soil-site  suitability  evaluation  for  different  crops; land capability classification and constraints in application.  
• UNIT III  
• Agro-ecological  regions/sub-regions  of  India  and  their  characteristics  in  relation to crop production.  
• UNIT IV  
• Water   harvesting   -   concept,   significance,   types,   methodology;   use   of  harvested water in agriculture to increase water productivity.  
• UNIT V  
• Watershed        development/management        -        concept,        objectives,  characterization,    planning,    execution,    community    participation    and  evaluation; rehabilitation of watershed; PRA; developing economically and  ecologically sustainable agro-forestry systems for watershed; case studies.  

 

Suggested Readings  

• All  India  Soil  and  Land  Use  Survey  Organisation  1970.  Soil  Survey  Manual. IARI, New Delhi.  
• FAO. 1976. A Framework for Land Evaluation, Handbook 32. FAO.  
• Sehgal  JL,  Mandal  DK,  Mandal  C  &  Vadivelu  S.  1990.  Agro-Ecological  Regions of India. NBSS & LUP, Nagpur.  
• Soil Survey  Staff 1998. Keys to  Soil Taxonomy.  8    Ed. USDA & NRCS,  Washington, DC.  
• USDA  1974.  A  Manual  on  Conservation  of  Soil  and  Water  Handbook  of  Professional Agricultural Workers. Oxford & IBH.  

 

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SOIL SCIENCE 

List of Journals 

• Advances in Agronomy 
• Annals of Arid Zone 
• Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 
• Australian Journal of Soil Research 
• Biology and Fertility of Soils 
• Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 
• Clays and Clay minerals 
• European Journal of Soil Science 
• Geoderma 
• Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 
• Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 
• Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science 
• Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 
• Plant and Soil 
• Soil and Tillage Research 
• Soil Biology and Biochemistry 
• Soil Science 
• Soil Science Society of America Journal 
• Soil Use and Management 
• Water, Air and Soil Pollution 
• Water Resources Research 

 

Suggested Broad Topics for Master’s and Doctoral Research 

• Degradation and restoration of soil as natural resource 
• Biochemistry of processes at the soil-root interface 
• Impact of current agricultural practices and agrochemicals on soil quality/biodiversity 
• Integrated nutrient management for sustainable agriculture 
• Fertilizer use efficiency in different soil conditions/cropping systems 
• Use of remote sensing and GIS as diagnostic tool for natural resource management 
• Role of biological agents in soil productivity 
• Modeling solute (salt, fertilizer, pesticides) transport in soil 
• Use of poor quality waters in Agriculture 
• Soil testing and crop response 
• Site-specific nutrient management and precision agriculture 
• Nutrient dynamics in soil-plant system and modeling nutrient uptake 
• Tillage and crop residue management in crop production 
• Utilization of urban and industrial wastes/effluents in Agriculture 
• Management of problematic soils 
• Impact of climate change on soil processes 
• Micronutrients in soil, plant and human health 
• Water management strategies in different cropping systems 
• Simulation models for growth and production of different crops 
• Varietals response to soil salinity/ sodicity/ nutrients/ pollutants, etc 
• Soil and water pollution - monitoring and control 
• Genesis, formation and classification of soils 
• Soil conservation, preservation and management for sustainable agriculture 
• Remediation of polluted and contaminated soils and contaminated soils

 

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