What is Soil

Well weathered upper portion of earth crust where agricultural activities for raising the crops take place is called soil.
Why soils need fertilizer
For centuries farmers are growing crops which remove large amounts of nutrients that never come back to the same field. Therefore, soils need fertilizers to be added artificially.

Soil Fertility and Chemistry

Research Projects Rabi = 334, Kharif = 334
Objectives:
• To develop fertilizer recommendations for different crops by conducting field experiments in different agro-ecological zones.
• To provide soil and water testing service.
• To provide fertilizer quality control service.
• Take measures to maintain soil productivity by determining the appropriate fertilizer doses for different crops, nutrients recycling through crop residues management and identification of the nutrients deficiencies through field experimentation and chemical analysis of soil and plants.
• To enhance nutrients use efficiency by balanced use of nutrients to improve water use efficiency.

Achievements

• Evaluated the comparative efficiency of potassium sulphate and potassium chloride fertilizers.
• Determined soil compaction effects on crop yield and nutrient uptake
• Monitored environmental (ground-water contamination) impact of fertilizer use.
• Soil samples analysed = 4641076
• Water samples analysed = 151615
• Integrated use of organic and inorganic plant nutrients improved crop yields and soil quality
• Phosphorus requirements of subsequent crop in a cropping systems (wheat-rice and wheat-maize) is significantly reduced when former crop is supplied with its recommended dose.
• Evaluated the effect of EM which does not contribute toward the crop yield.
• Evaluated the effect of DAP and Urea on soil pH and crops yield.
• Canal irrigation water adds considerable amounts of potassium, sulphur and chlorides in soil.

Future lines of work

• To continue working on refining and developing the fertilizer recommendations for different major and minor crops.
• Assessing water and fertilizer quality and soil fertility status for advisory service for the farmers.
• Assessment of fertilizers use impact on environment.
• Crop residue management to recycle the nutrients and to improve soil quality.
• Diagnosis of nutrients deficiencies in crops and orchards and their remedies.
• Assessment of nutrients removal (N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) by major crops.
• To develop technology to increase fertilizer use efficiency.
• Heavy metals contamination of soils and crops.