Soil Fertility Status Research Articles

The Utility of Airborne Hyperspectral Measurement in Assessment of Soil Fertility

A study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation between hyperspectral data with soil fertility status in the study area of Chinnapalem village Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. One hudredfifty-three (153) samples were collected at different locations with GPS coordinates by adopting grid method. The hyperspectral data revealed that soil reaction, available Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn showed positive and significant correlation between VIS-NIR region of electromagnetic spectrum. However, EC and available S were negative and significant throughout VIS and SWIR. From, Stepwise regression approach the poorest fit was observed in all the properties although the highest accuracy (R2=0.467) was found for available zinc, while lowest predictability (R2=0.028) was for sand.

Oslava Uhorska v básni Juraja Henischa

Georg Henisch was originally from Bardejov but spent his entire life as a doctor and a teacher at the Gymnasium of St. Anna in the German town of Augsburg. Henisch also composed several poems during his studies, and these works are less well known than his other writings. Henisch wrote a so-called propempticon, a valedictory poem of farewell, in 1571 on the occasion of the return home of the future evangelical pastor of Slovenská Ľupča, Ján Janči. An obligatory component of the propempticon is praise for the destination or the homeland of the traveller, and in Henisch’s poem 58 of the 148 hexameters are devoted to praising the Kingdom of Hungary. The poet’s description of Hungary is influenced by the image of the country which was widespread in Western Europe in this period and was based on a series of topoi: fertilitas Hungariae, Hungary as a land blessed with rich soil; propugnaculum Christianitatis, Hungary as the shield of Christendom, protecting Christianity from the Ottoman Empire; and querela Hungariae, the lament of Hungary and the appeal for aid against the Turks. Henisch follows this pattern closely, and he describes Hungary as an ideal country, with fertile soil and excellent natural conditions, the homeland of hard-working people and great rulers who will drive out their powerful enemies. The work also mentions the Turkish enemies who are ravaging the land, but Hungary has splendid and fearless leaders, and the poet expresses the hope that the saints will never allow the country to perish.

Effect of weed management on yield-attributing characters of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Mill.) during 2018–19 and 2019–20 at Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The Pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin 30% EC @ 0.90 kg a.i./ha 2 days after sowing and one hand weeding 60 days after sowing recorded higher grain yield (20.15 q/ha) as compared to the control, i.e. one hand weeding 45 days after sowing (17.75 q/ha). There was 13.52% increase in yield over the control. The technology index value (19.4) was recorded, indicating the gap in potential and demonstration yield due to soil fertility and weather conditions. By conducting on- farm testing of proven technology of weed management, yield potential of fennel can be increased.

Influence of gas industry waste on the ecological condition of soils

The article discusses the accumulation of various harmful compounds and heavy metals in the soil as a result of the wastes of the gas processing enterprise of the “Shurtangazkimyo” complex and their negative impact on soil fertility and ecological conditions. The irrigated light serozem soils around the “Shurtangazkimyo” complex are extremely poor in humus. As a result of the impact of waste, the biological processes in the soil are weakened, and the accumulation of organic substances is reduced. The accumulation of various harmful compounds and heavy metals in the soil as a result of the activities of the “Shurtangazkimyo” complex has a negative effect on the productivity and ecological condition of the light serozem soils distributed in this area. Keywords: “Shurtangazkimyo” complex, waste, soil, heavy metals, fertility, environment, humus, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, nitrate, ammonium, quantity.

Study of soil fertility status of soil under intensive cultivation system of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, India

Study of soil fertility status of soil under intensive cultivation system of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, India

Smart Soil Property Analysis Using IoT: A Case Study Implementation in Backyard Gardening

Crop growth and the agricultural ecosystem are both affected by inappropriate soil fertility ranges. Soil fertility management practices help to efficient use of fertilizer and organic compost and selecting appropriate crops based on soil conditions. But, farmers randomly applied fertilizers without analysing their soil nutrients status. These unbalanced agrochemical inputs contaminate agricultural resources. Laboratory soil analysis procedures help to track soil fertility status. However, the laboratory soil analysis practices are insufficient for Indian farmers. Recent research and development show an On-field soil property monitoring system. Furthermore, internet-based soil fertility monitoring aids farmers in increasing productivity and optimizing resources. This paper presents the prototype based on a smart soil fertility prediction system based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The prototype model was tested and analysed on home gardening application and monitoring the spinach crop growth. This soil fertility prediction system encourages cost-effective direct field measurement in agriculture. To test the accuracy of the prototype, the sensor result was compared with the laboratory analysis result. For soil pH measurements the sensor result is 6 and the laboratory test result is 6.7. similarly, for soil EC measurement the sensor value is 0.48 and the laboratory result is 0.64. The soil pH and EC comparison results show that only a slight variation is present between the sensor and laboratory value i.e for pH 0.7 % and EC 0.16% difference are present. The analysed result shows that the proposed prototype model is efficient for on-field monitoring in gardening. Further, the measured data are stored in the cloudMQTT server, and they can be utilized for ago decision-making applications.

Studies on the Physical, Chemical, and Biological properties of the soil of Jasra village of Prayagraj district, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

An assessment of the soil fertility status of Jasra village of Prayagraj District, Uttar Pradesh carried out in 2022-2023. The prime objectives of this study were to carry out the Physical, Chemical and Biological properties of soil at different depths of various sites of Jasra village, to determine the availability of macro and micronutrients on the soil of these soil samples and provide Soil Health Card for the village. For the assessment, 10 sampling locations were selected. Soil samples were collected at the depth of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm respectively. The Soil colour (Dry Condition) of soil varied from Olive yellow to Olive grey and Soil (wet Condition) varied from Olive brown to Dark greyish brown. Soil textural class was sandy loam. It clearly indicated that the soil has good Water Holding capacity (33.45 to 42.82%) and good physical condition, Bulk density (1.23 to 1.37 Mg m-3). Particle density (2.223 to 2.405 Mg m-3). % Pore Space (38.45 to 48.34 %). The pH of the soil is slightly saline in nature (7.50 to 7.92) and the Electrical conductivity (0.10 to 0.35 dS m1 ) was suitable for all the crops. Organic carbon ranged from low to medium (0.25 to 0.43%). These soils have low to medium Nitrogen (126.42 to 234.68 kg ha-1), Phosphorus (11.48 to 24.82 kg ha-1), and Potassium (141.53 to 178.33 kg ha-1), in all the sites. Calcium (1.20 to 2.90 Meq 100g-1 of soil) and Magnesium (0.20 to 2.20 Meq 100g-1 of soil) are sufficient in soil. Sulphur (3.58 to 9.35 ppm) content was found deficient in the sites of the village. The Zinc (0.36 to 1.28 ppm) was also found low to medium at the different sites of the village. The bacterial (32 to 260 CFU g-1 of soil) and fungal (15 to 29 CFU g-1 of soil) colony was found low in cereals-grown fields but found sufficient in vegetable-grown fields. There is an awareness of the need to pay greater attention to the role of macronutrients and micronutrient enhancement for good soil health and proper nutrition of plants to attain optimum economic yield and soil is suitable for all major tropical and sub-tropical crops.

GIS AND GPS-BASED MAPPING OF SOIL PROPERTIES IN SUGARCANE GROWING AREAS OF SNJ SUGAR FACTORY ZONE, ANDHRA PRADESH

A survey work was conducted to assess the soil fertility status of sugarcane growing soils of SNJ sugar factory zone, Andhra Pradesh. Two hundred seventeen (217) soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-15 cm from nine mandals (Palasamudram, Veduru Kuppam, Penumuru, Rompicherla, Pileru, Pulicherla, Chinnagottigallu, Erravaripalem and Chandragiri) and analyzed for physicochemical and chemical properties. Geo reference coordinates (Latitude and Longitude) also noted at sampling sites. The results revealed that 38% of soils were neutral in reaction (pH 6.5-7.0), 10% were slightly acidic and 33% of soils were slightly alkaline in reaction. All soils had non saline nature. 80% of soils were low in organic carbon (OC) content and 20% of soils had medium in OC content. Available nitrogen in 93% of collected soils was low (< 280 kg ha-1). Available phosphorus in these sugarcane growing soils ranged from 26 to 114 kg ha-1 with a mean of 57.07 kg ha-1. Available potassium levels varied between 197 and 521 kg ha-1 (medium to high) with a mean of 347 kg ha-1. The soils have available sulphur ranged from 2.6 to 15.6 mg kg-1. 74% of soils were showed deficient in available sulphur. Digital soil maps for pH, EC, OC, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur prepared by using GIS approach. Soil nutrient index for OC, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur was 1, 1, 2, 2.31 and 1, respectively

Soil fertility status of KVK and RARS Belatal of Mahoba district under Bundelkhand region of U.P.

Soil fertility status of KVK and RARS Belatal of Mahoba district under Bundelkhand region of U.P.

Soil Fertility Status of Major Tobacco Growing Lands of Bangladesh

Tobacco cultivation is associated with the destruction of soil quality, productivity, and environmental pollution. An experiment was conducted to know the soil fertility status of tobacco and non-tobacco growing soils of major tobacco growing areas (Manikganj, Kushtia, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Chattogram, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari) of Bangladesh. Soil samples were examined to check the level of various nutrient components of soil like Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Zinc (Zn) in the Laboratory of Soil Science at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture. Wet oxidation, Kjeldhal, Olsen, flame photometer and atomic absorption spectrophotometer methods were followed to determine the OC, total N, P, K and Zn respectively of the soil samples. Overall, the results showed a decrease in all the nutrients in the tobacco growing lands compared to non-tobacco growing lands. The amount of OC (p value 0.0271), total N (p value 0.0162) and exchangeable K (p value 0.0006) were significantly lower in the tobacco lands. The organic carbon content of both tobacco and non-tobacco land showed below standard limit (2%). The total nitrogen content of the soil samples for both tobacco and non-tobacco showed below 0.5% except the non-tobacco growing lands of Chattogram and Khagrachari. The available P and Zn content in tobacco lands also showed a decrease in compared to non-tobacco lands but statistically there were no significant differences between them. The available P and Zn content in all the soil were below 50 ppm (except Khagrachari in non-tobacco lands) which was very low. The K content was also low in the tobacco growing lands and low to medium in the non-tobacco growing lands. This result reveals the poor soil condition due to tobacco cultivation in the major tobacco growing areas of Bangladesh. So, effective measures should be taken immediately to retain the soil health.

Soil fertility appraisal of some selected villages in Kirmira block of Jharsuguda District under western-central table land agro-climatic zone of Odisha, India

A soil fertility status inventory work was carried out in some villages of Kirmira block of Jharsuguda district located in the Western Central Table Land Agro Climatic Zone of Odisha, India. Results showed that soil pH ranged between 4.3 and 6.4 and electrical conductivity of the entire study area remained below 1 dSm-1. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content ranged between 0.17 to 0.88%. Available nitrogen content in these soils was found to be varied between 84.0 to 398.0 kg ha-1. Available Bray’s phosphorus content varied from 0.75 to 67.10 kg ha-1. Available soil potassium content varied widely from 90 to 500 kg ha-1. CaCl2 extractable soil sulphur varied from 0.14 to 12.49 mg kg-1. DTPA extractable micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) varied from 32.62 to 192.20, 28.08 to 220.50, 0.48 to 2.86, and 0.56 2.38 mg kg-1 respectively. Hot water soluble boron content ranged from 0.13 to 0.88 mg kg-1. All the figures in the lower range were found in upland soils while the higher values for all the parameters were found in low land soils.

Assessment of Soil Fertility Status in Paroo and Saraiyan Blocks of Muzaffarpur District of Bihar Using GPS and GIS

Assessment of Soil Fertility Status in Paroo and Saraiyan Blocks of Muzaffarpur District of Bihar Using GPS and GIS

Soil fertility status of selected highland maize growing districts of West Shoa zone, central highland of Ethiopia

Soil fertility status of selected highland maize growing districts of West Shoa zone, central highland of Ethiopia

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF Tectona grandis AND Acacia auriculiformis EFFECTS ON THE TOPSOIL PROPERTIES IN A RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEM OF SOUTHERN NIGERIA

The study investigated the effects of teak and acacia plantations on topsoil properties in a rainforest ecosystem of Southern Nigeria. The study established ten 10m x 10m quadrats in each plantation and the natural forest which was the control. Ten soil samples were gotten in each plantation Laboratory analysis was done on particle size composition, porosity, water holding capacity, pH, organic C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe. Results showed that the exchangeable acidity was very high in soils under acacia with mean value of 1.03 cmolkg-1. The concentrations of Ca, Organic C and N were higher in soils under teak and acacia plantations than the natural forest. Moreover, the exchangeable acidity was very high in soils under acacia (1.03 cmolkg-1). The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn were higher in soils under plantation than the natural forest. The study recommended that mulching of soil should be encouraged and the periodic monitoring of the soil fertility status should be done as the plantations grow older.

An Appraisal of Fertility Status of Problem Soils of Tiruchirappalli District in Cauvery Delta Zone, Tamil Nadu, India

Soil fertility is an important factor for plant growth and has a global impact on both developed and developing countries. The present investigation was carried out on soil fertility status of farm in ADAC&RI, Trichy which comes under the Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu. The pH value indicates that ADAC&RI farm soils are very strongly alkaline in nature. The rating of electrical conductivity was normal with values ranging from 0.16 – 0.72 dS m-1. The farm soil was low in available nitrogen, medium to high in available phosphorus and potassium. The average organic carbon content was low in the farm soil with values of 4.09 and 4.33 g kg-1 in A and D block, respectively. The available sulphur content of the farm was recorded as sufficient. This study clearly shows that, most of the soil nutrients in the ADAC&RI, farm was found to be low and need proper management practices to improve the soil quality for better crop production. The present investigation reveals the effect of sodicity on the status of available nutrients in soil.

Determination of Quantity Fertilizer for Sugarcane Based on Wireless Sensor Network

Fertilization plays a very large role in crop yields if done in the right way, effective and efficient fertilization will be achieved if the soil fertility conditions are known in advance. However, the problem is that farmer fertilization is still carried out by means of estimates based on land area without estimating the factor of soil needs.In this study the system uses a Wireless Sensor Network where there are 2 nodes installed on the land to monitor the measurement of soil moisture, soil pH, and nutrients using soil moisture sensors, soil pH sensors, and NPK sensors. From these sensors, it will be integrated through the Arduino Uno microcontroller which will later be connected to the LoRa system to send measurement information data on the land to the raspberry pi.The communication system between nodes is designed with a peer to per topology. The results of this study are the use of appropriate fertilizers and then can restore soil conditions to ideal soil conditions. From the experimental results, it is found that the peer to peer communication system can work well.

Soil-plant Nutrient Status and Relations in Common Cereal Crop Growing Fields of Kambata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Background: Plant analysis and soil testing are necessary to assess the fertility status of soils and their capacity to feed plants and when necessary, to recommend balanced fertilizers. This study aimed to evaluate the soil and plant nutrient status and their relationships in different cropping systems of the Kambata Tembaro (KT) zone, in southern Ethiopia. Methods: Maize, tef, sorghum and wheat leaves from 28, 55, 29 and 75 smallholder farmers’ fields, respectively with their respective soil samples were collected and analyzed. Result: The soil pH ranged from strongly acidic to neutral. The mean separation method confirmed that the means of all soil properties investigated in this study showed significant differences (P less than 0.001) among different crop-growing fields. Soil available P and S, total N, extractable B and Cu were deficient in most of the soils and plant tissues. The amount of exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and Zn were found to be sufficient in soils of the study area but their deficiency was recorded in most of the tissues. Soil available P, exchangeable K, Ca and Zn significantly (P less than 0.01) and positively correlated (r= 0.33, 0.37, 0.20 and 0.15), respectively with tissue content of the respective elements.

Evaluation of Different Clustering Techniques in Classifying the Vegetable Growing Panchayats of Ernakulam District, Kerala

The goal of this study was to evaluate different clustering techniques in classifying the vegetable growing locations of Ernakulam (EKM) district of Kerala so that same nutrient recommendation can be prescribed for panchayats coming under the same cluster. Hierarchical clustering (HC) and K –means clustering were performed to group the panchayats based on soil fertility status and thereafter comparison of various clustering procedures was done using Davies – Bouldin (DB) index. Different dissimilarity measures- Euclidean, squared Euclidean, Chebychev distance and Mahalanobis D2 were determined and single linkage, complete linkage and average linkage methods were adopted under these measures. The results revealed that Mahalanobis D2 was the better clustering procedure with seven clusters (DB index: 0.120) followed by average linkage method under Euclidean distance (DB index: 0.306) with seven clusters. Manjapra and Keerampara panchayats remained as individual clusters. Keerampara had strongly acidic soils (pH -5.17) with high available Mg (158 mg kg-1) while Manjapra soils had low Mg availability (19 mg kg-1) and high S content (57 mg kg-1). Kakkad, Kalady and Vengoor came under cluster I which possessed approximately same EC (0.15-0.19 dS m-1), OC (2-2.4%) and Mg (71-73 mg kg-1) content. Chengamanadu and Vengola came under cluster III while Ayyampuzha and Mudakkuzha belong to cluster IV.

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Fibre Yield of Sisal (Agave sisalana) in North Coastal Zone of Andhra Pradesh, India

Sisal (Agave sisalana) historically an important crop grown in marginally degraded soils in north coastal zone of Andhra Pradesh. The leaf fiber from sisal is used for multiple purposes. The semi- perennial xerophytic sisal crop is significantly responding to nutrient management practices in rainfed soils. Pooled results of the field experiment conducted during 2020-21 to 2021-22 at Agricultural Research station, Amadalavalasa, Andhra Pradesh under All India Network Project on Jute and Allied Fibres revealed that, the growth and fibre yield parameters are responding positively to nutrient management practices. Combined application of 90: 30: 60 kg NPK ha-1 + vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 increased number of leaves / plant by 50.4% as compared to control. Same treatment combination influenced the leaf length and width to the tune of 26% and 14% respectively compared to control. Among the treatments imposed in the experiment, the higher green leaf (49.2%) and dry fibre yield (49.4%) was recorded with 90: 30: 60 kg NPK ha-1 + vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 over control. The effect of integrated application of nutrients to sisal was reflected in higher soil available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium status compared to only NPK application and control treatments. Overall the sisal crop growth, green leaf yield, dry fibre yield and post-harvest soil fertility status was significantly higher with conjunctive use of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients compared to inorganic NPK alone. Hence, the integrated nutrient management proved to be highly rewarding in marginal, nutrient depleted and degraded soils, particularly in rainfed, semi-perennial crops like sisal.

Assessment of Soil Fertility Status of Radaur Block of Yamunanagar District of Haryana for Better Fertilizer Management

The present investigation was carried out to assess the fertility status of the soils of Radaur Block in Yamunanagar, Haryana. The results presented are compiled using the soil test report of two hundred thirteen soil samples collected from 0-15 cm depth by the farmers of Radaur during 2021-22 and bought to Regional Soil Testing Laboratory, CCS HAU, KVK, Karnal for analysis. The observed data revealed that pH of almost 99.53% soil samples were near neutral ranging between 7.1- 8.0. This pH range is very much appropriate for the availability of majority of plant nutrients. Likewise 96.71% soil samples exhibited EC in very low range making the soil very much suitable for agricultural activities. About 8.45 and 29.11% of Radaur block were found deficient in OC and available K content, respectively. OC status of the soil depicts that 83.09% soil samples were in medium range of OC content and only 8.45% samples exhibited high OC content. As far as P availability is concerned nearly 74% of the soil samples were having available P in high range clearly indicating the buildup of P in Radaur soils. Although none of the sample was found deficient in available P content. Contrary to K status of Yamunanagar soils in 2010-11, in 2021-22 exactly 10 years later the scenario has completely changed and a continuous decline in available K status is exhibited. This decline may be due to low rate of K application through fertilizer and manures with K removal by crops exceeding the replenishment. The results revealed that only 9.39% soil samples were in high range and 61.50% in medium range of K availability.