2.4b Soil Fertility Status and Fertilisers, Manures and Bio-fertilisers - 20 MCQs

Soil Fertility Status and Fertilisers, Manures and Bio-fertilisers - 20 MCQs

Quiz Results

2.4a Essential Plant Nutrients - N, P, K and Their Deficiency Symptoms - 20 MCQs

Essential Plant Nutrients – N, P, K and Their Deficiency Symptoms

Quiz Results

2.3 Soil of India and Their Significance in Agriculture - 20 MCQs

Soils of India and Their Significance in Agriculture

Quiz Results

Fundamentals of Soil Science

Fundamentals of Soil Science 3(2+1) 

Content

Theory 

1. Soil as a natural body, 
2. Pedological and edaphological concepts of soil; 
3. Soil genesis: soil forming rocks and minerals; weathering, processes and factors of soil formation; 
4. Soil Profile, components of soil; 
5. Soil physical properties: soil-texture, structure, density and porosity, soil colour, consistency and plasticity; 
6. Elementary knowledge of soil taxonomy classification and soils of India; 
7. Soil water retention, movement and availability; 
8. Soil air, composition, gaseous exchange, problem and plant
9. Soil temperature; source, amount and flow of heat in soil; effect on plant growth, 
10. Soil reaction-pH, soil acidity and alkalinity, buffering, effect of pH on nutrient availability; 
11. Soil colloids - inorganic and organic; silicate clays: constitution and properties; sources of charge;
12. Ion exchange, cation exchange capacity, base saturation; 
13. Soil organic matter: composition, properties and its influence on soil properties; humic substances - nature and properties; 
14. Soil organisms: macro and micro organisms, their beneficial and harmful effects; 
15. Soil pollution - behaviour of pesticides and inorganic contaminants, prevention and mitigation of soil pollution. 

Practical 

1. Study of soil profile in field. 
2. Study of soil sampling tools, 
3. Collection of representative soil sample, its processing and storage. 
4. Study of soil forming rocks and minerals. 
5. Determination of soil density, moisture content and porosity. 
6. Determination of soil texture by feel and Bouyoucos Methods. 
7. Studies of capillary rise phenomenon of water in soil column and water movement in soil. 
8. Determination of soil pH and electrical conductivity. 
9. Determination of cation exchange capacity of soil. Study of soil map. 
10. Determination of soil colour. 
11. Demonstration of heat transfer in soil. 
12. Estimation of organic matter content of soil.

Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management

Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management 3(2+1) 

Content

Theory 

1. Introduction and importance of organic manures, properties and methods of preparation of bulky and concentrated manures. 
2. Green/leaf manuring. 
3. Fertilizer recommendation approaches. 
4. Integrated nutrient management. 
5. Chemical fertilizers: classification, composition and properties of major nitrogenous, phosphatic, potassic fertilizers, secondary & micronutrient fertilizers, Complex fertilizers, nano fertilizers 
6. Soil amendments, 
7. Fertilizer Storage, Fertilizer Control Order. 
8. History of soil fertility and plant nutrition. criteria of essentiality. role, deficiency and toxicity symptoms of essential plant nutrients, 
9. Mechanisms of nutrient transport to plants, factors affecting nutrient availability to plants. 
10. Chemistry of soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and micronutrients. 
11. Soil fertility evaluation, 
12. Soil testing. 
13. Critical levels of different nutrients in soil. 
14. Forms of nutrients in soil, plant analysis, rapid plant tissue tests. 
15. Indicator plants. 
16. Methods of fertilizer recommendations to crops. 
17. Factor influencing nutrient use efficiency (NUE), methods of application under rainfed and irrigated conditions. 

Practical 

1. Introduction of analytical instruments and their principles, calibration and applications, 
2. Colorimetry and flame photometry. 
3. Estimation of soil organic carbon, 
4. Estimation of alkaline hydrolysable N in soils. 
5. Estimation of soil extractable P in soils. 
6. Estimation of exchangeable K; Ca and Mg in soils . 
7. Estimation of soil extractable S in soils. 
8. Estimation of DTPA extractable Zn in soils. 
9. Estimation of N in plants. 
10. Estimation of P in plants. 
11. Estimation of K in plants. 
12. Estimation of S in plants.

Problematic Soils and their Management

Problematic Soils and their Management (New) 2(2+0) 
Content
Theory 

1. Soil quality and health, 
2. Distribution of waste land and problem soils in India. 
3. Their categorization based on properties. 
4. Reclamation and management of Saline and sodic soils, 
5. Acid soils, Acid Sulphate soils, Eroded and Compacted soils, Flooded soils, Polluted soils. 
6. Irrigation water – quality and standards, utilization of saline water in agriculture. 
7. Remote sensing and GIS in diagnosis and management of problem soils. 
8. Multipurpose tree species, bio remediation through MPTs of soils, 
9. Land capability and classification,
10. Land suitability classification. 
11. Problematic soils under different Agro-ecosystems.

Major soils of India, role of NPK and their deficiency symptoms

Major soils of India, role of NPK and their deficiency symptoms

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