Soil Testing Manual

It gives me great pleasure to present “Soil Testing Manual” for B.Sc., M.Sc. and Environmental Studies. Soil is the mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and countless organisms that support life on earth. Soil is medium of plant growth, water storage, supply and purification; it is a modifier of earth’s atmosphere; it is a habitat for organisms, all of which in turn modify the soil. So it is a prerequisite to test the quality of soil before undergoing agricultural activities. In agriculture soil test is the analysis of soil sample to determine nutrient, contaminated content, composition and other characteristics such as the acidity or pH level. Soil test can determine fertility, or the expected growth potential of the soil which indicates nutrient deficiencies, potential toxicities from excessive fertility. The benefits of soil testing have been established through scientific research, extensive field demonstrations, and on the basis of actual fertilizer use by the farmers on soil test based fertilizer use recommendations. Soil testing was initiated in the country in the beginning of planning era by setting up of 16 soil testing laboratories during 1955. Government of India has been supporting this programme during different plan periods to increase the soil analyzing capacity in the country.

1. Soil Introduction

2. Physical Parameters

3. Chemical Parameters

References

Bibliography

Appendices