Characteristics and classification of soils of India; Survey of soils of India; Fundamental studi on soils; Soil physics; Soil structure and related properties; Soil moisture relationships; Soil-clays-their nature and minnnnnnnnnneralogy; Soils of indian forests; Organic matter in indian soils; Microbiology of indian soils; Nitrogen fertilisation and problems of nitrogen availability.
This book provides an overview of the diversified soil regimes in India. In addition to the historical advances in soil research and its limitations, it describes the monitoring of various soil conditions and soil uses to improve productivity. Discussing topics such as climate, geology and geomorphology, major soil types and their classification, soil mineralogy and clays, soil micromorphology, soil biogeochemistry, benchmark soils, land evaluation and land use planning, soil health and fertility and soil resilience, the book highlights the multiple uses of soils in industry, human health care, mitigation of challenges due to climate change and construction. It also presents measures for a brighter future of soil science in India, such as imposing organic farming principles toward sustainable agriculture in the context of the second green revolution besides alleviating the poverty and providing the employment opportunities among the farming communities in India.
This book discusses how to apply the basic principles of pedology to the tropical soils of the Indian subcontinent, with an emphasis on ways to enhance crop productivity. The book showcases the research contributions on pedology, geomorphology, mineralogy, micromorphology and climate change collected from the literature on three major soil types: shrink-swell soils, red ferruginous (RF) soils and the soils that occur in the tropical environments of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). It also provides insights into several aspects of five pedogenetically important soil orders like Alfisols, Mollisols, Ultisols, Vertisols and Inceptisols found in tropical Indian environments. Documenting the significance of minerals in soils and their overall influence in soil science in terms of pedology, paleopedology, polygenesis and edaphology, it provides a knowledge base that is critical when attempting to bridge the gap between food production and population growth.
This book presents mainly the geotechnical details of geomaterials (soils and rocks) found in all the 36 states and union territories of India. There are 37 chapters in this book. Chapter 1 provides an overview of geomaterials, focusing on their engineering properties as determined based on the project site investigations and laboratory/field tests; this will help readers understand the technical details explained throughout the book, with each chapter dealing with geomaterials of one state/union territory only. Each chapter, contributed by a team of authors, follows a common template with the following sections: introduction, major types of soils and rocks, properties of soils and rocks, use of soils and rocks as construction materials, foundation and other geotechnical structures, other geomaterials, natural hazards, case studies and field tests, geoenvironmental impact on soils and rocks, concluding remarks and references. All the chapters cover highly practical information and technical data for application in ground infrastructure projects, including foundations of structures (buildings, towers, tanks, machines and so on), highway, railway and airport pavements, embankments, retaining structures/walls, dams, reservoirs, canals and ponds, and landfills and tunnels. These details are also highly useful for professionals dealing with mining, oil and gas projects and agricultural and aquacultural engineering projects. Although this book covers the Indian ground characteristics, the information provided can be helpful in some suitable forms to the professionals of other countries having similar ground conditions and applications.
This book discusses how research efforts have established an organic link between pedology and edaphology of five pedogenetically important soil orders as Alfisols, Mollisols, Ultisols, Vertisols and Inceptisols of tropical Indian environments. The book highlights how this new knowledge was gained when research efforts were complemented by high resolution mineralogical, micro morphological and age-control tools. This advancement in basic and fundamental knowledge on Indian tropical soils makes it possible to develop several index soil properties as simple methods to study their pedology and edaphology. More than one-third of the world’s soils are tropical soils. Thus the recent advances in developing simple and ingenuous methods to study pedology and edaphology of Indian tropical soils may also be adopted by both graduate students and young soil researchers to aid in the development of a national soil information system to enhance crop productivity and maintain soil health in the 21st century.
This book highlights ecosystem services of Indian tropical soils driven by soil properties. Soils are complex and important biomaterials and have an outstanding role in providing ecosystem services to mankind. The tropical soils have been traditionally and generally considered as either agriculturally poor or virtually useless by many. This book will discuss the difficulties encountered in managing Indian tropical soils in order to sustain their productivity. Some unique soil properties are yet to be linked explicitly to soil ecosystem services and soil care needs to be a constant research endeavour in the Indian tropical environment. This book highlights the new and unique soil knowledge base necessary to close the gap between food production and future population growth.
This edited volume focuses on the characterization, reclamation, bioremediation, and phytoremediation of salt affected soils and waterlogged sodic soils. Innovative technologies in managing marginal salt affected lands merit immediate attention in the light of climate change and its impact on crop productivity and environment. The decision-making process related to reclamation and management of vast areas of salt affected soils encompasses consideration of economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social acceptability of different approaches. The chapters in this book highlight the significant environmental and social impacts of different ameliorative techniques used to manage salt affected soils. Readers will discover new knowledge on the distribution, reactions, changes in bio-chemical properties and microbial ecology of salt affected soils through case studies exploring Indian soils. The contributions presented by experts shed new light on techniques such as the restoration of degraded lands by growing halophyte plant species, diversification of crops and introduction of microbes for remediation of salt infested soils, and the use of fluorescent pseudomonads for enhancing crop yields.
