Standard Methods for Analysis of Soil Plant and Water
By
I.C Gupta
N.P.S. Yaduvanshi
S.K. Gupta
Preface:
Degradation of natural resources especially the soil and water has assumed greater significance in view of declining per capita availability of land and water as well as declining productivity per unit of the resources. A concerted effort is now being made to keep track of the health of these resources through monitoring by central water commission; declining factor productivity has also lead to concerns quality of farmers´ owned resources and as such soil/water health cards are being distributed to the farming community. In order to keep a regular track of the health of the resource, strengthening of laboratories and training of human resource in analytical determinations and interpretation would be an essential prerequisite.
During the last 4 decades, significant technological advances have been made in analytical instrumentation, laboratory analysis methodologies and interpretation, of results. The number of such determinations is large while more determinations are needed for which methodologies are in the pipeline. As such, it would be a difficult task to include all analytical determinations related to soil and water in one book. Nonetheless, the current book contains most analytical determinations that are needed to monitor the soil and water quality health including physical, chemical and biological determinations. Besides, all analysis procedure needed during reclamation and management of salt effected and/or poor quality land and water resources are included besides procedures of general interest in agriculture. Unlike books of this nature, the current book includes section where exhaustive interpretations of the analytical results and/or there applications have been given, in many cases with appropriate relevant examples. As such, we believe that this book is an improvement over the existing books on the subject.
As is known most analytical determinations have been perfected over a large period of time by different scientists. Support from various sources has been obtained in preparing this book. Although every effort has been made to quote the source, yet few might have been left inadvertently. We acknowledge all sources quoted or unquoted as without this support, it would not have been possible to bring out this book.
The authors are of the view that this book is a useful addition to the literature and would be beneficial for general use to the scientists in the basic stream, agricultural scientists, students and for the personnels engaged in NGOs and the state laboratories associated with soil, water and plant analysis work. The authors would be happy to receive any suggestions or comments from the users of this book for its improvement in future editions.
Contents:
- General considerations.
- Soil/ water sampling procedures.
- Chemical Analysis.
- Fertility Analysis.
- Plant Analysis.
- Physical properties.
- Toxic Elements, Greenhouse Gases and Miscellaneous.
- Microbiological Properties of soil.
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