A Handbook of Soil-Plant-WaterFertilizer and Manure Analysis
M.V. Durai Presently Institute of Forest Genetics & Tree Breeding Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE) Ministry of Environment & Forests (GoI) R.S.Puram - 641 0002, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India Formerly Forest Research Centre Institute of Forest Productivity Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE) Mandar 835 214, Ranchi, Jharkhand
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Preface Soil, plants, water, fertilizers and manures are materials of common interest in the field of agriculture and forestry. Methods applicable to the analysis of chemistry soils, plant, water, fertilizers and manures are as numerous and varied as the field of chemistry itself. The extraction of a chemical constituents from the interested materials is purely a soil chemistry procedure, while determination of the extracted constituents is an analytical process, a few methods of analysis are accurate and precise. No doubt, a few good books are available for analysis of soil, plant, water and fertilizers but they are not comprehensive and not covered all relevant procedures and principles for soil, plant, water and fertilizers in single book. In this book, I have complied together almost tested, proven and routinely used methods for the determination of nutrients in soil, plant and fertilizers and analysis of quality parameters in water, effluents and other polluted water. All essential parameters, which are concern with plant growth and environment, are duly covered. Besides systematic presentation of chapters, relevant principles, concepts and critical interpretations are included in this book, which will help the readers to understand the subject with ease. This book would meet the needs of teaching, research, advisory services, soil and plant testing laboratories and those interested in monitoring the nutrient contents of effluents/ polluted soil and water. It should be of interest to all these laboratories, R & D centre, and academic institutions interested in soil science, plant analysis, environment management, fertilizer production and environmental engineering. I have duly acknowledged the sources of diagrams and tables that have been reproduced from text books and other publications. The author is ready to accept ideas and suggestions to improve the quality of the book, if any. The ultimate of aim of the author is to provide single comprehensive hand book on soil, plant, water, fertilizers and manures to the readers.
M V Durai Coimbatore v
About the Author M V Durai obtained B. Sc. (Forestry) at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, M. Sc. (Forestry) at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and Ph. D (Forestry)at Forest research Institute University, Dehra Dun during 1992- 1996, 1997 -1999 and 2000- 2007, respectively in forestry science. He served as Lecturer cum Head, Department of Forestry & Wood Technology during 2004 -2006 at Sir Syed College, (Kannur University), Taliparamba, Kerala. He also worked as a Assistant Professor (Forestry) at Adiparasakthi College of Agriculture, Kalavai, Vellore, Tamil Nadu and Assistant Professor (Biotechnology) MGR College (Periyar University), Hosur during 20062008. He has 10 years research and 4 years teaching experience. He has published more than 25 research papers and 2 book chapters in the reputed scientific journals. He has published 10 popular articles in reputed magazine and dailies. He guided more than 25 graduate students for their project work in the field of soil science. He participated and presented papers in more than 10 national and international seminar/symposium. He has proposed and executed five research projects related to coal mine soil, vermin- composting and forest genetics as principle investigator during 2008- 2013. Currently, he is serving as a research officer in Institute of forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (ICFRE), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
About the Book This book gives the routinely used analytical methods for soil, plant, water, fertilizers and manures as single source. It is mainly meant for teaching and research in soil chemistry, soil fertility and fertilizers production and water quality. As the plant growth and development are essentially related to these fields, all analytical procedures are given for plant in-organic constituents. The present work is unique in that sense it includes all tested proved and widely used methods along with principles and all interpretations for determination of nutrients in plant and soil, quality of fertilizer and water, which are concern with plant growth.
Contents Preface ......................................................................................... v 1.
Introduction ................................................................................ 1
2.
Basics of An Analytical Laboratory ......................................... 3 Introduction ............................................................................. 3 Laboratory Safety Measures ................................................... 4 Quality Control of Analytical Procedures ............................. 6 Preparation and Standardization of Reagent Solutions ........9 Standardization of Common Non-Primary Standard Substances ..............................................................................14
3.
Methods for Soil Analysis ...................................................... 17 Introduction .......................................................................... 17 Soil Sampling ........................................................................ 18 Preparation of Soil Samples for Analysis ............................. 25 I. Analytical Methods for Physical Properties of Soil .......
27
Determination of Soil Texture .......................................... 28 Determination of Soil Structure ....................................... 36 Determination of Soil Bulk Density ................................. 42 Determination of Soil Porosity ......................................... 48 Determination of Volume Expansion of Soil .................. 49 Determination of Linear Shrinkage of Soil ....................... 52 Determination of Water Content in Soil .......................... 53 Determination of Water Availability in Soil .....................57 II. Analytical Methods for Soil Chemical Properties ...........
61
Determination of Cation Exchange Capacity of Soil ....... 62 vii
Contents/viii Determination of Soil Acidity (pH) ................................... 65 Determination of Lime Requirement ................................ 70 Determination of Electrical Conductivity ......................... 72 Determination of Gypsum Requirement ........................... 75 Determination of Organic Carbon ................................... 77 Determination of Total Nitrogen in Soil ........................... 80 Determination of Available/Mineralizable N................... 86 Determination of Total Phosphorus ................................. 89 Determination of Available Phosphorus .......................... 90 Determination of Total Potassium in Soil ....................... 106 Determination of Exchangeable Calcium and Magnesium........................................................................ 113 Determination of Available Sulphur ............................... 116 Determination of Micronutrients in Soil ......................... 119 4.
Methods for Plant Analysis .................................................. 139 Introduction and Scope ...................................................... 139 Collection and Preparation of Plant Sample for Analysis. 143 Digestion of Plant Tissue .................................................... 144 Analytical Methods for Plant Tissue Analysis .................. 145 Total Nitrogen Estimation .................................................. 145 Phosphorus Estimation ....................................................... 146 Potassium Estimation by AAS ............................................ 148 Sulphur Estimation ............................................................. 150 Calcium Estimation ............................................................. 151 Magnesium Estimation by AAS ......................................... 153 Micronutrients Estimation by AAS .................................... 154
5.
Methods for Water Analysis ................................................ 157 Introduction ........................................................................ 157 Sampling ............................................................................. 158
Contents/ix Parameters of Water Quality ............................................. 159 Analytical Methods ............................................................. 162 Estimation of pH ................................................................. 162 Estimation of EC ................................................................. 162 Estimation of Calcium and Magnesium .............................162 Estimation of Sodium .......................................................... 163 Estimation of Carbonates and Bicarbonates ...................... 165 Estimation of Residual Sodium Carbonate ........................ 166 Estimation of Boron ............................................................ 166 Estimation of Fluorine ......................................................... 166 Estimation of Chloride ........................................................ 168 Estimation of Sulphate ........................................................ 169 Estimation of Nitrate Nitrogen ........................................... 171 Estimation of Phosphorus ................................................... 172 Determination of Potassium in Water ............................... 174 6.
Methods for Fertilizers and Manures Analysis.................. 177 Introduction .........................................................................177 Sampling .............................................................................. 178 Collection and Preparation of Fertilizer Sample ............... 178 Scale of Sampling ................................................................ 179 Sample Preparation for Analysis ....................................... 180 Analytical Methods for Fertilizer Analysis ........................ 180 Estimation of Moisture Content ......................................... 180 Estimation of Particle Size .................................................. 184 Estimation of Nitrogen ....................................................... 185 Estimation of Biuret Content .............................................. 189 Determination of Free Acid in Ammonium Sulphate as (H2SO4) .................................................................................190
Contents/x Determination of Phosphorus ............................................ 191 Determination of Potassium ............................................... 201 Determination of Micronutrients ....................................... 204 Analytical Methods for Manures Analysis ........................ 204 7.
Modern Techniques in Analysis of Soil, Plant, Water and Fertilizer/Manures ......................................................... 205 Introduction .........................................................................205 Modern Equipments ........................................................... 206 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer ............................. 209 Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy ........................................................................212
References and Further Reading ..................................................
215
Annexures ....................................................................................... 219 1.
Annual Requirements for the Soil, Plant and Water analysis laboratory (Capacity: 10000 Soil Samples, 1000 Plant Samples and 500 Water Samples Per Year) ...................... 219
2.
Common Methods for Nutrient Estimation ............................................ 226
3.
Equivalent and Molecular Weights of Chemicals ................................ .228
4.
Information Sheet for Sample ...................................................................... 229
5.
Units and Conversion Factors .....................................................................230
6.
Some Important Concepts and Contributors .......................................... 233
7.
Important Journals of Soil Science in India and Abroad .....................234
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