Soil Analysis: Recent Trends and Applications

Soil analysis is critically important in the management of soil-based production systems. In the absence of efficient methods of soil analysis our understanding of soil is pure guesswork. Ideally the pro-active use of laboratory analysis leads to more sustainable soil productivity. Unfortunately, most of the world’s agriculture is still reactionary, waiting for obvious yield declines to occur before taking action to identify the reasons. The modern soil laboratory is pivotal to informing soil managers what adaptive practices are needed to address chemical and physical imbalances before they occur, and the intelligent adaptive use of laboratory data not only greatly speeds up and reduces the cost of empirical soil study, but can even render it unnecessary.

This book provides a synopsis of the analytical procedures used for soil analysis, discussing the common physical, chemical and biological analytical methods used in agriculture and horticulture. Written by experienced experts from institutions and laboratories around the globe, it provides insights for a range of users, including those with limited laboratory facilities, and helps students, teachers, soil scientists and laboratory technicians increase their knowledge and skills and select appropriate methods for soil analysis.

AmitavaRakshit , an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus is affiliated as a faculty in Department of Soil Science at IAS, Banaras Hindu University. Dr.Rakshit worked in Agriculture Department, Government of West Bengal in administration and extension roles. He has visited Scandinavia, Europe , Africa, UAE and Bangladesh pertaining to his research and academics. He was awarded with TWAS Nxt Fellow,BiovisionNxt Fellow and Best Teacher’s Award at UG and PG level . He is serving as review college member of British Ecological Society since 2011, member of Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition of FAO, Rome and Commission on Ecosystem Management of IUCN.  He has published 70 research papers, 35 book chapters, 28 popular articles, 3 manuals and co authored 21 books.

Subhadip Ghosh is a Senior Researcher (Urban Soils) with Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (Research), National Parks Board, Singapore. He completed his Ph.D. from the University of New England, Australia and postdoctoral research with Primary Industries and Innovation Centre, New South Wales, Australia. Dr. Ghosh has published more than 60 scientific articles. He is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of New England, NSW, Australia. His major fields of research interest are soil quality, GHG emission, carbon sequestration and land-use change, biochar studies, environmental soil science and climate change, nutrient dynamics, and urban and peri-urban soils.  

Somsubhra Chakraborty, a Louisiana State University (USA) alumnus is presently the faculty member in the Agricultural and Food Engineering Department at IIT-Kharagpur, India. Dr. Chakraborty has formerly served as the faculty member of Vivekananda University and UBKV, West Bengal. He visited USA, Kenya, Australia, China, Thailand during his academic career. He got the Australia Awards Fellowship (2016). He is currently serving as the editorial board member of Geoderma . He has published more than 60 research papers, several book chapters and one book.  

Varughese Philip, Deputy Director (Soil Management) in the Plant Science & Health Department, National Parks Board, Singapore is a trained agronomist and holds a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. He had previously worked on various aspects of agronomy and soils of natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) with the Rubber Research Institute of India. He is currently involved in laboratory diagnostics, advisories on soils and standards setting. As an adjunct lecturer in Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore, he taught soil science at the Horticulture and Landscape Management Diploma programme. He has authored several peer reviewed publications and chapters in books. He co-chaired the ASEAN Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management for preparing the ASEAN guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management (2017).  

Avishek Datta is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Systems at the Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources, AIT, Thailand. Dr. Datta has more than 11 years of international experience in research, consultancy, and capacity building in the areas of integrated resource management towards long-term sustainable benefits. He has supervised 7 Doctoral and 45 Master students. He has published 8 book chapters and more than 90 papers. He has implemented several research, development, and outreach projects in Australia, USA and in south East Asia.