Soil Health Indicators: Methods and Applications

Abstract

Description based upon print version of record. Measurement of Radio-Isotopes 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 worlds 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. Intro -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- About the Editors -- 1: Soil Analysis: A Relook and Way Forward -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Soil Sampling -- 1.2.1 Need for Soil Analysis -- 1.2.2 The Future of Soil Chemistry -- 1.3 Soil Analysis -- 1.3.1 Soil Analysis Processes -- 1.3.2 Analytical Methods -- 1.3.2.1 Soil Texture -- 1.3.2.2 Soil Structure -- 1.3.2.3 Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) -- 1.3.2.4 Soil Moisture -- 1.3.2.5 Soil pH -- 1.3.2.6 Lime Requirement (LR) -- 1.3.2.7 Electrical Conductivity (ECs) -- 1.3.2.8 Gypsum Requirement (GR) -- 1.3.2.9 Organic Carbon/Organic Matter 1.3.2.10 Total Nitrogen -- 1.3.2.11 Mineralizable Nitrogen -- 1.3.2.12 Inorganic N-NO3- and NH4+ -- 1.3.2.13 Available Phosphorus -- 1.3.2.14 Available Potassium -- 1.3.2.15 Available Sulphur -- 1.3.2.16 Exchangeable Calcium and Magnesium -- 1.3.2.17 Micronutrients -- 1.3.2.18 Heavy Metals -- 1.3.2.19 Proximal/Hyperspectral Methods of Soil Analysis -- 1.3.2.20 Modern Approach -- Some Images of Sophisticated Instruments -- References -- 2: Application of Statistical Techniques in Soil Research -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Statistical Tools -- 2.2.1 Types of Variables and Data 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Modern Research Facilities Involved in Climate Change Research -- 3.2.1 Climate Change Impact Evaluation Techniques on Crop Species -- 3.2.2 Climate Change Monitoring Techniques -- 3.2.2.1 Capturing GHG Using Eddy Covariance Techniques -- 3.2.2.2 Capturing CO2 Flux -- 3.2.2.3 Capturing Methane -- 3.2.2.4 Capturing Water Vapor Flux -- 3.3 Capturing and Monitoring Land Surface Energy Fluxes -- 3.3.1 Monitoring the Heat Fluxes -- 3.3.2 Monitoring the Energy Balance -- 3.3.3 Monitoring Albedo and Bowen Ratio -- 3.3.4 Monitoring Air and Soil Temperature -- 3.4 Conclusion 2.2.2 Measure of Central Tendency and Dispersion -- 2.2.3 Statistical Tests -- 2.2.3.1 Parametric and Nonparametric Tests -- 2.2.3.2 Two-Sided Vs One Sided Test -- 2.2.3.3 Correlation and Regression -- 2.2.3.4 F Test -- 2.2.3.5 t Test -- 2.2.3.6 Z Test -- 2.2.3.7 χ2 Test (Test for the Variance for a Specified Value) -- 2.2.3.8 Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) -- 2.2.3.9 Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) -- 2.2.3.10 Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) -- 2.3 Conclusion -- References -- 3: Monitoring and Impact Assessment of Climate Change on Agriculture Using Advanced Research Techniques