Soil Analysis: Recent Trends and Applications

✍ Scribed by Amitava Rakshit (editor), Subhadip Ghosh (editor), Somsubhra Chakraborty (editor), Varughese Philip (editor), Avishek Datta (editor)

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 340
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

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. Writtenby 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.

✦ Table of Contents

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
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
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
References
4: Advancement in Soil Testing with New Age Sensors: Indian Perspective
4.1 Soil Testing in India
4.2 Success Stories in India
4.3 Soil Health and Its Sensing: International Efforts
4.4 Advancement in Modeling Exercises
4.5 Precision Agriculture via Soil Sensors: Research in India
4.6 New Age Soil Color Sensors
References
5: Isotopes and Tracer Techniques for Soil Analysis
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Overview of Theory and Use of Isotopes for Soil Analysis
5.2.1 Isotopic Tracer Methodology
5.2.1.1 Radioactive Isotopes as Tracers
Measurement of Radio-Isotopes
Beta (β) Counting
Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC)Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC)
Cerenkov CountingCerenkov Counting
Geiger-Müller (GM) CountingGeiger-Müller (GM) Counting
Gamma (γ) Counting
Radiotracer Techniques to Evaluate Phosphorus Dynamic in Soil Plant System
Determination of Exchangeable (or Labile) P in the Soil
E-valueE-value
Isotope Exchange Kinetics and Epiet ValueIsotope Exchange Kinetics and Epiet Value
Soil P Buffer Capacity (PBC)Soil P Buffer Capacity (PBC)
L-value TechniqueL-value Technique
A-valueA-value
Labeling the Applied P SourceLabeling the Applied P Source
Labeling of Soil PLabeling of Soil P
5.2.1.2 Stable Isotopes as Tracers
Measurement of Stable Isotopes
Mass Spectrometry
Emission Spectrometer
5.3 Application of Isotopes in Soil and Water Studies
5.3.1 Fertilizer Use Efficiency
5.3.2 Soil Organic Matter
5.3.3 Root Distribution in Soil
5.3.4 Soil Erosion Studies
5.3.5 Compound-Specific Isotope Analyses Techniques
5.3.6 Isotopic Techniques for Soil Moisture Study
5.4 Conclusion
References
6: Protocols for Determination and Evaluation of Organic Carbon Pools in Soils Developed Under Contrasting Pedogenic Processes...
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Soil Organic Carbon Stocks
6.3 Soil Organic Carbon Pools
6.3.1 Labile Pools
6.3.2 Recalcitrant Pools
6.4 Soil Carbon Dynamics
6.4.1 Land-Use Systems
6.4.2 Management Practices
6.5 Carbon Sequestration
6.6 Conclusions
References
7: Analytical Strategies for Arsenic Estimation
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Techniques for Arsenic Extraction
7.2.1 Extraction of Total Soil Arsenic
7.2.2 Extracting Plant Available Arsenic from Soils and Sediments
7.3 Techniques for Arsenic Determination
7.3.1 Rapid Arsenic Test
7.3.2 Spectrophotometric Determination of Arsenic by Silver Diethyldithiocarbamate
7.3.3 Spectrophotometric Determination of As Using Molybdenum Blue Method
7.3.4 As (III) Determination by Anode Stripping Voltammetry
7.3.5 Hydride Generation: Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (HG-AAS)
7.3.6 Chromatographic Methods
7.3.7 Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy
7.3.8 Other Methods Available for As Determination
7.4 Conclusion
References
8: Approach to Study Clay-Organic Complexes
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Studying Clay Organo-Mineral Complexes: Conventional Approaches
8.2.1 Density Fractionation Scheme of Clay-Organic Complexes
8.3 Spectroscopic Techniques for Studying Clay-Organic Complexes
8.4 Microscopic Techniques
8.4.1 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
8.5 Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectra
8.6 Functional Composition and Speciation of C in Water-Dispersible Soil Colloids by C 1 s XPS Techniques and Relationship wit...
8.7 Microscopic Observation
8.8 Use of TEM to Study Clay-Organic Complexes
8.9 Organo-Mineral Microaggregate Formation
8.10 13C NMR Spectra of the Peat Soils
8.11 Spectroscopic Techniques
8.11.1 IR Spectra (ATR and FIIR)
8.11.1.1 Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
8.12 Synchrotron Radiation-Based Fourier Transform Infrared (SR-FTIR) Spectroscopy
8.13 SR-FTIR, μ-XRF, and 2DCOS Analysis
8.14 NEXAFS Spectra of Organo-mineral Particles
8.14.1 Evolution of Organo-Mineral Particles in the Three Clay Subfractions with Time
8.15 Conclusions
8.16 Future Aspects
References
9: Recent Trends in Soil Salinity Appraisal and Management
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Classification of Salt-Affected Soils
9.2.1 Saline Soil
9.2.2 Sodic Soil
9.2.3 Saline-Sodic
9.3 Classical Procedure for Identification of Salt-Affected Soil
9.4 Advanced Tools for Salinity Assessment
9.4.1 Electromagnetic Induction
9.4.2 Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)
9.4.3 Resistivity Survey
9.4.4 Soil Salinity Characterization Using Hyper-Spectral Remote Sensing
9.4.4.1 Case Study
9.5 Technological Options for Management of Salt-Affected Soils
9.5.1 Amendments for Reclamation of Sodic and Saline-Sodic Soils
9.5.2 Reclamation and Management of Saline Soils
9.5.2.1 Inland Saline Soil with Shallow Water Table with Poor Quality Water
9.5.2.2 Costal and Deltaic Saline Soil
9.5.2.3 Bio-drainage
9.5.3 Crop Management
9.6 Conclusions
References
10: Modern Sample Preparation Techniques for Pesticide Residues Analysis in Soil
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Soil Sampling Methods
10.3 Conventional to Modern Approaches for Extraction and Clean-up: A Paradigm Shift
10.3.1 Solvent Extraction
10.3.2 Sonication Assisted Extraction (SAE)
10.3.3 Liquid Solid Extraction (LSE)/Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)
10.3.4 Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME)
10.3.5 Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)
10.3.6 Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE)
10.3.7 Microwave-Assisted Micellar Extraction (MAME)
10.3.8 Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE)/Pressurized Fluid Extraction (PFE)
10.3.9 QuEChERS Method
10.3.10 Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion (MSPD)
10.4 Conclusion
References
11: Characterization of Nanomaterials Using Different Techniques
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Instrumentation Techniques
11.2.1 Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
11.2.2 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
11.2.3 Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
11.2.4 Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
11.2.5 X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
11.2.6 Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
11.2.7 Synchrotron Radiation (SR) Technique
11.3 Conclusion
References
12: Soil Health Assessment
12.1 Introduction
12.1.1 The Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health
12.1.2 Soil Parameters and Their Selection
12.1.2.1 Condensed Soil Health Test
12.2 Soil Sampling and Sample Preparation
12.2.1 Sampling
12.2.2 In-Field Hardness Test (PR15 and PR45)
12.2.3 Soil Preparation
12.3 Laboratory Methodology
12.3.1 Soil Respiration (Resp)
12.3.2 Active Carbon (AC)
12.3.3 Autoclave: Citrate Extractable Protein (ACE Protein)
12.3.4 Wet Aggregate Stability (WAS)
12.3.5 Available Water Capacity (AWC)
12.3.6 Texture
12.4 Scoring Functions
12.4.1 Developing the Soil Health Indicator Scoring Functions
12.4.2 Variation in Results
References
13: Soil Health Indicators: Methods and Applications
13.1 Introduction
13.2 General View of Soil Health Indicators
13.3 Soil Health Indicators and Their Analytical Techniques
13.3.1 Soil Physical Health Indicators
13.3.1.1 Water Holding Capacity and Bulk Density
13.3.1.2 Aggregate Stability
13.3.2 Soil Chemical Health Indicators and Their Analytical Techniques
13.3.2.1 Soil pH, Electrical Conductivity, and Cation Exchange Capacity
13.3.2.2 Soil Organic Carbon
13.3.2.3 Available Nutrients (N, P, S, Zn, and Fe)
13.3.3 Microbiological and Biochemical Health Indicators and Their Analytical Techniques
13.3.3.1 Soil Microbial Biomass (Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC) and Microbial Biomass Nitrogen (MBN))
Chloroform Fumigation Incubation (CFI)
Chloroform Fumigation Extraction (CFE)
Substrate-Induced Respiration (SIR)
Adenosine Triphosphate Analysis (ATP)
Phospholipid Fatty Acids
Ninhydrin Reaction Method
Microcalorimetry
Microwave Irradiation
13.3.4 Comparison of Different Methods to Estimate Soil Microbial Biomass
13.3.5 Soil Enzymes
13.3.6 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
13.3.6.1 Microscopic Methods of AMF Quantification
13.3.6.2 Signature Fatty Acid Analysis
13.3.6.3 Glomalin
13.3.6.4 Prominence of Glomalin
13.3.6.5 Extraction from Soil
13.3.7 Earth Worm
13.4 Applications of Soil Health Indicators
13.5 Strategies for Management of Health Indicators
13.6 Effects of Crop and Soil Management Practices on Soil Health Indicators: Previous Reports
13.7 Conclusion
References
14: Indexing Methods of Soil Quality in Agro-Ecosystems: An Overview of Indian Soils and Beyond
14.1 Introduction and Concept of Soil Quality
14.2 Importance of Soil Quality
14.2.1 Linking Soil Health to Soil Quality
14.2.2 Relevance of Soil Health Card
14.3 Approaches of Soil Quality Assessment Methods
14.3.1 Goal-Oriented Soil Quality Assessment
14.3.2 Timeline of SQ Indexing Methods
14.4 Comparative Assessment of SQI
14.4.1 Cereal-Based System
14.4.2 Pulse and Oilseed Based System
14.4.3 Horticultural System
14.4.4 Value-Added Crop Based System
14.4.4.1 Cotton
14.4.4.2 Tea
14.4.4.3 Protected Horticultural Cultivation
14.4.4.4 Medicinal Plant Based Cropping System
14.5 How Indexing of Soil Quality Varied for Each Ecosystem?
14.6 Spatial Aspects of Soil Quality Studies, Applicability, and Justification
14.7 Future Research Priorities and Conclusion
References
15: Nanobiosensors: Recent Developments in Soil Health Assessment
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Development of Biosensors: Chronological
15.3 Nanobiosensors: Definition
15.4 Soil Health: Characteristics and Its Methods of Evaluations
15.4.1 Characters of Healthy Soils (As adopted from www.css.cornell.edu/extension/soil-health/manual.pdf)
15.4.2 What Indicates Soil Health?
15.4.3 Assessment of Soil Health and Its Approach
15.4.4 Soil Quality Assessment Procedures
15.4.5 Limitations of Indices of Soil Quality
15.5 Nanobiosensors: Characteristics
15.5.1 Constituents of Nanobiosensors
15.5.2 Classifications of Biosensors
15.5.3 Comparison of Conventional Analytical and Biosensing Techniques
15.6 Implications of Nanobiosensors in Agriculture and Allied Sector
15.6.1 Nanobiosensors Use for Urea Detection
15.6.2 Nanobiosensor Use for Heavy Metal Detection
15.6.3 Diagnostic Tool for Soil Quality and Disease Assessment
15.6.4 Quantum Dots and Carbon Nanodots Based Sensor System for Detection of Heavy Metals
15.6.5 Multimodal Nanosensor: Detection and Removal of Mercury
15.6.6 Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Nanosensor for Detection of Zn(II) Ions
15.6.7 Carbon Dots as Temperature Nanosensors
15.7 Nanobiosensor Promotes Sustainable Agriculture
15.8 Conclusions
References
16: Forensic Pedology: From Soil Trace Evidence to Courtroom
16.1 What Is Trace Evidence in Forensic Science?
16.2 Soil as Trace Evidence
16.2.1 Class and Individual Characteristics of Soil
16.2.2 Microscopic Size of Soil
16.2.3 Transference and Persistence of Soil
16.2.4 Length of Time After Contact
16.2.5 Nature of Contact Surface
16.2.6 Amount of Force and Duration of Contact
16.2.7 External Disturbances
16.3 Soil and Its Components
16.4 Forensic Soil Science in National University of Singapore
16.5 Case Studies in Singapore
16.5.1 Kallang Body Parts Case: PP v. Leong Siew Chor
16.5.1.1 Background
16.5.1.2 Investigative Process
16.5.1.3 Importance of Soil Evidence
16.5.2 Rape Case: PP v. Lim Choon Beng
16.5.2.1 Background
16.5.2.2 Investigative Process
16.5.2.3 Importance of Soil Evidence
References
17: Harnessing Soil Microbiomes for Creating Healthy and Functional Urban Landscapes
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Disentangling Soil Microbiomes Using Molecular Meta-Omics
17.3 Quantifying Microbiome Composition and Function Using Metagenomics and Metatranscriptomics
17.4 Quantifying Functional Activity of Microbiomes Using Metaproteomics and Metabolomics
17.5 Leveraging Molecular Meta-Omics Information for Developing Sustainable Solutions
17.6 Crafting Sustainable Urban Landscape Management Regimes
17.7 Developing Sustainable Urban Agroecosystems
17.8 Conclusions
References