Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry

 

Department of Soil Science &Agrl.Chemistry

Vision

 

To excel in the field of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry through teaching, research and extension activities to mould good agricultural professionals, to come out with research findings that would offer the problems of farming community and to promote soil fertility management and organic farming through soil and organic manure testing

To mould good agricultural professional through quality educational programmes to undertake basic and advanced research. Soil test service to equip the farming community to copup with soil fertility management problems, solid waste management through vermi technology on soil to support food production and help agricultural sustenance.

Mandate

o   To impart teaching at UG, PG and PhD levels on various aspects of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry including practical components

o   To undertake challenges in the field of Soil Science through research activities

o   To render advisory service to the farmers through different extension modes

 

Facilities

ü  Separate laboratories for UG and PG students

ü  Research laboratory for doing independent research

ü  Well-equipped laboratory for STCR studies

ü  Instrumentation room: ICP – OES, HPLC, GC - FID, Total elemental analyzer, Micro digester, AAS, UV – Vis Spectrophotometer and instruments for routine analysis

ü  PG class room

ü  Vermicompost unit

ü  Field lab for sample processing and storage

ü  Rain water harvest tank (INTIMASI) with 10 lakh litre capacity for field irrigation

Award and Achievements

Year	Name of the Student/Faculty	Award/ Recognition
2015	Ms. Irene Elizabeth John	Indian Society of Soil Science ZONAL AWARD for Best MSc. Thesis in South India
2015	Ms. Irene Elizabeth John	Best Oral Presentation Award in National Seminar on Issues, challenges and strategies in sustaining soil health at KFRI, Peechi
2015	Ms. Irene Elizabeth John	Best Poster Award in the theme Crop Production in National Expo for Post Graduate Agricultural Research Scholars organized by TNAU
2017	Ms. Irene Elizabeth John	Best Oral Presentation Award in International Conference and Expo on Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences at PJTSAU, Telengana
2019	Dr.Rajalakshmi K	Best poster award in the theme Farmers ,friendly soil and water technologies for mitigating climate change impact ,
2020	Dr.Rajalakshmi K	Best poster presentation award in the 32nd Kerala Science Congress during 25th – 27th January
2020	Dr.Rajalakshmi K	Best poster award in the theme Agrochemicals for up keeping environment in National Webinar

 

Course offered:

Undergraduate level (7 courses)

1.      Ssac 1101 - Fundamentals of Plant Biochemistry (1 +1)

2.      Ssac 1102 - Fundamentals of Soil Science (2+1)

3.      Ssac 1203 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil fertility management (SSAC and Agronomy) (2 +1)

4.      Ssac 2104 - Environmental Studies & Disaster Management (SSAC and Agrl. Meteorology) (1+1)

5.      Ssac 2105 - Principles of Organic Farming (SSAC and Agronomy) (1+1)

6.      Ssac 2206 - Problem Soils and their Management (2+0)

7.      Ssac 3107 Geoinformatics, Nano-technology and Precision Farming

 

Post graduate level (10 courses)

1. Soils 501 - Soil physics (2+1)

2. Soils 502 - Soil fertility and fertilizer use (3+1)

3. Soils 503 - Soil chemistry (2+1)

4. Soils 504 - Soil mineralogy, genesis, classification and survey (2+1)

5. Soils 506 - Soil biology and biochemistry (2+1)

6. Soils 508 - Radioisotopes in soil and plant study (1+1)

7. Soils 509 - Soil, water and air pollution (2+1)

8. Soils 510 – Remote Sensing and GIS techniques for Soil and Crop residues (2+1)

9. Soils 513 - Management of problematic soils and waters (2+1)

10. Soils 519 - Basic biochemistry (2+1)

Doctorate level

1.      Soils 602 - Advances in Soil fertility (2+0)

2.      Soils 603 - Physical chemistry of soils (2+0)

3.      Soils 604 - Soil genesis and micropedology (2+0)

4.      Soils 605 - Biochemistry of soil organic matter (1+1)

5.      Soils 606 - Land use planning and watershed management (2+0)

 

Compulsory non-credit courses for PG students of all the departments

1.      PGS 506 - Disaster management (0+1)

2.      PGS 504 - Basic concepts in laboratory techniques (0+1)

Extension Services :

ü  Field visits to problem areas as a part of Multi-disciplinary Diagnostic Team for the Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala

ü  Providing resource persons for seminar, symposia, workshops, trainings, AIR/ Doordharshan programmes of Kerala

ü  Routine visits as part of the field oriented project of AICRP on STCR, convinced the farmers regarding application of fertilizers based on targeted yield approach

ü  Conducting interactive interface with farmers as part of selection of farmers for verification trials and frontline demonstration experiments in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram

ü  Imparting awareness on the technical aspects of vermicomposting and coirpith composting and its scope to the stake holders visiting the vermi unit.

ü  Sharing information on manures, fertilizers and fertility management, organic farming and other topics in agricultural sector with visitors approaching either the department or the vermi unit

Projects :

1.      Completed

ü  The soils of north Kuttanad, laterite and red soils, soils under reed in western ghats and sugarcane belts of Palakkad were characterized physically, chemically and morphologically

ü  Characterized soil organic matter in different soil types of Kerala

ü  Soil inventory & taxonomy of rubber plantations, forest ecosystem, coastal midland, Kole lands of Thrissur, KAU main campus, RARS Pattambi and BRS Kannara was completed

ü  Amelioration of subsoil acidity by Ca sources in pepper gardens and Al toxicity in laterite soils were investigated

ü  STCR studies conducted in banana, rice, vegetables, ginger, coleus and ground nut

ü  Fertilizer prescription equations were worked out for banana (Nendran), bhindi, snake gourd, brinjal, (normal and ratoon), chilli, salad cucumber, pumpkin & ground nut

ü  Dynamics of Ca, Mg, K, S and B in soil was experimented

ü  Foliar diagnosis as a tool was ascertained to predict yield and quality in crops like, ginger, turmeric, coconut, black pepper and cashew in relation to major plant nutrients

ü  Aggregate size distribution and its relationship to physical and chemical properties of some typical soils of Kerala was studied

ü  Capability of Geographic Information System (GIS) as a decision support system in project design was made use for integrating resource management of Madakkathara

ü  Suitability of commercial products like magnesite, Sul- Po – Mag, Tunisia (Gafsa) rock phosphate and maton rock phosphate was evaluated in acid rice soils and in banana

ü  Micronutrient studies were carried out in different crops and provided ad-hoc recommendations for secondary and micronutrients for different crops in Kerala for inclusion in Package of Practices recommendations of KAU

ü  Vermi composting was done using ayurvedic waste, spent mushroom and elephant dung and worm meal

ü  Standardized the production and enrichment of vermi wash

ü  Attempted on the suitability of azolla for enrichment of biogas slurry

ü  Tracer studies were carried out for investigating rooting pattern of black pepper and to evaluate the fate of carbofuran applied to black pepper

 

2.      On going Projects

Sl. No.	Title	PI/Co-PI	Year	Funding Agency
1	AICRP on Soil Test Crop Response Studies	Dr.Smitha John K	1997	ICAR
2	Adaptation and mitigation strategies for combating climate change effects on mango production in Muthalamada Panchayath of Palakkad District	Dr.Smitha John K	2021	Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Kerala
3	Waste to wealth- empowering rural women - A participatory approach under FSPF	Dr.Smitha John K	2021	NABARD
4	KAU Project on Revolving fund mode Commercial Unit for Compost Enrichment (CUCE)	Dr.K.M.Durga Devi	2004 onwards	KAU

 

 

 

 

Faculty

Sl.No	Name of Scientist	Designation
1	Dr. Durga Devi, K.M	Professor and Head
2	Dr. Rajalekshmi, K.	Assistant Professor
3	Dr.Reshma. M.R	Assistant Professor
4	Dr.Santhosh C	Assistant Professor
5	Mrs. Neethu Prabhakar	Assistant Professor
6	Dr.Smitha John K	Assistant Professor (AICRP on STCR
7	Dr.Mayadevi M.R	Assistant Professor(AICRP on STCR)

 

Technical and Supporting staff

Sl.No	Name of Staff	Designation
1	Mrs. Roshni M.Michael	Farm Manager , AICRP on STCR
2	Mr. Eldo K.M.	Lab Assistant
3	Mrs. Seenath A.K	Lab Assistant, AICRP on STCR
4	Mrs. Vinitha Bhaskaran	Office Attendant
5	Mrs.Vijithra K.V	Permanent labourer