ਪੰਜਾਬ ਐਗਰੀਕਲਚਰਲ ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਿਟੀ
PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
62nd Year of Education & Service
College of Agriculture / Soil Science
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Faculty
Name : |
Dr Vijay Kant Singh |
Designation : |
Pedologist |
Office Phone : |
-- |
Mobile : |
: 9455066063 |
Email (Office) : |
vksingh@pau.edu |
Research Areas : |
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Researcher ID's : |
-- |
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Home
The Department of Soils owes its origin to the Agricultural Chemistry section of the College of Agriculture at Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) in Pakistan. After the partition, the entire staff in the Agricultural Chemistry section consisted of one Agricultural Chemist and a few instructors who were responsible for imparting instructions in chemistry, biochemistry and soil science. Till early fifties, research in this section was mainly confined to animal and plant nutrition and soil fertility. The research and teaching of soil science started getting emphasis after joining of Dr. S.D. Nijhawan as Head of the Agricultural Chemistry section in 1953. He was succeeded by Dr. J.S. Kanwar, an eminent soil scientist, who very enthusiastically planned and initiated many new research projects and laid strong foundations for teaching and research in the department.
The joining of Dr. D.R. Bhumbla as Head of the Department synchronized with the inception of the Punjab Agricultural University in 1962 and the headquarters of the Department were shifted to Hisar campus (now in Haryana) of the university. After the bifurcation of the university in 1970, the Department of Soils at Ludhiana was left with meagre research facilities and a skelton staff. Through the outstanding leadership, devotion and consistent efforts of Dr. N.S. Randhawa, excellent teaching, research and extension facilities were once again developed in the Department of Soils. The department could carve a niche for itself through path breaking and focused research in different spheres of soil science as well as by producing quality human material through excellent undergraduate and postgraduate education.
The achievements of the Department of soils have been recognized in the national and international spheres. The faculty of the Department has won numerous prestigious awards/honours: 8 Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prizes, 3 Hari Om Ashram Trust Awards, 7 Fellowships of the Indian National Science Academy, 18 Fellowships of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Fellowships of the Indian Society of Soil Science. Based on the research carried out in the Department of Soils more than 1800 papers have been published in the journals of national and international repute.
Recognizing the high standards of research and teaching achieved by the Department of Soils, the United Nations Development Programme of FAO established it as Centre of Excellence in Soil Science. Several pieces of specialized equipment such as Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma which can analyze all the plant nutrients and heavy metals from plant and soil samples, autoanalyzers, gas chromatograph, root scanners, rhizotron are available in the Department. Recently, ICAR has recognized the Department as a lead institute for different projects under the National Agriculture Technology Project. The Department has the distinction of being selected as the Centre of Advanced Studies of ICAR. Under this programme, the teaching has been modernized by developing a model lecture theatre equipped with all the modern audio-visual aids. More than 100 scientists from all over the India have already received training in the Department of Soils. Huge funds received in the form of ad-hoc projects funded by ICAR, Department of Science and Technology, USDA, international organization and fertilizer industry is a testimony to the high merits of the Department in terms of scientific calibre and infrastructure quality.
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Head of Department
Name : Dr. Dhanwinder Singh
Address : Department of Soil Science, PAU, Ludhiana
Office : +91-161-2401960-Ext. (317); 2409257, Ext-322
Phone : 9988246643
E-Mail : hodsoil@pau.edu
Brief Introduction
Dr Dhanwinder Singh, obtained his B Sc (Agri) from Khalsa College, Amritsar and M Sc (Soils) from PAU, Ludhiana. He joined PAU, Ludhiana as Assistant Soil Chemist in April 1990. He was awarded New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarship -1993 for pursuing Ph.D. (Soil Science) at Lincoln University, Canterbury New Zealand. After successfully completing Ph.D, he joined back the department as Assistant Soil Chemist and was promoted to Principal Soil Chemist in April 2007.
Dr Dhanwinder Singh has handled twelve research projects as PI/Co-PI. He has published 77 peer reviewed research papers, 2 review papers, 7 book chapters, 2 bulletins/manuals and 7 popular articles. The major area of his research interest are soil and water pollution for sustainable management of these natural resources in Punjab. One of the projects he is working with is “Improving Soil Health and Strategies to Reduce Soil, Air and Water Pollution for Swasth Bharat” a PURSE project funded by DST, New Delhi. He has worked on surface and groundwater pollution. One of his recent studies conducted on river water quality indicated thatSutlej River is more polluted in comparison to Beas. Irrigation water quality index (IWQI) for Beas and after confluence waters remained consistent, while for Sutlej River, it deteriorated during 2004-2020. He has also worked on nutrient indexing of different crops and fruit trees. He has developed DRIS norms for various crops such as rice, sugarcane, cotton, guava, mango. He has guided 9 MSc and 1 PhD students as Major Advisor.Based on their M.Sc work, two of his students got funding for their Ph.D.(Soil Science) overseas, one at The University of Sydney, Australia and second at University of Delware, USA. He was also instrumental in equipping NRM Lab of the department of Soil Science with ICAP-MS, ICP-OES, AAS, auto-analyzer, CNS Analyzer and GHG Lab with Gas Chromatograph and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. As an Environment Safeguards Nodal Officer of National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), he was one of the key persons involved in preparing the document for the “Green and Clean Campus Award 2020-21”. PAU bagged First Prize for Green and Clean Campus Award after a close pan-India contest among the eligible institutes.
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Thrust Areas
- Enhancing use efficiency of macro- and micro-nutrients by integrated and site-specific management, soil test-crop response correlation and plant analysis techniques
- Evaluating emerging resource-conserving (water-saving) technologies by exploring synergies among water, nutrients, tillage and residues
- Refining technology options for managing low quality groundwater
- Evaluating long-term effects of different crop management systems on soil health and carbon sequestration
- Developing management interventions to mitigate ill effects of climate change on soil environment and crop yields
- Monitoring and management of sewage and industrial effluents on crop productivity and heavy metal accumulation in soils and crops
- Optimal nutrient management in vegetable and horticultural crops
- Developing user-friendly decision support system for aiding management decision by combining experimental research with modeling and GIS techniques
- Strengthening inventorization of soil and water resources
- Development of nanofertilizers, nanocomposite packaging films and carbon nanomaterial based systems for removal of contaminants from water
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Faculty
Faculty
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Faculty Distinctions
Highlight Important Awards
| Sr. No. | Name of Award | Year |
| 1 | Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize | 13 |
| 2 | Hari Om Ashram Trust Awards | 3 |
| 3 | ICAR Team Research Award | 1 |
| 4 | Om Parkash Bhasin Award for Science and Technology | 1 |
| 5 | ICAR Best Teacher Award | 1 |
| 6 | ICAR National Professor | 2 |
| 7 | International Crop Nutrition Award by International Fertilizer Industry Association | 1 |
| 8 | Pierre Becker Memorial Award by British Sulphur and Fertilizer International | 1 |
| 9 | TSI-FAI Plant Nutrient Sulphur Award | 3 |
| 10 | IMPHOS-FAI Award instituted by World Phosphate Institute, Morocco | 2 |
| 11 | FAI Silver Jubilee Awards | 9 |
| 12 | NAAS Recognition Award | 3 |
| 13 | Recognition by Association of American Agricultural scientists of Indian origion | 1 |
| 14 | 12th Internatinal Congress Soil Science Commemoration Award | 6 |
| 15 | Choudhary Devi Lal Outstanding All India Co-ordinated Research Project(AICRP) Award | 3 |
| 16 | NFL Award for Outstanding Research work on “Development of Oilseed and Pulse Crops” | 2 |
| 17 | Hooker Award | 1 |
| 18 | S. N. Ranade Memorial Award | 5 |
| 19 | International Plant Nutrition Institute Award | 1 |
| 20 | Prof. K.S. Bilgrami Memorial Medal of INSA | 1 |
| 21 | NS Randhawa Memorial Award | 3 |
| 22 | International Plant Nutrition Institute Award | 1 |
| 23 | Dr. Gurdev Singh Khush Distinguished Professor Award | 4 |
| 24 | ISSS Golden Jubilee Young Scientist Award | 1 |
| 25 | ISCA P. N. Vohra Young Scientist Award | 1 |
| 26 | Jawahar Lal Nehru Award (For dissertations) | 2 |
| 27 | FAI Silver Jublee Award (For dissertations) | 2 |
| 28 | FAI Golden Jubilee Awards (For dissertations) | 1 |
| 29 | INSA Young Scientist Medal | 1 |
| 30 | Fellow, American Society of Agronomy | 1 |
| 31 | Fellow, Indian National Science Academy | 8 |
| 32 | Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences | 23 |
| 33 | Fellow, Indian Society of Soil Science | 18 |
| 34 | Fellow, Indian Society for Nuclear Technique in Agric. & Biology | 3 |
| 35 | Fellow, Punjab Academy of Sciences | 4 |
| 36 | Fellowship of Indian Society of Water Resources | 1 |
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Important Achievements
Outstanding research achievements: Soil Science
Research was focused on characterizing soil and water resources, monitoring secondary- and micro-nutrient deficiency, and fine-tuning fertilizer and water management practices for conserving resources and enhancing crop productivity.
Resource characterization
- Coarse fraction in Punjab soils is dominated by quartz and followed by feldspars, micas and calcite; while finer fraction is dominated by illite and followed by smectite, vermiculite, chlorite, and kaolinite.
- Soil pockets rich in selenium exist in north-eastern part and need careful management.
- Arsenic concentration of aquifer in south-western part was higher than in the kandi and central region of the state.
- GIS- based soil fertility and water quality maps of the state have been finalized.
- District- level survey for micro-nutrient analysis of soils showed that 22, 11, 11 and 2 percent samples were deficient in Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu.
- High amount of uranium in groundwater of south-west Punjab is not associated with use of phosphatic fertilizers.
Soil fertility and plant nutrition
- Nitrogen application to cereals like rice, maize and wheat using leaf color chart (LCC) saved 15-20 % fertilizers without any yield loss.
- Neem-coated urea was as much efficient as ordinary urea.
- Phosphorus should be applied to rabi crops and omitted in the following kharif crops.
- Sulphated P fertilizers are effective source of phosphorus and sulphur in maize and raya.
- Incorporating rice residues 15-20 days prior to sowing wheat had no adverse effects on wheat yields.
- In manganese- deficient soils, 3- 4 foliar application of 0.5 % MnSO4 to wheat at 7-10 d interval beginning prior to first irrigation is helpful in ameliorating Mn deficiency.
- Green manuring with Sesbenia controls iron deficiency in rice.
- Long-term use of fertilizers and FYM in maize-wheat resulted in build-up of soil organic carbon and available nutrients suggesting that P application could be reduced.
- FYM and green manure (Sesbenia and Sunhemp) saved 40-60 kg N ha-1 in rice.
- Poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1 saved 80 kg N ha-1 in rice, and 30 kg N + 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 in following wheat.
- Application of biogas slurry at 12 t ha-1 substituted for 80 kg fertilizer N ha-1 in rice and significantly improved the yield of following wheat crop.
- Application of sewage sludge (5- 10 t ha-1) can save 30- 60 kg ha-1 N in rice.
- Application of bagasse ash and rice husk ash (10- 20 t ha-1) increased grain yield of rice and wheat and enhanced available soil P.
- Foliar application of 0.5 % ZnSO4 and FeSO4 enhanced their concentration in rice grain.
- Application of sewage sludge (5 t ha-1) saved 30 kg ha-1 N in wheat, and accumulation of toxic elements in soil (Pb and Cr) was within safe limits.
- Soil application of boron @ 1kg ha-1 caused 15 % increase in bulb yield of onion in a boron deficient soil (< 0.5 mg kg-1 soil)
- · Incorporating rice residues before sowing wheat caused a saving of 30 kg fertilizer N ha-1 in succeeding rice.
- Soil organic carbon stock in 0-0.15 m layer was 30, 21, 17 and 3.6 t ha-1 in a grass, forest, agricultural and eroded land in a watershed in lower Shivaliks.
Water management
- Water economizing irrigation schedules have been developed for wheat, sugarcane and other rabi crops based on a simple evaporative demand- based approach.
- Irrigation scheduling to rice based on 2-d drainage saved 30 % water compared to continuous submergence without any adverse effects on crop yield.
- Shifting rice transplanting from mid- May to mid-June caused substantial saving in evapo-transpiration (ET) and irrigation without much loss in crop yields.
- Transplanting sunflower in early February increased yield and saved irrigation water than direct-seeded crop.
- Bed / ridge planting of rice is helpful in saving irrigation and fertilizer N.
- Plot size of 250 m2in coarse-textured soils and 500 m2 in fine-textured soils enhance irrigation efficiency.
- Straw mulching in maize, sugarcane, soybean, chilies and potato enhanced economic yield and saved irrigation and fertilizer N.
- Narrow bed planting of potato improved yield and saved irrigation and fertilizer N.
- Puddling twice in medium textured soils was optimum for reducing percolation losses in rice with no adverse effects on following wheat.
- Deep tillage responses of maize, sunflower and soybean were more in low retentive loamy sand soil.
- Amending sodic waters with gypsum and FYM caused improvements in sugarcane yield.
- In calcareous soils with more than 2 % CaCO3, use of organic like FYM, green manure or wheat straw reduces harmful effects of sodic water irrigations.
- Alternating canal (CW) and sodic water (SW) irrigation (2CW/SW or SW/2CW) gave as much seed- cotton yield as with CW alone.
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Current Projects
LIST OF SCHEMES 2021-22
| Sr. No. | Number of the scheme /project | Name of the Scheme/project | PI of the scheme/project |
| 1- | Research & Education scheme no-3 (PC-1024.1) |
Agricultural Nanotechnology | Dr.(Mrs) Anu Kalia |
| 2- | Research & Education scheme no-54 (PC-1045.1 to 1045.3) |
Establishment of Department of Soil Science. | |
| Part –A (PC-1045.1) |
----do----- | ||
| Part-B (PC-1045.2) |
----do------ | ||
| Part-C (PC-1045.3) |
Total of Plan-54 scheme :-(Teaching + Research + Extension) 1045.1, + 1045.2 + 1045.3 |
||
| 3- | Research & Education scheme no-114 (PC- 3035) |
High resolution imaging and analysis in EMN Lab. | Dr. (Mrs.) Anu Kalia |
| 4- | Research & Education scheme no- 68 (PC-3045) |
Testing of Soil water, Plant and other Biological material | Dr Dhanwinder Singh |
| 5- | CSS-26 (PC-6211) |
INSA Honorary Scientist. (Dr.Yadvinder Singh) |
Dr. Yadvinder Singh |
| 6- | CSS-25 (PC-6216) |
Nitrogen management to mitigate N20 emission in rice-wheat cropping system. | Dr. G.S Dheri |
| 8- | CSS-44 (PC-6247) |
Addressing Food Security through Nutritionally Enriched improved cultivars and Technologies for Swasth Bharat , under Purse Programme. | Dr. Dhanwinder Singh |
| 9- | CSS-54 (PC-6244) |
INSA Honorary Scientist (Dr. Bijay Singh) | Dr. Bijay Singh |
| 10- | ICAR-19 (PC-2020) |
All India Coordinated Research project on Micronutrients and secondary nutrients and pollutant elements in soils & plants…. | Dr. Vivek sharma |
| 11- | ICAR-20 (PC-2021) |
All India Coordinated research project on Long Term Fertilizer Experiments. | Dr. G.S. Dheri |
| 12- | ICAR-21 (PC-2021) |
Coordinated scheme for investigation on correlation of soil test with crop responses and self-employed rural soil healthcare workers programme. | Dr. B.S. Sekhon |
| 14- | ICAR-100 (PC-2075) |
Centre of advanced faculty training in Soils. | Dr. Rajiv Sikka |
| 16- | MISC-50 (PC-4583) |
Utilization of paddy straw for Biochar and energy purpose | Dr. M.S. Mavi |
| 17- | MISC-64 (PC-4767) |
Extending knowledge of increased corn crop productivity to farmers. | Dr. Varinderpal Singh |
| 18 - | NHM-03 (PC-4277) |
Centre of excellence for utilization of Brackish water for fruit and vegetable production in south-western Punjab | Dr. OP Choudhary |
| 19- | PAU-01 (PC-1001) |
University Administration PAU-01 | |
| 20 | MISC-8 (PC-4715) |
Facilitating effective functioning at PAU | |
| 21 | MISC-77 (PC-4600) |
Effect of PROM (phosphate rice organic manure) and gold (granulated organic manure) on yield and soil properties under rice-wheat cropping system. | Dr. Sandeep Sharma |
| 22 | RKVY-9 (PC-1318.21) |
Efficient water and nutrient management with emphasis on resource conservation technologies. | Dr. MS Khalon |
| 23 | RKVY-14 (PC-1318.27) |
Nanofabrication of plant- nutrients for improving nutrient use efficiency and crop yield enhancement. | Dr. Mrs. Anu Kalia |
| 24 | MISC-98 (PC-4803) |
Evaluation of sardar amin granules and bentonite sulphur on the productivity of rice and maize based cropping systems and on soil health. | Dr. Rajeev Sikka |
| 25 | MISC-115 (PC-4591) |
Sulphur management under soyaben based cropping system. | Dr. G.S. Dheri |
| 26 | ICAR-104 (PC-2505) |
School of Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Agriculture- (NAHEP) | Dr. OP Chaoudhary |
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Important Publications
- Ali A M, Thind H S, Sandeep Sharma and Varinderpal-Singh (2014).Prediction of dry direct-seeded rice yields using chlorophyll meter, leaf color chart and Green Seeker optical sensor in northwestern India. Field Crop Research 161:11-15. (NAAS rating =8.98)
- Arora, V K, Nath J C and Singh C B (2013) Analyzing potato response to irrigation and nitrogen regimes in a sub-tropical environment using SUBSTOR-Potato model. Agricultural Water Management 124, 69-76. (NAAS rating=8.2)
- Aulakh M S, Manchanda J S, Garg A and Kumar S, Dercon G and Nguyen M L (2012) Crop production and nutrient use efficiency of conservation agriculture for soybean-wheat rotation in the Indo-Gangetic plains of northwestern India. Soil and Tillage Research. 120: 50-60. (NAAS rating =8.71)
- Benbi D K, Brar K, Toor A S and Pritpal-Singh (2014) Total and labile pools of soil organic carbon in cultivated and undisturbed soils in northern India. Geoderma 237-238:149-58. (NAAS rating = 8.35)
- Benbi D K, Brar K, Toor A S and Sharma S (2015) Sensitivity of labile soil organic carbon pools to long-term fertilizer, straw and manure management in rice-wheat system. Pedosphere 25(4):534-45. (NAAS rating =7.23)
- Benbi D K, Toor A S and Shrvan-Kumar (2012) Management of organic amendments in rice-wheat cropping system determines the pools where carbon is sequestered. Plant and Soil DOI:10.1007/S11104-012-1226-3. (NAAS rating =8.64)
- Bijay-Singh, Varinderpal-Singh, Jaspreet Purba, Sharma R K, Jat M L, Yadvinder-Singh, Thind H S, Gupta R K, Chaudhary O P, Chandna P, Khurana H S, Ajay-Kumar, Jagmohan-Singh, Uppal H S, Uppal R K, Vashistha M, Raj Gupta (2015) Site-specific fertilizer nitrogen management in irrigated transplanted rice (Oryza sativa) using an optical sensor. Precision Agriculture 16: 455:475. (NAAS rating = 8.01)
- Brar B S, Singh Kamalbir, Dheri G S and Kumar B (2013) Carbon sequestration and soil carbon pools in a rice-wheat cropping system: Effect of long-term use of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure. Soil Tillage Research 128:30-36. (NAAS rating =8.58 )
- Dhadli H S, Brar B S and Black T A (2016) N2O emissions in long-term soil fertility experiment under maize–wheat cropping system in Northern India Geoderma R, 7: 102-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2016.02.003 (NAAS= 8.77)
- Dhadli, H.S., and Brar, B.S. (2016) Effect of long-term differential application of inorganic fertilizers and manure on soil CO2 emissions, Plant Soil Envronment 62: 195–201, doi: 10.17221/266/2015-PSE. (NAAS rating = 7.23)
- Dhaliwal S S, Toor GS, Rodriguez-Jorquera I, Osborne T Z and Newman S (2016) Trace metals in the soils of Everglades-1 National Park: Considerations for ecosystem restoration. Journal of Soil and Sediments DOI 10.1007/s11368-016-1459-5 (NAAS rating =8.11)
- Hundal H S, Kuldip-Singh, Dhanwinder-Singh and Raj- Kumar (2013) Arsenic mobilization in alluvial soils of Punjab, North–West India under flood irrigation practices. Environmental Earth Science 69, 1637-1648. (NAAS rating =7.59 )
- Jalota S K, Vashisht B B, Kaur H, Kaur S and Kaur P (2014) Location specific climate change scenario and its impact on rice–wheat cropping system. Agricultural Systems 131: 77–86. (NAAS rating = 8.87)
- Jyoti-Sondal, Dhanwinder-Singh, Sikka R (2016) Comparative evaluation of arsenate sorption–desorption in two soils of North India. Environmental Earth Sciences 75: DOI: 10.1007/s12665-015-5018-y (NAAS rating = 7.53)
- Kahlon M S, Lal Rattan and Merrie Ann-Varughese (2013) Twenty two years of tillage and mulching impacts on soil physical characteristics and carbon sequestration in Central Ohio. Soil and Tillage Research 126: 151-158 (NAAS rating = 8.62)
- Kalia A and Parshad V R (2015) Novel trends to revolutionize preservation and packaging of fruits/fruit products: Microbiological and nano-technological perspectives. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 55: 159-182. (NAAS rating = 11.18)
- Kiran-Jeet, Jindal V K, Bharadwaj L M, Bhandari R and Dharamvir K (2012) Three-stage structural modification of carbon nanotubes by swift heavy ion irradiation. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 285: 30–36. ( NAAS rating = 7.21)
- Kuldip-Singh, Dhanwinder-Singh, H S Hundal and MPS Khurana (2013) An appraisal of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes in southern part of Bathinda district of Punjab,northwest India Environ Earth Sci 70 , 1841-51.(NAAS rating = 7.5 )
- Mavi M S and Marschner P (2013).Salinity affects the response of soil microbial activity and biomass to addition of carbon and nitrogen.Australian Journal of Soil Research 51:68-75. (NAAS rating =7.60)
- Mavi M S and Marschner P (2016)Impact of salinity on microbial activity and organic matter dynamics in soils is more closely related to osmotic potential than EC. Pedosphere (in press) (NAAS rating =7.38)
- Mavi M S and P. Marschner (2015).Impact of salinity on microbial activity and organic matter dynamics in soils is more closely related to osmotic potential than EC. Pedosphere (in press) (NAAS rating =7.38)
- Mavi M S, Marschner P, Chittleborough D J, Cox J W and Sandermann J (2012)Salinity and sodicity affect soil respiration and dissolved organic matter dynamics differentially in soils varying in texture.Soil Biology & Biochemistry 45: 8-13. (NAAS rating =9.93)
- Mavi M S, P. Marschner, D.J. Chittleborough, J.W. Cox and J. Sandermann (2012).Salinity and sodicity affect soil respiration and dissolved organic matter dynamics differentially in soils varying in texture.Soil Biology & Biochemistry 45: 8-13. (NAAS rating =9.93)
- Raj-Kumar, Kuldip-Singh, Balwinder Singh and Aulakh SS (2014) Mapping groundwater quality for irrigation in Punjab, North-West India, using geographical information system. Environmental Earth Science 71, 147-161. (NAAS rating = 7.5 )
- Raliya R, Tarafdar J C, Mahawar H, Kumar R, Gupta P, Mathur T, Kaul R K, Kumar P, Kalia A, Gautam R, Singh S K and Gehlot H S (2014) ZnO nanoparticles induced exopolysaccharide production by B. subtilis strain JCT1 for arid soil applications. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 65: 362-368 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.01.060 (NAAS rating = 8.60)
- Sandhu J S, Kaur M, Kaur A and Kalia A (2016) Single step direct transgenic plant regeneration from adventive embryos of agro-infected sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) spindle leaf roll segments with assured genetic fidelity. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 125(1): 149-162 DOI: 10.1007/s11240-015-0936-7. (NAAS rating = 8.13)
- Sekhon B S and Bhumbla D K (2016) Using soil survey data for modeling phosphorus sorption capacity. Environmental Earth Sciences 75: 638. (NAAS rating = 7.77)
- Sekhon B S, Bhumbla D K (2013) Competitive effect of organic anions on phosphorus attenuation capacity of acid mine drainage floc. Environmental Earth Sciences 70: 651-660. (NAAS rating = 7.77)
- Sekhon B S, Bhumbla D K (2013) Phosphorus remediation by acid mine drainage floc and its implications for phosphorus environmental indices. Journal of Soils and Sediments 13:336- 343. (NAAS rating = 8.14)
- Sekhon B S, Bhumbla D K, Sencindiver J C, McDonald L M (2014) Using soil surveydata for series-level environmental phosphorus risk assessment. Environmental Earth Sciences 72: 2345-2356. (NAAS rating = 7.77)
- Varinderpal Singh, Bijay Singh, Yadvinder Singh, Thind H S, Gobinder-Singh, Satwinderjit-Kaur, Ajay Kumar and Monika Vashistha (2012) Establishment of threshold leaf colour greenness for need-based fertilizer nitrogen management in irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using leaf colour chart. Field Crops Research 130: 109-19. (NAAS Rating = 8.61)
- Vashisht B B, Mulla D J, Jalota S K, Kaur S, Kaur H and Singh S (2013) Productivity of rainfed wheat as affected by climate change scenario in northeastern Punjab, India. Regional Environmental Change 13:989-998. (NAAS rating = 8.66)
- Vashisht BB, Nigon T, Mulla DJ, Rosen C, Xu H, Twine T and Jalota SK (2015) Adaptation of water and nitrogen management to future climates for sustaining potato yield in Minnesota: Field and simulation study. Agricultural Water Management 152: 198–206. (NAAS rating = 8.60)
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Academic Programs
Academic programmes:
Ist Semester
Undergraduate courses
| Sr. No. | Course No. | Course Title | Course TitleCredit hours |
| 1 | Soils 51 | Elementary Soil Fertility | 2+1 |
| 2 | Soils 101 | Fundamentals of Soil Science | 2+1 |
| 3 | Soils 102 | Principles of Soil Science | 1+1 |
| 4 | Soils 301 | Manures, Fertilizers & Soil Fertility Management | 2+1 |
| 5 | Env 101 | Environmental Studies and Disaster Management | 2+0 |
| 6 | Soils 491 | Agro-Industrial Attachment | 0+4 |
| (i) Fertilizer Industries | |||
| (ii) Vermicompost Units | |||
| (iii) Biofertilizer Units |
Course No. : Soils 101
Course Title : Fundamentals of Soil Science
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Soil as a natural body, pedological and edaphological concepts of soil; Soil genesis: soil forming rocks and minerals; weathering, processes and factors of soil formation; Soil Profile, components of soil; Soil physical properties: soil-texture, structure, density, porosity, soil colour and consistence; Elementary knowledge of soil taxonomy classification and soils of India; Soil water retention, movement and availability; Soil air, composition, gaseous exchange, and plant growth, Soil temperature; source, amount and flow of heat in soil; effect on plant growth, Soil reaction-pH, soil acidity and alkalinity, buffering, effect of pH on nutrient availability; soil colloids - inorganic and organic; silicate clays: constitution and properties; sources of charge; ion exchange, cation exchange capacity, base saturation; soil organic matter: composition, properties and its influence on soil properties; humic substances - nature and properties; soil organisms: macro and micro organisms, their beneficial and harmful effects.
Lecture Schedule
| Sr . No. | Topic | No. of lecture (s) | Course TitleCredit hours |
| 1 | Soil Science and its disciplines; concept of soil and land | 1 | |
| 2 | Minerals: definition, classification, and importance | 1 | |
| 3 | Rocks: definition, classification, and properties | 1 | |
| 4 | Weathering: physical, chemical and biological | 1 | |
| 5 | Soil forming factors | 1 | |
| 6 | Processes of soil formation and their types | 1 | |
| 7 | Taxonomic soil classification | 1 | |
| 8 | Soils of India and Punjab | 1 | |
| First Hourly Exam | |||
| 9 | Soil colour, Soil texture- significance and classes, Soil profile | 1 | |
| 10 | Soil structure- significance, classification and genesis | 1 | |
| 11 | Soil consistence; soil crusting | 1 | |
| 12 | Bulk density and particle density of soils, porosity - their significance and manipulation | 2 | |
| 13 | Soil water: retention, concept of soil water potential, soil moisture constants | 2 | |
| 14 | Movement of water in soil: saturated and unsaturated; | 1 | |
| 15 | Infiltration, percolation, permeability, drainage and factors affecting them | 1 | |
| 16 | Thermal properties of soils: heat capacity, specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal retentivity, heat of vaporization | 1 | |
| 17 | Soil temperature: variation of soil temperature, factors affecting and its influence on plant growth | 1 | |
| 18 | Soil air: composition, factors affecting composition, gaseous exchange, influence of soil air on plant growth | 2 | |
| Mid Term Exam | |||
| 19 | Soil colloids: properties, nature, types and significance | 2 | |
| 20 | Layer silicate clays: source of charges on silicate clays | 2 | |
| 21 | Ion adsorption, ion exchange, CEC and AEC, factors influencing ion exchange and its significance | 2 | |
| 22 | Soil reaction: Concept and its role in nutrient availability; characteristics and management of acid, saline and alkali soils. | 2 | |
| 23 | Soil organic matter: composition, decomposition, mineralization | 2 | |
| 24 | Humus: genesis and nature; Carbon cycle, C:N ratio and its importance | 2 | |
| 25 | Soil biology: types of soil organisms, condition affecting their growth, beneficial and harmful effects of soil organisms | 2 |
List of books
- Fundamentals of Soil Science by Indian Society of Soil Science, Second Revised Edition (2009) Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi, 728p.
- The Nature and Properties of Soils by Nyle C. Brady and Ray R Weil, 14th Edition (2014) Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1046p.
- Introduction to Soil Physics by Pradeep K. Sharma First Edition (2017) Westville Publishing House, New Delhi. 512p.
- Text Book of Soil Physics by A. K. Saha, Reprinted (2008). Kalyani Publsihers, Ludhiana, 500p.
- A Text Book of Pedology: Concepts and Applications by J. Sehgal (2005) Kalyani Publsihers, Ludhiana, 516p.
- Introductory Soil Science by D. K. Das Third Revised Edition (2011) Kalyani Publsihers, Ludhiana, 645p.
- Fundamentals of Soil by V. N. Sahai, Third Revised Edition (2004) Kalyani Publsihers, Ludhiana, 301p.
Post graduate courses
| Sr. No. | Course No. | Course Title | Credit hours |
| 1 | Soils 501 | Soil Physics | 2+1 |
| 2 | Soils 502 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Use | 2+1 |
| 3 | Soils 503 | Soil Chemistry | 2+1 |
| 4 | Soils 507 | Geomorphology and Geochemistry | 2+0 |
| 5 | Soils 508 | Soil, Water and Air Pollution | 2+1 |
| 6 | Soils 510 | System Approaches in Soil and Crop studies | 2+0 |
| 7 | Soils 511 | Management of Problem Soils and Water | 2+1 |
| 8 | Soils 591 | Seminar | 0+1 |
| 9 | EMN 521 | Electron Microscopy | 1+2 |
| 10 | NRM 501 | Recent Techniques in Crop Residue Management vis-a vis Soil Quality | 2+1 |
| 11 | NRM 503 | Natural Resources Management under Climatic Variability | 2+0 |
| 12 | Soils 603 | Physical Chemistry of Soils | 2+0 |
| 13 | Soils 604 | Soil Genesis and Micropedology | 2+0 |
| 14 | Soils 605 | Biochemistry of Soil Organic Matter | 2+0 |
Course No. : Soils 301
Course Title : Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Introduction and importance of organic manures. Properties and methods of preparation of bulky and concentrated manures. Green/leaf manuring. Fertilizer recommendation approaches. Integrated nutrient management. Chemical fertilizers - classification, composition and properties of major nitrogenous, phosphatic, potassic fertilizers, secondary and micronutrient fertilizers, complex fertilizers and nano fertilizers. Soil amendments. Fertilizer storage. Fertilizer Control Order. History of soil fertility and plant nutrition. Criteria of essentiality, role, deficiency and toxicity symptoms of essential plant nutrients. Mechanisms of nutrient transport to plants. Critical levels of different nutrients in soil. Forms of nutrients in soil. Factors affecting nutrient availability to plants. Chemistry of soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and micronutrients. Soil fertility evaluation - Soil testing, plant analysis, rapid plant tissue tests, indicator plants. Factor influencing nutrient use efficiency (NUE), Time and methods of application of fertilizers under rainfed and irrigated conditions.
Lecture Schedule
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of lecture(s) |
| 1 | History of soil fertility and plant nutrition | 1 |
| 2 | Essential and beneficial elements, criteria of essentiality | 1 |
| 3 | Role of essential plant nutrients | 1 |
| 4 | Forms of nutrients in soil | 1 |
| 5 | Deficiency and toxicity symptoms of essential plant nutrients | 1 |
| 6 | Mechanisms of nutrient transport to plants | 1 |
| 7 | Chemistry and transformations of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in soils | 3 |
| 8 | Chemistry of secondary and micronutrients in soils | 1 |
| 9 | Factors affecting N, P, K and micronutrient availability to plants | 3 |
| 10 | Soil fertility evaluation approaches-soil testing, plant analysis, rapid plant tissue tests, indicator plants | 3 |
| 11 | Critical levels of different nutrients in soil and plants | 1 |
| 12 | Fertilizer recommendation approaches | 1 |
| 13 | Factors influencing fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) | 1 |
| 14 | Time and methods of application of fertilizers under rainfed and irrigated conditions | 2 |
| 15 | Introduction, importance and classification of organic manures | 1 |
| 16 | Properties and methods of preparation of bulky manures | 2 |
| 17 | Properties and methods of preparation of concentrated manures | 1 |
| 18 | Green/leaf manuring – methods, benefits and characteristics | 1 |
| 19 | Classification of chemical fertilizers | 1 |
| 20 | Composition and properties of major nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers | 2 |
| 21 | Composition and properties of secondary and micronutrient fertilizers | 1 |
| 22 | Composition and properties of complex and nano fertilizers | 1 |
| 23 | Fertilizer storage, Fertilizer Control Order | 1 |
| 24 | Integrated nutrient management | 1 |
| 25 | Soil amendments, their types and sources | 1 |
| Total | 34 |
Practical
Introduction of analytical instruments and their principles, calibration and applications. Colorimetry, flame photometry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Determination of soil organic carbon, alkaline hydrolysable N and extractable P in soils. Determination of exchangeable Na, K, Ca and Mg in soils. Determination of extractable S and DTPA extractable Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu in soils. Determination of N, P, K, S and micronutrients in plants.
Practical Schedule
| Sr. No. | Practical schedule |
| 1 | Determination of organic carbon in soils |
| 2 | Determination of alkaline hydrolysable N in soils |
| 3 | Principle of colorimeter, its calibration, application and determination of available P in soils |
| 4 | Principle of flame photometer, its calibration, application and determination of available K in soils |
| 5-6 | Determination of exchangeable cations in soils |
| 7 | Determination of available S in soils |
| 8 | Principle of atomic absorption spectrophotometer, its calibration, application and determination of DTPA extractable Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in soils |
| 9 | Digestion of plant samples for determination of nutrients |
| 10 | Determination of total N in plants |
| 11 | Determination of total P in plants |
| 12 | Determination of total K and S in plants |
| 13 | Determination of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in plants |
| 14 | Determination of total N in urea |
| 15 | Determination of water soluble P in SSP and DAP |
| 16 | Determination of total N and P in manure |
List of Books Recommended
- images/home/>Goswami, N.N. et al. (eds.) - Fundamentals of Soil Science, 2nd Edition, 2009. ISSS, N. Delhi.
- images/home/>Soil Science: An Introduction, (2015) by Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi.
- images/home/>Tisdale, S.L., Nelson, W.L. and Beaton, J.D. - Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, 1985, 4th Edition, MacMillan Publishing Company, New York.
- images/home/>Kanwar, J.S. - “Soil Fertility – Theory and Practice” ICAR, New Delhi.
- images/home/>Brady, N.C. - Nature and Properties of Soils, 1999. 10th Edition.
- images/home/>Aggarwal, J.P., Yawalkar, K.S. and Bokde, S. - Manures and Fertilizers, 11th Edition 2011. Agri. – Horticultural Publishing House, Nagpur.
- images/home/>Das P.C. (2008) Manures and Fertilizers (Third edition, 2015) Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana
- images/home/>Basak, Ranjan Kumar (2016) Fertilizers: A Text Book (Fourth edition) Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana
Course No. : Env.101
Course Title : Environmental Studies and Disaster Management
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem. I
Theory :Definition, scope and importance of environmental science. Natural Resources - renewable and non-renewable resources. Forest resources - use and over-exploitation. Water resources - use and over-utilization of surface and ground water, floods, drought. Mineral resources - use, exploitation and their environmental effects. Food resources - world food problems, challenges of modern agriculture. Energy resources - renewable and non-renewable. Land resources - land degradation and restoration. Ecosystems - concepts, types, structures and functions. Biodiversity at global, national and local levels, hot-spots of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity. Environmental Pollution - air, water, soil, marine, noise, thermal pollution and nuclear hazards. Solid waste management - causes, effects and control. Social issues and the environment - unsustainable to sustainable development. Water conservation - rain water harvesting, watershed management. Environmental ethics - issues and possible solutions, climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust. Environment Protection Acts - air, water, wildlife protection, forest conservation. Human population and environment. Role of information technology in environment and human health. Natural disasters - nature, types and their effects. Climatic change - ozone depletion, global warming, sea level rise. Man-made disasters - types and their effects. Disaster management - concept of disaster management, national disaster management framework, financial arrangements, role of Government, NGOs, media and other organizations in disaster management.Visits to ecologically important places and management organizations during weekends as a part of advisory and class tours by the respective departments/class incharges.
Lecture Schedule
| 1 | Tejpreet Kaur Kang (Incharge) | Professor, HDFS | |
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of Lecture(s) | Recommended Books |
|
Department of Soil Science (12) |
|||
| 1 | Definitions, scope and significance of environmental sciences | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 1 |
| 2 | Natural Resources: Renewable and non-renewable resources. Water resources: use and over-utilization of surface and groundwater | 1 | Book 5, Chapter 14 |
| 3 | Mineral resources: use, exploitation and their environmental effects | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 7 |
| 4 | Land resources: land degradation and restoration | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 6 |
| 5 | Water Pollution | 2 | Book 1, Chapter 10 Book 5, Chapter 13 |
| 6 | Soil Pollution | 2 | Book 1, Chapter 11 Book 5, Chapter 13 |
| 7 | Solid waste management: causes, effects and control | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 12 |
| 8 | Water conservation: rain water harvesting, watershed management | 1 | Book 6, Chapter 8 |
| 9 | Human population and environment, Role of information technology in environment and human health | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 15 |
| 10 | Field tour: visit to local polluted site-urban/rural/industrial/agricultural | 1 | |
| Department of Climate Change & Agrometeorology (10) | |||
| 11 | Environmental pollution: air, noise and marine pollution | 1 | Book 3, Chapter 7 |
| Thermal pollution, nuclear pollution and management | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 13 Book 4, Chapter 13 |
|
| 12 | Floods and drought | 1 | Book 7, Chapter 8 Book 2, Chapter 21 |
| 13 | Climate change - ozone layer depletion, global warming, sea level rise, nuclear hazards and holocaust | 2 | Book 7, Chapter 12 |
| 14 | Environmental ethics: issues and possible solutions | 1 | Book 9, Chapter 6 Book 4, Chapter 22 |
| 15 | Natural disasters: their nature, types and effects. Manmade disasters: their nature, types and effects | 1 | Book 2, Chapter 21 |
| 16 | Disaster management: concepts of disaster management, national disaster management framework, financial arrangements, role of government, NGOs, media and other organizations in disaster management | 2 | Book 4, Chapter 18 Book 2, Chapter 21 |
| 17 | Field tour: visit to disaster management organizations; collections of statistics of national disaster occurred since 20th century | 1 | |
| Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (9) | |||
| 18 | Food resources: world food problems, challenges of modern agriculture | 1 | Handouts |
| 19 | Forest resources: use and over exploitation, deforestation and its effects on environment | 1 | Book 8 |
| 20 | Ecosystem: concepts, types, structures and functions, energy flow in ecosystem | 2 | Book 1, Chapters 2 & 3 Book 9, Chapter 3 |
| 21 | Biodiversity at global, national and local levels, hot spots of biodiversity and threats to biodiversity | 2 | Book 3, Chapter 14 |
| 22 | Social issues and environment: unsustainable to sustainable development | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 18 |
| 23 | Environmental protection acts: air, water, wildlife protection, forest conservation | 1 | Book 1, Chapter 17 |
| 24 | Field tour: visit to local area to document environment assets- river/ forest/ grassland/ hills/ mountain | 1 | |
|
Total No. of Lectures |
31 | ||
Recommended Books
- Dhaliwal G.S and Kukal S.S. 2005. Essentials of Environment Science. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana
- Kukal S.S. and Kingra P.K. 2019. Introduction to Environment and Disaster Management. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana
- Sharma P.D. 2010. Ecology and Environment. Rastogi Publishers, New Delhi
- Anjaneyulu Y. 2004. Introduction to Environmental Science. BS Publications, Hyderabad
- Dhaliwal G.S. and Kler D.S. 1995. Principles of Agricultural Ecology. Himalaya Publishing House, Bombay
- Arun Kumar Saha. 2006. Text Book of Soil Physics. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana
- Mahi G S and P K Kingra. 2018. Fundamentals of Agrometeorology and Climate Change. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi.
- Status of Forest Report 2019 – Forest Survey of India, Dehradun
- Chauhan, A.S. 2014. Environment Studies. Jain Brothers, Karol Bagh, New Delhi
Course No. : Soils 501
Course Title : Soil Physics
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Soil physical behavior. Soil consistence. Dispersion and workability of soils. Soil compaction and consolidation. Soil strength-bulk density relations. Swelling and shrinkage- basic concepts. Soil structure- 165 genesis, characterization and management. Soil tilth. Soil crusting - mechanism, factors affecting and evaluation. Soil conditioners. Puddling, its effect on soil physical properties. Soil water - retention, constants. Energy state of soil water, soil-moisture characteristics. Hysteresis. Water flow in saturated and unsaturated soils, Darcy's law, hydraulic conductivity, permeability. Infiltration, internal drainage and redistribution. Evaporation. Hydrologic cycle, field water balance. Soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Composition, renewal and measurement of soil air. Aeration requirement for plant growth. Modes of energy transfer in soils, energy balance, thermal properties of soil. Soil temperature in relation to plant growth.
Practical : Mechanical analysis of soil. Measurement of Atterberg limits. Aggregate analysis. Measurement of soil-water content. Measurement of soil-water potential. Determination of soil- moisture characteristics curve and computation of pore-size distribution. Determination of hydraulic conductivity under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Determination of infiltration rate of soil. Determination of aeration porosity and oxygen diffusion rate. Soil temperature measurements.
Course No. : Soils 502
Course Title : Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Use
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Soil fertility and soil productivity. Nutrient sources - fertilizers and manures. Soil N - sources and N transformations. Biological nitrogen fixation. Nitrogenous fertilizers - their fate in soils and enhancing N use efficiency. Soil P - forms, reactions in soils and factors affecting availability. Management of P fertilizers. Potassium- forms, mechanism of fixation, Q/I relationships. Management of K fertilizers. Sulphur, Ca and Mg - source, forms, fertilizers and their behavior in soils and management. Micronutrients- critical limits in soils and plants, factors affecting their availability, sources and management. Common soil test methods for fertilizer recommendations. Site-specific and plant need based nutrient management. Integrated nutrient management. Blanket fertilizer recommendations- usefulness and limitations. Soil fertility evaluation. Soil quality in relation to sustainable agriculture.
Practical : Laboratory and greenhouse experiments for evaluation of indices of nutrient availability and their critical values in soils and plants. Chemical analysis of soil for total and available nutrients. Analysis of plants for essential elements.
Course No. : Soils 503
Course Title : Soil Chemistry
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Chemical composition of earth's curst and soils. Elements of equilibrium thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, electrochemistry and chemical kinetics. Inorganic and organic colloids-surface charge characteristics, diffuse double layer theories, zeta potential stability, coagulation/ flocculation, peptization, electrometric and sorption properties of soil colloid. Soil organic matter-fractionation, clay-organic interactions. Cation exchange-theories, adsorption isotherms, Donnan-membrane equilibrium concept, clay-membrane electrodes and ionic activity measurement, thermodynamics, anion and ligand exchangeinner sphere and outer-sphere surface complex formation, fixation of oxyanions, hysteresis in sorptiondesorption of oxy-anions and anions. Experimental methods to study ion exchange phenomena and practical implications in plant nutrition. Potassium, phosphate and ammonium fixation in soils and management aspects. Chemistry of acid, salt-affected and submerged soils and management aspects
Practical : Analysis of equilibrium soil solution for electrochemical properties. Determination of point of zero-charge and associated surface charge characteristics. Potentiometric and conductometric titration of soil humic and fulvic acids. E4/E6 ratio of soil humic and fulvic acids. Adsorption-desorption of phosphate/ sulphate. Construction of adsorption envelop of soils by using phosphate/fluoride/sulphate and ascertaining the mechanism of the ligand exchange process involved. Determination of titratable acidity of an acid soil.
Course No. : Soils 507
Course Title : Geomorphology and Geochemistry
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : General introduction to geology and geochemistry. Major and minor morphogenic and genetic landforms, study of schematic landforms and their elements with special reference to India. Methodology of geomorphology, its agencies, erosion and weathering. Soil and physiography relationships. Erosion surface of soil landscape. Geochemical classification of elements. Geo- chemical aspects of weathering and migration of elements. Geochemistry of major and micronutrients and trace elements. Soils 508 Soil, Water and Air Pollution 2+1 Sem. II Soil, water and air pollution problems associated with agriculture. Nature and sources of pollutantstheir CPC standards and effect on plants, animals and human beings. Sewage and industrial effluents - their composition and effect on soil, plant growth and human beings. Soil as sink for waste disposal. Pesticides - their classification, behavior in soil and effect on soil micro- organisms. Toxic elements - their sources, behavior in soils, effect on nutrients availability and on plant and human health. Pollution of water resources. Emission of greenhouse gases. Remediation/amelioration of contaminated soil and water, remote sensing applications in monitoring and management of soil and water pollution to safeguard food safety. 167
Practical : Sampling of sewage waters and sludge, industrial wastes, polluted soils and plants. Estimation of dissolved and suspended solids, COD, BOD, nitrate and ammonical N and P, heavy metal content in effluents. Heavy metals in contaminated soils and plants. Air sampling and determination of particulate matter and oxides of S. Visit to various industrial sites to study the impact of pollutants on soil and plants.
Course No. : Soils 510
Course Title : System Approaches in Soil and Crop Studies
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem. I
Systems concepts- definitions, general characteristics, general systems theory. Systems - thinking, dynamics, behavior and study. Model - definition and types. Mathematical models and their types. Modelingconcepts, objectives, processes, abstraction techniques. Simulation models, their verification and validation, calibration. Representation of continuous systems simulation models- procedural and declarative. Simulationmeaning and threats, experiment, design and analysis. Application of simulation models in understanding system behavior, optimizing system performance, evolution of policy options under different soil, water, and nutrient, climatic and cultural conditions. Decision support system, use of simulation models in decision support system.
Course No. : Soils 511
Course Title : Management of Problem Soils and Water
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Area, distribution, origin and basic concepts of problematic soils. Morphological features and characterization of salt-affected soils. Management of salt- affected soils. Salt tolerance of crops - mechanism and ratings. Monitoring of soil salinity in the field. Management principles for sandy, clayey, red lateritic and dry land soils. Acid soils - nature, sources and management. Effect on plant growth. Lime requirement of acid soils. Biological sickness of soils and its management. Quality of irrigation water, management of brackish water. Salt balance under irrigation. Characterization of brackish waters, area and extent. Agronomic practices in relation to problematic soils. Cropping pattern for utilizing poor quality ground waters.
Practical : Characterization of acid, acid sulfate, salt- affected and calcareous soils. Determination of cations (Na+, K+, Ca+, and Mg++) in ground water and soil samples. Determination of anions (CI- , SO4 2- , CO3 2- and HCO3 - ) in ground waters and soil samples. Lime and gypsum requirement of acid and sodic soil.
Course No. : Soils 603
Course Title : Physical Chemistry of Soils
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem. I
Theory : Colloidal chemistry of inorganic and organic components of soils - their formation, clay organic interaction. Predictive approaches for cation exchange equilibria - thermodynamics, empirical and diffuse double layer theory, relationships among different selectivity coefficients. Structure and properties of diffuse double layer. Thermodynamics of nutrients transformation in soils. Cationic and anionic exchange and their models, molecular interaction. Adsorption / desorption isotherms - Langmuir adsorption isotherm, Freundlich adsorption isotherm, normalized exchange isotherm, BET equation. Selective and non - selective adsorption of ions on inorganic surfaces and organic surfaces of soil materials. Common solubility equilbria - carbonates, iron oxide and hydroxides, aluminum silicate, aluminum phosphate. Electrochemical properties of clays.
Course No. : Soils 604
Course Title : Soil Genesis and Micropedology
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem. I
Pedogenic evolution of soil. Soil composition and characterization. Weathering and soil formationfactors and pedogenic processes. Thermodynamics of mineral stability and weathering sequences of minerals. Assessment of soil profile development by mineralogical and chemical analysis. Micro - pedological features of soils - their structure, fabric analysis, role in genesis and classification.
Course No. : Soils 605
Course Title : Biochemistry of Soil Organic Matter
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem. I
Organic matter- pools, composition and distribution in soils and its functions. Environmental significance of humic substances. Decomposition of organic residues in soil in relation to organic matter pools. Biochemistry of the humus formation and different pathways for humus synthesis in soil. Soil carbohydrates and lipids. Nutrient transformations - N, P, and S. Trace metal interaction with humic substances, Significance of chelation reactions in soils. Reactive functional groups of humic substances, adsorption of organic compounds by clay and role of organic substance in pedogenic soil aggregation processes. Clayorganic matter complexes. Humus - pesticide interaction in soil, mechanisms.
2nd Semester
Undergraduate courses
| Sr. No. | Course No. | Course Title | Credit hours |
| 1 | Soils 52 | Elementary Soil Physics and Conservation | 2+1 |
| 2 | Soils 106 | Soil and Water Management | 1+1 |
| 3 | Soils 202 | Problematic Soils and their Management | 2+0 |
| 4 | Soils 302 | Precision Farming, Geoinformatics and Nanotechnology | 1+1 |
| 5 | Soils 303 | Biofertilizers and Biopesticides | 2+1 |
| 6 | Soils 304 | Soil, water and plant analysis | 1+1 |
| 7 | Soils 492 | Experiential Learning in Soil, Plant, Water and Seed Testing | 0+20 |
Course No. : Soils 52
Course Title : Elementary Soil Physics and Conservation
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. II
Organic matter- pools, composition and distribution in soils and its functions. Environmental significance of humic substances. Decomposition of organic residues in soil in relation to organic matter pools. Biochemistry of the humus formation and different pathways for humus synthesis in soil. Soil carbohydrates and lipids. Nutrient transformations - N, P, and S. Trace metal interaction with humic substances, Significance of chelation reactions in soils. Reactive functional groups of humic substances, adsorption of organic compounds by clay and role of organic substance in pedogenic soil aggregation processes. Clayorganic matter complexes. Humus - pesticide interaction in soil, mechanisms.
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of lectures |
| 1 | Soil as a three phase system-solid particles, water and air | 2 |
| 2 | Distribution of phase components in surface and subsoils | 1 |
| 3 | Soil texture – its importance and classification | 2 |
| 4 | Volume-mass relationships in soils | 2 |
| 5 | Soil structure- classification, significance and management. | 2 |
| FIRST HOURLY EXAMINATION | ||
| 6 | Soil water-retention and storage | 2 |
| 7 | Direct and indirect ways to measure soil water content | 2 |
| 8 | Plant available water | 1 |
| 9 | Soil water transmission characteristics including infiltration | 2 |
| 10 | Composition of soil air and its renewal | 2 |
| 11 | Soil temperature- thermal properties, diurnal and seasonal variations and management | 3 |
| MID TERM EXAMINATION | ||
| 11 | Soil erosion by water – forms, causes and factor affecting | 2 |
| 12 | Mechanism of soil erosion by water and factors affecting it | 2 |
| 13 | Erosivity – factors affecting and erosivity indices | 1 |
| 14 | Erodibility – factors affecting and erodibility indices | 1 |
| 15 | Soil erosion management including gully erosion control. | 3 |
| 16 | Wind erosion – causes, factors, forms | 2 |
| 17 | Wind erosion management including shelterbelts and wind breaks. | 2 |
| FINAL EXAMINATION | ||
Detailed Practical Schedule
| Sr. No. | Practical Schedule | Place |
| 1 | Determination of particle size analysis (soil texture) | UG Lab II |
| 2 | Dry aggregate size analysis | UG Lab II |
| 3 | Determination of soil bulk and particle densities | do-/Field |
| 4 | Determination of soil moisture by neutron scattering technique | - |
| 5 | Determination of soil moisture status by tensiometery | -do- |
| 6 | Determination of soil moisture characteristics | Lab II |
| 7 | Determination of infiltration rate of soils | Field/UG lab II |
| 8 | Determination of total and air filled pore spaces | Field/UG lab II |
| 9 | Measurement of soil temperature | UG lab II |
| 10 | Determination of per cent surface cover by mulches and crop canopy. | UG lab II |
| 11 | Measurement and estimation of runoff | Field |
| 12 | Measurement of soil loss in runoff water | UG lab II |
| 13 | Determination of splash erosion | UG lab II |
| 14 | Visit to soil conservation works | Field |
List of Books:
- Nature and Properties of Soils by NC Brady
- Soil Physics by Arun Kumar Saha
- Soil Physics by Ghildyal and Tripathi
- Soil Erosion and Conservation by RPC Morgan
- Introduction to Soil Physics by Pardeep K Sharma
Course No. : Soils 106
Course Title : Soil and Water Management
Credit Hours : 1+1
Semester : Sem. II
Theory : Concept of soil, its meaning and definition. Components of Soil. Soil physical properties -Soil texture, structure, density, porosity, soil water, soil air, soil temperature. Soil chemical properties, Soil organic matter. Land capability classification and suitability. Soils of India and Punjab. Soil quality and soil health. Distribution of waste land/degraded lands and problem soils in India. Management of salt affected soils, calcareous soils, acid soils, acid sulphate soils, eroded and compacted soils, flooded/water logged soils, physically constrained soils, polluted soils. Alternate land use strategies for management of problematic soils including bioremediation/ phytoremediation. Irrigation water-quality and standards, utilization of poor quality water in agriculture.
Practical : Soil sample collection and its preparation for analysis. Determination of soil color, density, porosity and moisture content. Determination of soil texture by feel method. Determination of infiltration rate, aggregate stability. Determination of soil reaction (pH) and total soluble salts content (EC) and organic matter in soil.
Practical : Determination of lime and gypsum requirement of acid and sodic soils, respectively. Determination of water soluble cations and anions, exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and computation of ESP. Determination of quality of irrigation water (pH, EC, SAR, RSC, boron, chlorides etc.)
Detailed lecture schedule
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of lecture(s) |
| 1. | Concept of soil, its meaning and definition | 1 |
| 2. | Components or phases of Soil –Soil solids, soil liquid and soil gaseous phase | 1 |
| 3. | Soil texture –its definition, particle size classification, mechanical analysis and triangular textural diagram | 1 |
| 4. | Soil structure –its definition, types , class and grade of soil structure | 1 |
| 5. | Quantitative interrelationships of the solid, liquid and air components of soil | 1 |
| 6. | Soil water –soil moisture constants, forms of soil water, concept of water potential and its components, water retention by soils, water flow in soils. | 2 |
| 7. | Soil air and its composition, renewal of soil air, factors affecting soil aeration. | 1 |
| 8. | Soil temperature and heat, variation of soil temperature, factors affecting soil temperature, thermal properties of soil and heat flow in soil. | 1 |
| 9. | Soil colloids and their properties | 2 |
| 10. | Importance and nature of soil organic matter, humic substances, humus formation and management of soil organic matter. | 1 |
| 11. | Land capability classification and suitability | 1 |
| 12. | Soils of India and Punjab | 1 |
| 13. | Soil quality and soil health | 1 |
| 14. | Distribution of waste land/degraded lands and problem soils in India | 1 |
| 15. | Management of salt affected soils, calcareous soils, acid soils, acid sulphate soils, | 1 |
| 16. | Management of eroded and compacted soils, flooded/water logged soils, physically constrained soils, polluted soils | 1 |
| 17. | Alternate land use strategies for management of problematic soils including bioremediation/ phytoremediation | 1 |
| 18. | Irrigation water-quality and standards, utilization of poor quality water in agriculture. | 1 |
Detailed practical schedule
| Sr. No. | Practical schedule | Place of conduct |
| 1. | Soil sample collection and its preparation for analysis. | UG Lab. I or II |
| 2. | Determination of soil color using Munsell color chart. | -do- |
| 3. | Determination of particle density, bulk density and porosity of soil. | -do- |
| 4. | Determination of soil moisture content by gravimetric method. | -do- |
| 5. | Determination of soil texture by feel method. | -do- |
| 6. | Determination of infiltration rate. | -do- |
| 7. | Determination of aggregate stability. | -do- |
| 8. | Determination of soil reaction (pH) in soil. | -do- |
| 9. | Determination of total soluble salts content (EC) in soil. | -do- |
| 10. | Determination of organic matter in soil. | -do- |
| 11. | Determination of lime requirement of acid soils. | -do- |
| 12. | Determination of gypsum requirement of sodic soils. | -do- |
| 13. | Determination of water soluble cations and anions. | -do- |
| 14. | Determination of exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and computation of ESP. | -do- |
| 15. | Determination of quality of irrigation water (pH, EC, SAR, RSC, boron, chlorides etc.) | -do- |
List of Books Recommended
- Indian Society of Soil Science (2012) Fundamentals of Soil Science, 2nd Edition, ISSS, N. Delhi.
- Sehgal, J. (2005) A Text Book of Pedology: Concepts and Applications, Kalyani Publsihers, Ludhiana, 516p.
- Brady, Nyle C and Weil Ray R (2002) The Nature and Properties of Soil. (14th edition). Pearson Education (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Indian Branch, 482 F.I.E. Partapganj, Delhi 110092, India
Course No. : Soils 202
Course Title : Problematic Soils and their Management
Credit Hours : 2+0
Semester : Sem.
Theory : Soil quality and health. Distribution of waste land and problem soils in India, their categorization based on properties. Reclamation and management of saline, sodic, acid, acid sulphate, eroded, compacted, flooded, waterlogged and polluted soils. Irrigation water – quality and standards. Utilization of saline and sodic water in agriculture. Remote sensing and GIS in diagnosis and management of problem soils. Bioremediation of problem soils through multipurpose tree species. Land capability classification. Land suitability classification. Problematic soils under
different agro-ecosystems.
Lecture Schedule
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of lecture (s) |
| 1 | Soil quality and health- Factors affecting soil quality, soil quality indicators, applications of soil quality approach in sustainable use of soil resources, strategies for improving soil quality | 2 |
| 2 | Distribution of waste land and problem soils in India and their categorization based on properties | 2 |
| 3 | Acid soils and types of acidity | 3 |
| 4 | Salt affected soils – Sources of salinity and alkalinity, classification and distinguishing features of saline and sodic soils | 3 |
| 5 | Reclamation and management of salt affected soils | 2 |
| 6 | Acid sulphate soils and its management | 1 |
| 7 | Management of eroded soils-Soil erosion by water and wind | 2 |
| 8 | Management of compacted and waterlogged soils | 2 |
| 9 | Management of polluted soils- Impacts of soil pollution, major soil problems, remediation of polluted soil | 2 |
| 10 | Quality of irrigation water and its appraisal | 2 |
| 12 | Utilization of saline and sodic water in agriculture- Salt tolerance and crop selection, use of amendments, irrigation management | 4 |
| 13 | Remote sensing and GIS in diagnosis and management of problem soils | 2 |
| 14 | Bioremediation of problem soils | 2 |
| 15 | Land capability classification | 1 |
| 16 | Land suitability classification | 1 |
| 17 | Problematic soils under different agro-ecosystems | 1 |
List of books
- Soil Science: An Introduction (2015) by Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi, 728p.
- Indian Society of Soil Science (2012) Fundamentals of Soil Science, 2nd Edition, ISSS, N. Delhi.
- The Nature and Properties of Soils by Nyle C. Brady and Ray R. Weil, 14th Edition (2014) Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 621p.
- Introductory Soil Science by D. K. Das Third Revised Edition (2011) Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana, 645p.
Course No. : Soils 302
Course Title : Precision Farming, Geoinformatics and Nano-technology
Credit Hours : 1+1
Semester : Sem.II
Theory : Precision agriculture - concepts and techniques, their issues and concerns for Indian agriculture, Definition (Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Nanobiotechnology), History and timeline (Contribution of important scientific discoveries for the development of nanotechnology), Nanoscale effects, Types of nanomaterial, Basic information on top down and bottom up approaches for the synthesis of nanomaterials, Physical, chemical and biological approaches for synthesis of nanomaterials, Characterization techniques, Use of nanomaterials for enhancing crop productivity, Nanofertilizers and nanopesticides: basic concepts and application, Nanodiagnostics: Easy detection of phytopathogens using nano-based sensors, Global positioning system (GPS), components and its functions, Geographic information system (GIS), components and its functions, Spatial data and their management in GIS, Use of geospatial technologies in studying Crop stress (biotic/abiotic), Geo-informatics - definition, concepts, tool and techniques, Use of Geo-informatics in precision agriculture, Remote sensing concepts, Application of Remote sensing in agriculture, Image processing and interpretation, Crop discrimination and yield monitoring, soil mapping and fertilizer recommendation using geospatial technologies, Crop simulation models, Uses of crop models for optimization of agricultural inputs, STCR approach for precision agriculture
Practical : Preparation protocols of soil and plant samples for characterization using spectroscopy and electron microscopy tools, Role of stabilizers or surfactants for development of stable formulations and applications of nanoparticles for enhanced seed germination and growth, anti-microbial properties of nanomaterials, Use of GPS for agricultural survey, Introduction to GIS software, spatial data creation and editing, Crop stress (biotic/abiotic) monitoring using geospatial technology, Introduction to image processing software, Visual and digital interpretation of remote sensing images, Generation of spectral profiles of different objects, Supervised and unsupervised classification and acreage estimation, Multispectral remote sensing for soil mapping, Creation of thematic layers of soil fertility based on GIS, Creation of productivity and management zones, Fertilizers recommendations based on VRT and STCR techniques
Detailed Lecture Schedule
| Sr. No. | Topic | Deptt/Section |
| 1 | Precision agriculture - concepts and techniques, their issues and concerns for Indian agriculture | Soil Science, Nano, Agromet, PRSC |
| 2 | Definition (Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Nanobiotechnology), History and timeline (Contribution of important scientific discoveries for the development of nanotechnology), Nanoscale effects | Nano-technology |
| 3 | Types of nanomaterial, Basic information on top down and bottom up approaches for the synthesis of nanomaterials | |
| 4 | Physical, chemical and biological approaches for synthesis of nanomaterials, Characterization techniques | |
| 5 | Use of nanomaterials for enhancing crop productivity, Nanofertilizers and nanopesticides: basic concepts and application | |
| 6 | Nanodiagnostics: Easy detection of phytopathogens using nano-based sensors | |
| 7 | Global positioning system (GPS), components and its functions | Climate Change & Agrometeorology |
| 8 | Geographic information system (GIS), components and its functions | |
| 9 | Spatial data and their management in GIS | |
| 10 | Use of geospatial technologies in studying Crop stress (biotic/abiotic) | |
| 11 | Geo-informatics - definition, concepts, tool and techniques | Punjab Remote Sensing Centre |
| 12 | Use of Geo-informatics in precision agriculture. | |
| 13 | Remote sensing concepts | |
| 14 | Application of Remote sensing in agriculture | |
| 15 | Image processing and interpretation | |
| 16 | Crop discrimination and yield monitoring | Soil Science |
| 17 | soil mapping and fertilizer recommendation using geospatial technologies | |
| 18 | Crop simulation models | |
| 19 | Uses of crop models for optimization of agricultural inputs | |
| 20 | STCR approach for precision agriculture |
Practicals
| Sr. No. | Name of the practical | Deptt/Section |
| 1-2 | Preparation protocols of soil and plant samples for characterization using spectroscopy and electron microscopy tools | Nano-technology |
| 3-5 | Role of stabilizers or surfactants for development of stable formulations and applications of nanoparticles for enhanced seed germination and growth, anti-microbial properties of nanomaterials | |
| 5-6 | Use of GPS for agricultural survey, Introduction to GIS software, spatial data creation and editing | Climate Change & Agrometeorology |
| 7-8 | Crop stress (biotic/abiotic) monitoring using geospatial technology | |
| 9 | Introduction to image processing software | Punjab Remote Sensing Centre |
| 10 | Visual and digital interpretation of remote sensing images | |
| 11 | Generation of spectral profiles of different objects | |
| 12 | Supervised and unsupervised classification and acreage estimation | |
| 13 | Multispectral remote sensing for soil mapping | |
| 14-15 | Creation of thematic layers of soil fertility based on GIS | Soil Science |
| 16 | Creation of productivity and management zones | |
| 17-18 | Fertilizers recommendations based on VRT and STCR techniques |
List of Books:
- Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology by K.K. Chattopadhyay and A.N. Banerjee, 2012 edition, PHI learning private limited, New Delhi, India
- Hand Book of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology by Jayanta Barman,2014 edition, Kalyani publishers, New Delhi, India
- Nanotechnology: Principles and Practices by Sulabha K. Kulkarni, 2007 Edition, Capital Publishing Company, New Delhi
- Biotic and Abiotic Stress in Plants by Peyton Turner (Editor), 2017 edition, Larsen and Keller Education, www. Arsen-Keller.com
- Introduction to GPS: the global positioning system by A. El-Rabbany, 2006, 2nd edition.
- Remote Sensing: Principles and Applicationby A.N. Patel and Surendra Singh, 2012 edition, Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
- Principles of Geoinformatics by R.K. Gupta and Subash Chander, 2008, Jain Brothers, New Delhi.
- Fundamentals of Remote Sensing by J George, 2005, Universities Press India Pvt. Ltd. 2nd edition.
- Remote sensing and image interpretation by T.M. Lillesand, R.W. Kiefer and J.W. Chipman, 2015, John Wiley and Sons Inc. 7th edition.
- Geo-informatics applications in agriculture by A.K. Singh and U.K.Chopra, 2007, New Delhi New India Publishing Agency, 1st edition.
- Handbook of Processes and Modelling in Soil-Plant System by D.K.Benbi and R.Nieder (Eds.) 2003 edition, Food Products Press, USA
- Soil-specific farming; Precision agriculture by R. Lal, 2016, New York CRC Press.
Course No. : Soils 303
Course Title : Biofertilizers and Biopesticides
Credit Hours : 2+1
Semester : Sem. II
Theory : Biofertilizers - introduction, status and scope. Structure and characteristic features of bacterial biofertilizers - Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium and Frankia, cyanobacterial biofertilizers - Anabaena, Nostoc, Hapalosiphon and fungal biofertilizers - AM endomycorrhiza an d ectomycorhiza. Nitrogen fixation - free living and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Mechanism of phosphate solubilization and mobilization, K solubilization. Production technology - strain selection, sterilization, growth and fermentation. Mass production of carrier based and liquid biofertilizers. Factors influencing the efficacy of biofertilizers. pplication technology for seeds, seedlings, tubers and sets. Storage, shelf life, quality control and marketing of biofertilizers. FCO specifications for quality control of biofertilizers. Biopesticides-History, concept, importance, scope and potential of biopesticides. Definitions and classification of biopesticides - pathogen, botanical pesticides and biorationales and their uses. Mass production technology of biopesticides. Virulence, pathogenicity and symptoms of entomopathogenic organisms. Methods of application of biopesticides. Quality control of biopesticides. Impediments and limitations in production and use of biopesticides. Registration of biopesticides.
Practical : Isolation, biochemical characterization and purification of Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Rhizobium, P-solubilizers, K-solubilizers and cyanobacteria. Mass multiplication and production of inocula of biofertilizers. Isolation of AM fungi - wet sieving method and sucrose gradient method. Mass production of AM inoculants. Isolation and purification of important biopesticides - Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Metarhyzium and Beauvaria and their production. Techniques of mass production of biopesticides. Equipment in biopesticide production. Field visit to naturally infected cadavers. Identification of entomopathogenic entities in field condition.
Lecture Schedule Theory
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of lectures |
| 1 | Biofertilizers- Introduction, scope, status, | 1 |
| 2 | Role of microbial groups in soil fertility and crop production | 1 |
| 3 | Bacterial and cyanobacterial biofertilizers-Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium and Frankia, Anabaena, Nostoc, Hapalosiphon | 3 |
| 4 | Fungal biofertilizers-Mycorrhiza: Ecto and endomycorrhiza | 2 |
| 5 | Biological nitrogen fixation- Nitrogen fixers including symbiotic, associative and free-living N-fixation | 2 |
| 6 | P-solubilizers-Mechanism of P-solubilization and mobilization, K-solubilizers | 2 |
| 7 | Biofertilizer production technology- strain selection, sterilization, inoculation, growth and liquid state fermentation | 2 |
| 8 | Mass production of carrier based and liquid biofertilizers | 2 |
| 9 | Factors affecting efficacy of biofertilizers, Method of application of biofertilizers | 2 |
| 10 | Storage and shelf-life assessment, quality control, BIS standards or FCO specifications of biofertilizers, Biofertilizer marketing strategies | 2 |
| 11 | Biopesticides: Definition and classification | 1 |
| 12 | History, Scope and Importance of biopesticide | 2 |
| 13 | Types of biopesticides and their uses | 2 |
| 14 | Production of biopesticide- different methods | 2 |
| 15 | Pathogenicity and symptoms of entomopathogenic organism | 1 |
| 16 | Methods of application of biopesticides | 2 |
| 17 | Limitations in use of biopesticide, quality control and Registration | 2 |
| Total | 31 |
Practical Schedule
| Sr. No. | Practical | No. of practicals |
| 1 | Methods of isolation and purification of Rhizobium from soil/ legume root nodules | 2 |
| 2 | Methods of isolation and purification of free living Azotobacter and cyanobacteria from soil | 2 |
| 3 | Methods of isolation and purification of Azospirillum from cereal roots | 1 |
| 4 | Methods of isolation and purification of phosphate and potassium solubilizers from soil | 2 |
| 5 | Inoculation of broth media and mass cultivation of biofertilizers | 3 |
| 6 | Isolation of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from soil sample by wet sieving | 1 |
| 7 | Introduction to equipments for production of biopesticide | 1 |
| 8 | Method of isolation of pathogens for production of biopesticide | 2 |
| 9 | Methods of production of biopesticide | 2 |
| 10 | Field visit for symptomatic identification of entomopathogens | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
Suggested reading-
- Biofertilizer Handbook by P. Bhattacharya and H.L.S. Tandon, 2012, Nirwan Printers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
- Agricultural Microbiology by G. Rangaswamy and D.J. Bhagayaraj, 1993, Prentice Hall Publishers, New Delhi.
- Soil Microbiology by Subba Rao NS, Fourth Edition. Oxford and IBH Publishers, New Delhi.
- The Fertilizer Control Order,2016, Commercial Law Publishers, India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.
- Principles of Insect Pest management by G.S. Dhaliwal and R Arora 1996, USG Publishers, Ludhiana
- Sustainable Crop Protection Biopesticide Strategies by Koul O, Dhaliwal G.S. and Kaul V.K. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana.
Course No. : Soils 304
Course Title : Soil, Water and Plant Analysis
Credit Hours : 1+1
Semester : Sem. II
Theory : Methods of soil, water and plant sampling and processing for analysis. Characterization of soil hydraulic properties - soil water, diffusion and mass flow. Renewal of soil air. Methods of estimation of oxygen diffusion rate and redox potential. Use of radio tracer techniques in soil fertility evaluation and plant nutrient studies. Soil micro-organisms and their importance. Saline, alkali, calcareous, acidic, waterlogged and sandy soils, their appraisal and management. Mineral composition of horticultural crops. Leaf analysis standards, index tissue, interpretation of leaf analysis values. Rapid tissue tests for plant. Quality of irrigation water. Management of poor quality irrigation water in crop production. Soil and water pollution.
Practical : Collection and preparation of soil, water and plant samples for analysis. Determination of moisture content and hydraulic conductivity of soil. Determination of pH, electrical conductivity, calcium carbonate, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations in soil, and estimation of exchangeable sodium percentage. Determination of gypsum and lime requirements of soil. Rapid tissue tests to assess nutrient status of plants. Irrigation water quality analysis. Determination of pH and EC in irrigation water samples. Determination of carbonate, bicarbonate, chlorine, boron, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in soil and irrigation water and estimation of sodium adsorption ratio.
Lecture Schedule Theory
| Sr. No. | Topic | No. of Lecture (s) |
| 1 | Methods of soil, water and plant sampling and processing for analysis. | 1 |
| 2 | Soil water - Characterization of soil hydraulic properties | 2 |
| 3 | Soil Air- diffusion and mass flow. Renewal of soil air. Methods of estimation of oxygen diffusion rate and redox potential. | 1 |
| 4 | Use of radio tracer techniques in soil fertility evaluation and plant nutrient studies. | 1 |
| 5 | Soil micro-organisms and their importance. | 1 |
| 6 | Saline, alkali, calcareous, acidic, waterlogged and sandy soils, their appraisal and management. | 2 |
| Mid term examination | ||
| 8 | Mineral composition of horticultural crops. | 1 |
| 9 | Leaf analysis standards, index tissue, interpretation of leaf analysis values. | 2 |
| 10 | Rapid tissue tests for plant. | 1 |
| 11 | Quality of irrigation water. Management of poor quality irrigation water in crop production. | 2 |
| Second Hrly | ||
| 12 | Soil pollution. | 1 |
| 13 | Water pollution. | 1 |
Practical Schedule
| Sr. No. | Topic |
| 1 | Collection and preparation of soil, water and plant samples for analysis. |
| 2 | Determination of moisture content of Soil (Gravimeter) |
| 3 | Determination ofhydraulic conductivity of soil. |
| 4 | Determination of pH, electrical conductivity of Soil |
| 5 | Determination ofcalcium carbonate in Soil |
| 6 | Determination of cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations in soil |
| 7 | Estimation of exchangeable sodium percentage of soil |
| 8 | Determination of gypsum requirement in Soil |
| 9 | Determination of lime requirement in Soil |
| 10 | Rapid tissue tests to assess nutrient status of plants |
| 11 | Irrigation water quality analysis. |
| 12 | Determination of pH and EC in irrigation water samples. |
| 13 | Determination of carbonate, bicarbonate, chlorine, boron, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in soil |
| 14 | Determination of carbonate, bicarbonate, chlorine, boron, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in irrigation water |
| 15 | Estimation of sodium adsorption ratio |
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / Facilities & Services
| Sr. No. | Facility | |
| 1 | ICAP-OES for multi-element analysis |  |
| 2 | Autoanalyser for Nitrogen analysis |  |
| 3 | Microwave digestion System for preparation of plant samples |  |
| 4 | Atomic Absorption Spectrometer |  |
| 5 | X-ray diffraction |  |
| 6 | Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence |  |
| 7 | Gas Chromatograph |  |
| 8 | CHNS analyzer |  |
| 9 | Fourier transformed infrared spectrometer (FTIR) |  |
| 10 | ||
| 12 | Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) |  |
| 13 | Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) |  |
| 14 | Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscope with Raman Module |  |
| 16 | UV Spectrophotometer |  |
| 17 | Shakers | |
| 18 | Green seeker | |
| 19 | Compost turner with a tractor | |
| 20 | TDR-based Soil Moisture System, Neutron probe | |
| 21 | Pressure plate apparatus | |
| 22 | Leaf Area Meters | |
| 23 | Recording type of raingauges andrainfall simulator | |
| 24 | Kel plus assembly for N estimation | |
| 25 | Reprographic facility | |
| 26 | BOD incubators | |
| 27 | Multi-spin centrifuge | |
| 28 | Vacuum cum compressor | |
| 29 | Tractor mounted combine harvester | |
| 30 | Planimeter | |
| 31 | Microcsope with Camera | |
| 32 | Abney level | |
| 33 | Chlorophyll (SPAD) meter |
Other facilities Soil's Museum Student's Plant Clinic Uppal Water Resources Museum GIS and Image Processing laboratory Departmental library,Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM),Optical Upright Research Microscope, Stereo Zoom Microscopes, Ultracut Microtome, Leica Macro Viewer Macro Viewer, Cryo attachment for ultra microtomy, Ion Sputter Coater, Ion Sputter Coater, Bench Top Evaporator, Critical Point Dryer (CPD).
College of Agriculture / Soil Science / PG Students
M.Sc. Students of Soil Science
M.Sc. (Batch 2021-22)
| Sr. No. | Name | Admin. No. | Advisor |
| 1 | Arshdeep Singh | L-2021-A-121-M | Dr. B. S. Sekhon |
| 2 | Avni Sharma | L-2021-A-122-M | Dr. K. S. Sekhon |
| 3 | Bhavana Mahawer | L-2021-A-123-M | Dr Rajiv Sikka |
| 4 | Dilpreet Kaur Mangat | L-2021-A-125-M | Dr K. B. Singh |
| 5 | Dimple | L-2021-A-126-M | Dr. A.A.S. Gill |
| 6 | Gursimran Kaur | L-2021-A-127-M | Dr. Neeraj Rani |
| 7 | Gursimran Singh | L-2021-A-128-M | Dr. Varinderpal Singh |
| 8 | Khushkomal Kang | L-2021-A-129-M | Dr. M.S. Kahlon |
| 9 | Komalpreet Kaur | L-2021-A-130-M | Dr. B. K. Yadav |
| 10 | Manmeet Singh | L-2021-A-131-M | Dr. Naveen Gupta |
| 11 | Naina Sharma | L-2021-A-133-M | Dr. Vivek Sharma |
| 12 | Prabhsimran Singh | L-2021-A-134-M | Dr. G.S. Dheri |
| 13 | Samanpreet Kaur | L-2021-A-137-M | Dr. Baljit Singh |
| 14 | Shreya Rattan | L-2021-A-138-M | Dr. M.S. Mavi |
| 15 | Shrijita Bid | L-2021-A-139-M | Dr. Dhanwinder Singh |
| 16 | Tarique Aziz | L-2021-A-141-M | Dr. B.B. Vashisht |
| 17 | Akshay Arora | L-2021-A-337-M | Dr Kuldip Singh |
| 18 | Aman Bhatia | L-2021-A-338-M | Dr Jagdeep Singh |
| 19 | Dalip Kumar Yadav | L-2021-A-339-M | Dr Shashi Pathania |
| 20 | Divya Balotra | L-2021-A-340-M | Dr Gayatri Verma |
| 21 | Harjot Singh Sikka | L-2021-A-341-M | Dr M S Kahlon |
| 22 | Jasmeet Singh | L-2021-A-342-M | Dr A S Toor |
| 23 | Rajni | L-2021-A-344-M | Dr Sandeep Sharm |
M.Sc. (Batch 2022)
| Sr. No. | Name | Admin. No. | Advisor |
| 1 | Abhishek Grover | L-2022-A-093-M | Dr Varinderpal Singh |
| 2 | Ankit Malhotra | L-2022-A-094-M | Dr K B Singh |
| 3 | Anmoldeep Singh | L-2022-A-095-M | Dr A A S Gill |
| 4 | Garima Jindal | L-2022-A-096-M | Dr Neemisha |
| 5 | Harmandeep Singh | L-2022-A-097-M | Dr Jeevanjot Dhaliwal |
| 6 | Harpreet Kaur | L-2022-A-098-M | Dr Balkrishna Sopan Bhople |
| 7 | Lakhvir Singh | L-2022-A-099-M | Dr Vijay Kant Singh |
| 8 | Manpreet Kaur | L-2022-A-100-M | Dr M S Mavi |
| 9 | Manpreet Singh | L-2022-A-101-M | Dr Rajeev Sikka |
| 10 | Nikhil Bissyan | L-2022-A-102-M | Dr Gazala Nazir |
| 11 | Palwinder Singh | L-2022-A-103-M | Dr G S Dheri |
| 12 | Rachita | L-2022-A-104-M | Dr Dhanwinder Singh |
| 13 | Rajneesh Choudhary | L-2022-A-105-M | Dr K S Sekhon |
| 14 | Rajwinder Kaur | L-2022-A-106-M | Dr Neeraj Rani |
| 15 | Swati | L-2022-A-107-M | Dr B B Vashisht |
| 16 | Tanu | L-2022-A-108-M | Dr Baljit Singh |
| 17 | Varinder Singh | L-2022-A-109-M | Left the degree |
| 18 | Vasdev Kumar | L-2022-A-110-M | Dr Jagdish Singh |
| 19 | Yashpreet Duggal | L-2022-A-111-M | Dr B S Sekhon |
M.Sc. 2022-23
| Sr. No. | Name | Admn. No. | Advisor |
| YOGITA | L-2023-A-117-M | Dr. KB Singh | |
| VANSH SINGLA | L-2023-A-116-M | Dr. MS Kahlon | |
| ABHISHEK SHARMA | L-2023-A-100-M | Dr. B.B. Vashisht | |
| GURDEEP | L-2023-A-103-M | Dr. Rajeev Sikka | |
| PAVIT KAUR | L-2023-A-112-M | Dr. A.S. Toor | |
| KARANVEER SINGH | L-2023-A-106-M | Dr. Vicky Singh | |
| GURPINDER KAUR | L-2023-A-104-M | Dr. Naveen Gupta | |
| KUSUM GARHWAL | L-2023-A-110-M | Dr. Gobinder Singh | |
| SHALENDER KUMAR YADAV | L-2023-A-115-M | Dr. Hari Mohan Meena | |
| ANKITA SHARMA | L-2023-A-101-M | Dr. Lovedeep Kaur | |
| KARMINDERJIT SINGH | L-2023-A-107-M | Dr. Sashi Pathania | |
| HARSH | L-2023-A-105-M | Dr. Opinder Singh | |
| KHUSHBOO | L-2023-A-108-M | Dr. Mohammad Amin Bhatt | |
| RATTANJEET KAUR | L-2023-A-113-M | Dr. B.K. Yadav | |
| ANURAG | L-2023-A-102-M | Dr. Janpriya | |
| LOVEPREET SINGH | L-2023-A-111-M | Dr. MS Mavi |
M.Sc. 2022-23
| Sr. No. | Name | Admn. No. | Advisor |
| 2018 | |||
| 1. | Raagjeet Kaur | L-2018-A-62-D | Dr MS Mavi |
| 2. | Harmanpreet Singh | L-2018-A-64-D | Dr Dhanwinder Singh |
| 3. | Gargi Sharma | L-2018-A-65-D | Dr OP Choudhary |
| 4. | Jyolsna T | L-2018-A-66-D | Dr BB Vashisht |
| 5. | Maragani Vamshi | L-2018-A-67-D | Dr. Varinder Pal Singh |
| 2019 | |||
| 1. | Baljit Singh | L-2019-A-66-D | Dr Shashi Pathania |
| 2. | Bikramjeet Singh | L-2019-A-67-D | Dr Kuldip Singh |
| 3. | Chaitra P | L-2019-A-68-D | Dr Rajeev Sikka |
| 4. | Gitanjli Rathore | L-2019-A-69-D | Dr Vivek Sharma |
| 5. | Gowthamchand N J | L-2019-A-70-D | Dr SS Dhaliwal |
| 6. | Jaspreet Singh | L-2019-A-71-D | Dr Manmohanjit Singh |
| 7. | Ketan Chawla | L-2019-A-72-D | Dr Baljit Singh |
| 8. | Malkit Singh | L-2019-A-73-D | Dr MS Kahlon |
| 9. | Nihar Gupta | L-2019-A-74-D | Dr Sandeep Sharma |
| 10. | Praveen Karikatti | L-2019-A-75-D | Dr BK Yadav |
| 11. | Vicky Singh | L-2019-A-76-D | Dr RK Gupta |
| 2020 | |||
| 1. | Mehakpreet Kaur Randhawa | L-2020-A-74-D | Dr A S Toor |
| 2. | Ruchi Goyal | L-2020-A-76-D | Dr K B Singh |
| 3. | Jaskirandeep Kaur | L-2020-A-72-D | Dr AAS Gill |
| 4. | Jagmanjot Singh | L-2020-A-71-D | Dr Varinderpal Singh |
| 5. | Sarveen Kaur | L-2020-A-77-D | Dr MS Mavi |
| 6. | Gagandeep Singh | L-2020-A-70-D | Dr BS Sekhon |
| 7. | Manish Yadav | L-2020-A-73-D | Dr BB Vashisht |
| 8. | Rishabh Pawar | L-2020-A-75-D | Dr Dhanwinder Singh |
| 2021 | |||
| Sr. No. | Name | Admn. No. | Advisor |
| 1 | Anmoldeep Singh Chakkal | L-2021-A-067-D | Dr Sandeep Sharma |
| 2 | Radhika Sharma | L-2021-A-068-D | Dr Neemisha |
| 3 | Prabhjot Singh | L-2021-A-069-D | Dr Neeraj Rani |
| 4 | Ankita Sharma | L-2021-A-070-D | Dr MS Kahlon |
| 5 | Alisha Sharma | L-2021-A-071-D | Dr G S Dheri |
| 6 | Simta Sharma | L-2021-A-072-D | Dr Vivek Sharma |
| 7 | Navdeep Kaur | L-2021-A-073-D | Dr Gayatri Verma |
| 8 | Annu Singh | L-2021-A-074-D | Dr Rajeev Sikka |
| 2022 | |||
| Sr. No. | Name | Admn. No. | Advisor |
| 1 | Sharanjit Kaur Brar | L-2022-A-52-D | Dr. A.S. Toor |
| 2 | Savreen Kaur | L-2022-A-53-D | Dr. (Mrs) Sumita Chandel |
| 3 | Saumya Siag | L-2022-A-54-D | Dr. Naveen Gupta |
| 4 | Tejinder Kaur | L-2022-A-55-D | Dr. K.B. Singh |
| 5 | Himshikha | L-2022-A-56-D | Dr. Manmohanjit Singh |
| 6 | Kirti Bhat | L-2022-A-57-D | Dr. Jagdeep Singh |
| 7 | Shradha | L-2022-A-58-D | Dr. K.S. Sekhon |
| 8 | Rameshwar Choudhary | L-2022-A-59-D | Dr. Jagdish Singh |
| 9 | Ayushi Singh | L-2022-A-60-D | Dr. Varinderpal Singh |
| 10 | Shivani Barman | L-2022-A-61-D | Dr. Baljit Singh |
| 11 | Parismita Dutta | L-2022-A-126-D | Dr. Balkrishna Sopan Bhople |