JABALPUR CHAPTER OF INDIAN SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE
Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry
Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.) 482004
NEWSLETTER
No. 1
January - June, 2014
"Soil Health Care - The Key to Nation's Prosperity" - Dr. J.S.P. Yadav
Soil is a living and life-giving
natural resource and is the basis
of life. Soil is not just dirt, the life
within it make it live. Our soil is
old and fragile, it can be
damaged by farming techniques,
poisoned by rising salts and lost
by water and wind erosion.
Caring for the soil is the first
principle of land care.
In this issue
Chief Patron's Message..........01
Patron's Message...................02
Presidential Remarks ............02
Visits......................................02
Fellowships/Scholarships......03
Student's Placement.............. 04
Retirement and Joining......... 04
Participation in Workshop/
Seminar/Kisan Mela .............04
Other Activities..................... 04
Role of Microbes in Sustainable
Agriculture............................ 04
Nanotechnology: An Emerging
Concept in Soil Research......06
Four Decade Research Outcome
of Long Term Fertilizer
Experiment.............................07
Role of Soil Microbes in Plastic
Recycling.............................. 07
Micronutrients Research ...... 08
Obituary.................................08
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
National Conference on "Soil
Health: A Key to Unlock and
Sustain Production Potential"
during 3-4 September, 2014.
National Training Programme on
"Management of Soil Health:
Challengesand Opportunities" from
September 29 to October 19,
2014 under Center of Advanced
Faculty Training.
Chief Patron's Message
It is well known fact that among the various natural resources, soil
is the most important and dynamic resource for agricultural system.
At the same time, increasing population and industrialization in the
country creating pressure on arable land due to which it is shrinking
gradually and creating pressure to produce more and more from per
unit area to meet the challenges of food security for growing
population. Indeed, at the current level of production (263 Mt), it
appears imperative that an additional 5 Mt total food grain has got to
be added each year to the national food basket for the next decade or
so for maintaining the even pace. Because the total area under
cultivation remained more or less constant (at 140-142 Mha) over
the past several decades. There are indications that increased pressure on land for end-users
other than agriculture (such as industrialization, urbanization, etc., to name a few), may
result in net sown area in coming years. In recent past, it has been observed that productivity
of crops is either stagnated or even declining in many pockets of the country inspite of
adoption of climate resilient technologies, high yielding varieties of crops, increasing
application of fertilizer doses, irrigation facility and pest management practices. Therefore,
the current management practices need to be relooked in the light of intensive production
system and quality of natural resources in general and soil health in specific. Imbalanced
application of plant nutrients and there over mining by crop from soil in the intensive
cropping system has widen the gap between supply and demand and also resulted in spread
of multi-nutrients deficiency, especially the secondary and micronutrients in larger area in
the country. In the present scenario of production system, focus on organic carbon content in
soil, a key component of soil health, is missing and need more attention as it not only
regulates the nutrients and water dynamics but also the physico-chemical behavior with
special reference to biological behavior which is the key of soil life. Agro-technologies
need to be evolved and disseminated to boost the input use efficiency for sustaining the
agricultural production and food security. Further, the research programmes need to be
framed to achieve the goal of higher input use efficiency and productivity through
minimizing the losses of natural resources, primarily nutrients and water, caused by runoff,
leaching, fixation and volatilization.
The development and use of soil health card will serve as an instrument to aid in
sustaining soil health, selecting area specific crops, increasing yield with judicious use of
nutrients and improving the land use pattern for crop diversification. Hence, an integrated
approach towards sustaining soil health and crop productivity with minimal environmental
hazards need to be evolved and propagated for ensuring the food security in the country in
coming years.
In my view the Jabalpur Chapter of Indian Society of Soil Science is energetically
engaged towards the goal of improving and sustaining soil health and productivity of crops
through teaching, research and extension activities in the state of Madhya Pradesh. I
strongly feel that this News Letter will certainly prove to be a driving force in dissemination
of improved agro-technologies related to teaching, research and extension activities of
JNKVV, Jabalpur and adjoining research stations as well as state agencies engaged in the
benefit of farmers.
Prof. V. S. Tomar
Vice Chancellor
JNKVV, Jabalpur
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JISSS News letter - 2014
Patron's Message
Soil is a dynamic natural resource
which facilitates the crop production
and provides the habitat to the
millions of floras and faunas. Being
a dynamic system, soil properties
(physical, chemical and biological)
are directly or indirectly regulated
by various factors.
Research and development during post green revolution
era has been mainly focused on maximization of agricultural
production through the introduction of high yielding input
responsive varieties of crops, higher dosing of mineral
fertilizer coupled with improved agro-techniques which
resulted in declined factor productivity and soil health.
In recent past, it has been felt that soil management
needs more attention to improve and sustain the productivity
of crops which is either stagnated or even declining.
Correction measures are urgently needed in terms of soil and
crop specific nutrient management and C-sequestration in
soil to improve the soil health and achieve the desired food
security in the country.
I strongly believe that Jabalpur Chapter of Indian
Society of Soil Science is actively devoted towards
developing the effective modules for sustaining soil health
and this news letter will definitely be prove a tool for
dissemination of new agro-techniques for benefit of
farmers.
Dr. S.S. Tomar
Director Research Services
JNKVV, Jabalpur
Presidential Remarks
Since its establishment in 1967, the
Department of Soil Science and
Agricultural Chemistry, JNKVV,
Jabalpur, endlessly advancing
towards the development of
i m p r o v ed a gr o - t ec h no l og i es
through teaching and research
activities and their timely
dissemination to farming
community of Madhya Pradesh. The research works carried
out in this department are prioritized mainly to the current
need of the farmers to enhance the productivity and net
income per unit land. Initially the major focus was on
developing the recommendation of major nutrients for crops
then it shifted to integration of inorganic and organic
nutrient sources in light of diminishing soil health. Now the
time has come to put more attention towards
recommendations for secondary and micro nutrients in view
of accelerated spreading of secondary and micro nutrients
deficiency. Department of Soil Science and Agricultural
chemistry, JNKVV, Jabalpur has also attempting to fine tune
the technologies for organic carbon buildup in soil as it is
one of the most important component responsible for
improving soil health and nutrients use efficiency. Further,
the soil testing laboratory in the department is continuously
engaged in providing the knowledge base to the farmers for
economizing the nutrients application for desired
productivity and sustaining the soil fertility.
Publication of this news letter is another step towards
timely dissemination of recommendations on plant nutrients
management developed in the department suitable for the
soil and crop conditions of Madhya Pradesh.
VISITS
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Dr. S.S. Tomar, Director Research Services and patron
of the chapter visited Brazil under Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) Programme during 1-9
February, 2014.
Japanese scientists under JICA programme visited the
laboratories of the department on 20 January, 2014.
02
Dr. A.K. Rawat
President, Jabalpur Chapter of ISSS
Prof. & Head, Department of Soil Sci. & Agril. Chem.
JNKVV, Jabalpur
l
Professor Dr. V.S. Tomar, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor and
Dr. S.S. Tomar, Director Research Services visited the
field experiments on 30 January, 2014 to review the
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JISSS News letter - 2014
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JISSS News letter - 2014
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Newsletter - 2014
Compiled and edited by
Dr. A.K. Rawat, Dr. A.K. Dwivedi , Dr. H.K. Rai
Dr. R.K. Thakur, Dr. G.D. Sharma & R.K. Sahu
Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry
Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya
Jabalpur 482004, Madhya Pradesh, India
Telefax: +91 761-2681119, E-mail: headsoil@gmail.com, Web: www.jnkvv.nic.in
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