Soil is one of the precious natural resources which needs to be protected and preserved with utmost attention and care. Technically, soil forms the pedosphere; the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. More generally, soil is a three phase system comprised of various combinations of naturally-derived solids including fine to coarse-grained rocks and minerals, organic mater (including living organisms), ice, weathered rock and precipitates, liquids primarily water solutions, and gases. The liquid phase is typically primarily water, and is also known as the ‘soil solution’: plants take their nutrients from this phase. The gaseous phase is important for supplying oxygen to plant roots for respiration. Soils are so varied that they have got different physico-chemical and mineralogical properties which are to be thoroughly understood from the perspective of the basic principles of applied chemistry. Soil chemistry is one of the important branches of soil science on which not much publications have come from our country. This book is an attempt to cover all aspects related to soil chemistry so that these precious natural resources can be better managed and conserved for our future generations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR G. Byju
G. Byju did his M.Sc(Ag) and Ph.D. in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry from kerala Agricultural university. He joined the Agricultural research Service (ARS) of India in 1992 and since then has been holding different positions in Central Tuber Crops research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala and its Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Presently he is holding the position of Senior scientist. He has carried out very detailed research work on pedological, physico-chemical, mineralogical and micro morphological aspects of laterite soils and published more than 10 research papers on laterite soils. He is actively engaged in research on site specific nutrient management (SSNM) and precision farming of tuber crops under different soils types. Besides more than 45 schentific papers in soil science, dr. G./ Byju authored Soil Analysis A Laboratory Manual and co-authored Laterite Soils with Dr. Thomas Varghese, former professor and Head, Soil science, Kerala Agricultural university. He has attended and presented papers in more than 20 international/national seminars/symposia organized in India and abroad. He is a technical member of central Soil Plant health centre, Government of kerala and also acted as technical adviser for establishing soil and plant laboratories under different KVKs in kerala. He has been acting as referee of foreign and Indian journals including Journals including Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil science, Journal of Plantation Crops and Current science.
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