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MAHARASHTRA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES EXAMINATION
BOARD, PUNE
SEMESTER END, EXAMINATION.
B.Sc. (Hons.)Horticulture
Semester : II(NEW) Term: II Academic year : 2021-22
Course No : H/SSAC-122 :
Titlc Soil.Fertility and Nutrient Maniagement
Credits :2(1+1)
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Day and Date Time :2 hrs TotalMarks:40
Note: 1,Solve ANY, EIGHT questions from'
SECTION'A",
2: All questions from SECTION “B" are compulsory..
3. All questions carry.cqual marks.
4. Draw.neat diagrams wherever. necessary.
d.
SECTION:“A""
Q1Dêfine soilfertility evaluation: State the methods of soil,fertility eyaluation,:
Soil fertility. evaluation: It is assessment of nutrient supplying capacity.of
Methods:
soi.
I. Nutrient deficiency symptomsin on plant: Diagnosis
of deficiency symptoms of nutrients by
visual, observations in field.
II: Plnt analysis:
1.Total plant analysis: 2.Rapid tjssue testing
III. Soil testing:
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1.Totalutiients 2. Availablenutrients
IV. Biological tests:
A)Indicator plants tests:
B) Microbiological tests:
1) Azotobactor 2) Aspergillusniger 3) Cuming hamella plaque methods
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C) Laboratory and greenhouse tests:
1. Neubauer seedling 2. Pot culture experiments.
3. Field experiments 4.Mitscherlich's technique
5. Jenny'spot culture test 6. Sunflower and lettuce technique
Q. 2 What are organic manures? Classify the bulky and concentrated organic manures along with
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suitable.examples.
Organic mnures: Organic mterials prepared mainly from plant and animls refuse used for
nutrition of plans.
Classifiçation of organic:manures:
A)Bulky organic manures: FYM,Compost, Greenmanures
B)Concentrated organic manures:
a)Animal origin: Bone meal, poultry manure, fish and blood manure
b)Plant origin:
1) Edible oil cake: Groundnut, cottonseed, linseed, sunflower, sesamum.
2) Non edible oil cake: Castor, Karanj, neem.
0. 3 Define essential plant nutrients and classify the essential plant nutrients.
Essential nutrients: A chemicál element required for normal growth of plant without which
plant cannotcomplete its life cycle.
Classification of essential nutrients
1-Major.or Macronutrients(required in large amount);- two.types
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C,H,0,N,P,S,K,S;Ca;Mg
a). From airand water(C,H,0)
b) From-soil (N,P,K,S,Ca,Mg)-subdivided into two types
1)Primary nutrients(required in relatively more amount):- N,P,K
2)Secondary nutricnts(requircd in relatively less arnount):- S,Ca,Mg
2. Micro or Minor nutrients(required in small amount):
Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, CI, Ni
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Q. 4 What is luxury consumption? Explain consumption of nitrogen by plant.
Luxury consumption: It is the tendency of some crops toabsorb and accumulate nutrients far
in excess of their actual needs if it is present in sufficiently large quantity in the soil. Potassium
is one of the nutrient elements which is subjected to luxury consumption.
The absorption pattern of different nutrients by plants varies greatly among the plant species and
d.
also their age and growth stages.
Consumption of Nitrogen-by plants
•
Plants absorb the N mostly in nitrate (NO;) form or in ammonical (NH,) form by some
plants. Plants usually absorb' the N more during active growing period, but they do, not always
absorb it at the same rate. The amount of nitrogen absórbed is at a maximum when the plants are
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young and gradually decliñes as the plants age. Plánts can absorb extra nitrogen when it is
available and store it to be used later if needed.
• An oversupply of N generally produces dark green,-succulent, vegetative growth. In such
cases there will be a decline
ii sèed productioof grain crops, fruit production in.tomatoes and
Some tree rops. In sugar bets, sugar content decreases and in potatoes, tubers become watery.
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The negative effects of too müch of N on growing plants can be reduced if the P and K supplies
are adequte.
The average utilization of applied N by crops is around 50 percent but proper nitrogen
management strategies the efficiency as high as 80 % or more can be increased.
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Q. 5 Enlist the problematic soils? Give characteristics of saline, saline-sodic and sodic soils.
Problematic soils: Alkaline soils, Saline soils, Saline-alkaline soils, Acid soils and
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Calcareous soils
Characteristics of Säline, Saline-Sodic and Sodic soils:
Characteristics Saline soils Saline-Sodic soils Sodic soils
ECe (dSm') more than 4 more than 4 less than 4
pHs less than 8.5 less than equal to 8.5 more than 8.5 to 10
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ESP (%) less than 15 More than 15 More than 15
Nature of salts Neutral solubleNeutral soluble salt and High SAR,
salt :- Nat, CaxchangableNa*Ca", Cr, NaCO; type salts are
|Cr,so," |So4, Mg, K*.Vary in n more quantity.
dominance of salt and high
pH.
Q. 6 Define fertilizer. Classify the nitrogenous.fertilizers with examples.
Fertilizer: Any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin added to a soil to
supply certain elements essential for the growth of plants.
Classification of the nitrogenous fertilizers on the basis of chemicalforms:
1. Nitrate fertilizers: NO; or Nitrate eg. Sodium nitrate, Calcium nitrate
2. Åmmonium fertilizers: NHeg. Ammonium Sulphate, Ammonium phosphate
3,Nitrate and Ammonium fertilizer: NO,' and NH form eg. Ammonium nitrate, Calcium
ammonium nitrate,
4. Amide fertiližer: Amide form eg, Ureá, Calcium cyhamide.
What are the components of IËNM$2
Q. 7. Define Intcgrated Plant Nutrient Mahagement System,
IPNMS is the inteligéntand combinedust of inörganiic, organtc and biologicaltesources só ás
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to sustain optimutn yields improve or. mintáin thë'soil chiemtcál ánd phyšial propéries and
ättracijve:
provide crop nutrition packages which Arë technically sound, .economicaly
practically feaible and environmentally safe, The principal aim ofthe integrated approach is to
utilize all the possible sources of plant hutrition in a judieious and eficient manner.
Components of IPNMS:
1. Mineral fertilizers
2. Organic manures and crop residue.
3. Crop rotations
4. Green manuring
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S.Microbial fertilizers i.e. Nitrogen fixing organism(biofertilizers), phosphate solubilizing
microorganism, mycorhizae etc
6. Animal wastes.
Q. 8 Explain the concept of Soil Test Crop Response. and Targeted yield.
CONCEPT OF SOIL TEST: CROP RESPONSE (STCR):"
d.
STCR'approach is aiming at obtainingabasis fór' precisequantitative adjustment of fertilizer
doses.under varying soil test values and response conditions of the farmers and for targeted
levels of crop production, These are.testedin followup yerification by field trials.to baçk up soil
testing laboratories for their advisory purpose under specific: soil, orop, and agto climatic
conditions. The fertilizers arerecommended.based on thefollowing criterias.
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Fertilizer recommendations'based on regressionanalysis
approach
: Recommendatiöns for certain % of maximum yield
STCR methodology takes in to account the three factors;
1: Nutrient requiremnt (NR) in kg/ quintal ofthe produce
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2. Percentage contribution from soil'aväilable.nutrients(SE)
3. Percentage çóntribution fromaddedfertilizers towards, making ieffective fertilizer
presriptions for specific- yields
i).Nutrient Requirement (NR '= Total nutrient.úptake (graintstraw) kg/hà, (in producing 1
Quintals.of grain) Yield
of gràin (qha)
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ii) Fertilizer Efficiecy (FE in = Total nutrient üptake (kgha)-soil test value in treated
Plot (kelha) X
soil nutrient efficieny (%) X100
Ferilizer.dose applied (kg/ha)
ii) Soil Bficiency (SE in %) -Total nutrient uptake-in control kg/ha X 100
"Soil test value in contiol kg/ha
With.the help of above parameters, adjustment equations have been. developed for a number
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of crops in various soils.
E.g.: For Rice crop.
. a. Fertiližer. N
=4.39 T -0.6723 SoilN
b. Fertilizer P205=2.83 T-6.110 Soil P
c. Fertilizer K20 = 1.41 T-0.329 Soil K
Where T= Targeted yield of rice
Targeted yield concepts:
Thisisa soil test based recommendations but given for different yield goals and not for a single
optimum yield level. A large variety of fertilizerprescription have been made available by
putting soil test values into certain mathematial euations änd finding out the quantity of.
nutrients needed for a given yield target.
0. 9 Define biofertilizers. Enlist diferent types of bipfërtilizers,
Biofertilizérs: Geinerally they are defined'as the preparation containing live or latent celis of
efficient stains-of. nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing or cellulytic microorganism used for
application to seed, soil or composting arens with an objectives of increasing numbers of such
.
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microorganism and to áccelerate certain microbial process to augment the extent of availability
of nutrients in a form which can be casily assimilated by plants..
Types of biofertilizers:
Mycorrhiza,sulpur oxidizing and phospliate
Rhizobium, Azotobactor, Azospirllum, Azolla, BGA,
solubilizing microorganisms.
Q
10 Short note (Any two)
1. Importance of C:N ratio:
organic carbon to the weight of total nitrogen
C:N ratio is defined as the ratio of the weight of
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between organic cabon and nitrogen content of
in a soil or organic matter. It is the relationship
soils or plants.
Importance of C:N ratio:
1.C:N ratio mainly controls decomposition rate in soil
d.
2.It is a source of food and ernergy for plants
3.Influence of C/N ratio onN release to support microbial growth
4.The decay of organic matter carinor be delayed: if.süfficient nitrogen
is neither present in the material aväilable in the soil
ratio ön
Soil ecolögy: The soil écosystem consists of saprophytic bacteria
5.Influence of CN as
in earthworms that grow rapidly on organic residues
and fungi and nematodes, protozoa and
food source
organic content and accuimulation of humus
6.It is related to release of available N, total
2. Importance of pH in plañtnütritiön:. or ieútral condition of soil. The pH has
many
indicatès degrée of acidity, alkalinity
soil pH
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The
plant nütrition.
roles in crop próductión and particulärlyin the
influences other chemial äs well as biological properties and also affet
1. It significantly inicrobes
importánce to plants and
availability of möstof the chemical elements of minerals
2.The soil pH greatly affects the solubility of
soils.
amount and type of nutrient element availability in of soluble Al
3. The soil pH determines the
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high and toxic concentration
Eg:In strongly acidicsoils (pH 4-5)usually have
andMn on activitý of beneficial
plant growth by the effect of pH
4. The soil pH also influences
microorganisms P, K, S, Ca, Mg but in low
5. Better nutrient availability
found at neutral pH (6.5-7.5) like N,
etc. while in saline and
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Mn etc., and deficiency ofP, Mo
pH acid soil toxicity of Fe, AI, may deficient. Mo àvailability is more
be
alkaline soils Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu amendments and fertilizer applications
recommendation of soil affected by soil
6. It helps in macro and micro nutrients in soil is greatly
7. Availability and mobility of both
pH.
efficiency of
3. Fertilizer userecovery
efficiency:
applied fertilizer nutrients by acrop indicates the
The extent of of
fertilizer.
use efficiency:
Improvement of nitrogen use efficiency
1, Use biofertilizers
to improve the nitrogen
fertilizers along with FYM
2. Apply inorganic nitrification
3: Neemcoated
urea is used to reduce plant nutrients
fertilizers will be helpful for easy availability of
Water soluble improving nitrogen
fertilizers, chelated fertilizers use is also helpful for
5. Slow. release
fertilizer use efficiency Telegram - AgroMind
also: helpfülto impfove
its: usefertility
Nitrogen fertilizers'spraýis
SECTION “B"
Q. 11 Fill in the blanks:
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1. Physical mixtures of twoor more straight fertilizers are called as mixed type fertilizers.
2. According to Fick's law,the rate of diffusion is proportional to the concentration gradients.
d.
3. Gypsum amendment is used for reclamation of alkali soils.
4. C: Nratio of sawdust is 400:1,
Q. 12 Match the pairs:
2:
Single. supër.phosphate: in
Criteriafor essentiality of element.
)16%P0;
)Arnonand Stout
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3..Feldspar d)Highpotassium: content.
4. Whiptail in cauliflower. b) Mo deficiency
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