Soil Chemical Analysis

Positive ions that are available in soils absorb on grain surfaces. The total sum of cations that can be absorbed bij a soil/sediment at a certain PH is defined by the cation-exchange capacity (CEC, in meq g-1: mol equivalents per gram). The uptake of cations is an important parameter in agriculture and the larger the CEC, the more cations can be absorbed to the soil. The CEC depends highly on the pH of soil and sediments, where the CEC decreases with decreasing PH (increasing acidity). The exchange of ions on sediments occurs commonly fast on geological time scales, but the kinetics of adsorption in natural environments is still poorly understood. The strength of the bonding between the cations and the sediments varies from weak Van der Waals bondings (physical adsorption) to strong chemical bonds. The CEC is widely used for agricultural assessment because it is a measure of general soil fertility as well as an indicator of structural stability because CED is capabel of enhancing development of shrinkage cracks. The list below shows the CEC for different types of minerals. The data indicate that the CEC can vary over 2 orders of magnitude for various types of , minerals and can vary one order of magnitude within one soil type. Cation exchange capacity for different types of sediment (Eisma, 1992; Locher and de Bakker, 1990):

Cation exchange capacity.

Struvite formation, control and recovery

Production of slow release crystal fertilizer from wastewaters through struvite crystallization – A review

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=civengin_fac

Capturing the lost phosphorus.

Changes in organic - C, N, P and K and enzyme activities in vermicompost of biodegradable organic wastes under liming and microbial inoculants.

https://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/42791/1/Compositional%20heterogeneity%20of%20different%20biochar_Journal%20of%20Environmental%20Management.pdf

Compositional heterogeneity of different biochar: Effect of pyrolysis temperature and feedstocks.

Laboratory studies on the characterization of soil-fertilizer P reaction products were carried out by reacting three-soils occurring in a toposequence in the plateau region of Bihar (India) with saturated solutions of diammonium orthophosphate (DAP), triple superphosphate (TSP) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) for 1 hour and 24 hours. The reaction products (precipitates) formed in the solutions after 120 days of incubation were isolated and identified through X-ray diffraction technique.

Characterization of soil-fertilizer P reaction products and their evaluation as sources of P for gram (Cicer arietinum L.)

Quantifying the relative role of phytase and phosphatase enzymes in phosphorus mineralization during vermicomposting of fibrous tea factory waste

Biochar production from agro-environmental waste biomass is attracting huge interest as a low-cost amendment due to its potential numerous benefits to agriculture and environment, as well as its ability to store soil water. This review summarizes the influences of biomass-derived low-cost biochar on agriculture and environmental health, crop responses, nutrient dynamics, and soil biological parameter–related issues as well as how biochar can helpful for agriculture and environment management. Besides, biochar safety issues and human health in agro-environment have also been discussed. Application of biochar in agro-environment exerts measurable changes in physico-chemical and biological properties as well as carbon balance. Mechanistic evidences of biochar’s potential for enhancing crop productivity, soil water availability, biochar co-composting, and nutrient use efficiency are also discussed. The review also identifies several knowledge gaps and future research directions for large-scale use of biochar. Hence, this information in the form review is new of its kind which is useful to the broad spectrum of readers. Thus, the biochar addition in agro-environment emerges as a “win-win strategy” for sustainable soil health and environmental ecofriendly assets. But some technical and practical barriers are reported in biochar application in large quantities, which are a major concern today.

Goutam Kumar Ghosh

Papers

Changes in organic - C, N, P and K and enzyme activities in vermicompost of biodegradable organic wastes under liming and microbial inoculants.

Compositional heterogeneity of different biochar: Effect of pyrolysis temperature and feedstocks.

Characterization of soil-fertilizer P reaction products and their evaluation as sources of P for gram (Cicer arietinum L.)

Quantifying the relative role of phytase and phosphatase enzymes in phosphorus mineralization during vermicomposting of fibrous tea factory waste

Application of biochar in agriculture and environment, and its safety issues