Department of Soil Science
&
Agricultural Chemistry

INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Future Lines of Action

The department proposes to concentrate on the following new thrust areas:
(i) Maintenance of soil health and resilience in Indo-Gangetic alluvium plains of Varanasi region.
(ii) Efficient utilization of soil micro-macro flora and fauna for improvement of soil bio-dynamic in relation to avaialability of nutrient and water.
(iii) Establishment of soil, plant, water and fertilizer testing laboratories for resource poor farmer�s advisory services.
(iv) Development of INM technology for sustaining higher crop productivity.
(v) Development of technology for managing rainfed agriculture
(vi) Development of site specific nutrient management for precision farming.
(vii) Monitoring pesticide residues and heavy metal pollution in soils, crops and water and development of remediation technology
(viii) Geo-medicine & human health.
(ix) Utilization of poor quality water and sewage sludge in Agriculture

Major Thrust Areas for the next five years
(a) Human Resource Development

  • Training students in advanced instrumental techniques

  • Summer training to students in some of the specialized areas

  • Special classes to the students for JRF / ARS

  • Summer / winter school / seminar / symposia

    • b) Productivity Enhancement Soil Resource Inventory

  • INM for sustaining soil health and improving crop productivity

  • Soil test based site specific fertilizers recommendation

  • Genetic transformation

  • To develop psychrophilic P solubilizing microbes for cold desert regions

  • Use of ICT in agriculture

  • Simulation and validation of different mechanistic models for NUE and environmental impact assessment

  • Carbon sequestration

    • (c) Environmental issues

    Global Warming
    N2O, CH4 and CO2 emission

  • Anthropogenic contamination and remediation

    Heavy metals
    Pesticide

  • Geogenic contaminations
    Fluoride
    Arsenic

  • Human health concern
    Iodine fortification
    Enrichment of Zn and Fe in food grain

    • (d) Proposed Outreach Activities

  • Establishment of full fledged soil testing laboratory for farmer's

  • Farmers' friendly interactive website showing fertility status and fertilizers recommendation for crops in Varanasi region.

  • Development of artificial intelligence / user friendly software w.r.t GAP (good agricultural practices)

  • Farmers' awareness campaign (radio/ TV talk, kisan gosthi, field day etc.)

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