The Soils of India (World Soils Book Series)

Foreword
Preface
Contents
Contributors
Abbreviations
1 Introduction
	Abstract
	1.1 Introduction/Background
	1.2 Soil as a Strange, Full of Wisdom
	1.3 Soil and Land Resource
	1.4 Climatic Variability
	1.5 Pedology and Soil Classification
	1.6 Threats to Soils
		1.6.1 Soil Health Decline: Overview
		1.6.2 Dwindling Factor Productivity
		1.6.3 Soil Biodiversity
		1.6.4 Organic Waste Management and Recycling
	1.7 Soil Evaluation
	1.8 Land Use Planning
	1.9 Education and Research in Soil Science
	1.10 Conclusions
	References
2 History of Soil Research
	Abstract
	2.1 Introduction
	2.2 The Ancient Era
	2.3 The Middle Era
	2.4 Recent History—Pre-independence Era
		2.4.1 Establishing of Research Institutes and Organizations
		2.4.2 History of Scientific Composting
		2.4.3 Fertilizer Manufacture and Fertilizer Research
		2.4.4 Salt-Affected Soils and Reclamation
		2.4.5 Research on Soil Colloids and Soil Acidity
		2.4.6 Research on Crop Rotation and Soil Organic Matter
		2.4.7 Research on Soil Erosion
		2.4.8 Soil Fertility
		2.4.9 Soil Classification and Mapping
	2.5 Recent History—Post-independence Era
		2.5.1 Establishment of Agricultural Research Institutes and Universities
		2.5.2 Coordinated Research Projects on Soil Productivity and Fertilizer Use
		2.5.3 Soil Fertility and Soil Health Improvement
		2.5.4 Soil and Water Conservation
		2.5.5 Basic and Strategic Soil Research
		2.5.6 Improvement of Soil Physical Conditions
		2.5.7 Amelioration of Problem Soils
		2.5.8 Crop Rotations and Green Manuring
		2.5.9 Soil Classification and Mapping
		2.5.10 Environmental/Contaminated Soil Research
		2.5.11 Soil Testing, Health Enhancement and Monitoring
	2.6 Conclusions
	References
3 Climate
	Abstract
	3.1 Introduction
	3.2 Major Tropical Systems During Different Seasons
		3.2.1 Winter Season/Cold Weather Season (January and February)
		3.2.2 Pre-monsoon Season/Summer Season/Hot Weather Season (March, April and May)
		3.2.3 Southwest Monsoon/Summer Monsoon (June, July, August and September)
		3.2.4 Post-Monsoon/NE Monsoon/Retreating Monsoon (October, November, December)
	3.3 Soils and Climate
		3.3.1 Climate Change Trends
		3.3.2 Temperature Trends
		3.3.3 Rainfall Trends
		3.3.4 Extreme Events
	3.4 Soil and Climate Change: Impacts and Mitigation
	3.5 Conclusions
	References
4 Geology and Geomorphology
	Abstract
	4.1 Introduction
	4.2 Geology of India
		4.2.1 Plate Tectonics
		4.2.2 Tectonic Evolution
		4.2.3 Precambrian
		4.2.4 Paleozoic
		4.2.5 Mesozoic
		4.2.6 Cenozoic
		4.2.7 Quaternary Period
	4.3 Geomorphology of India
		4.3.1 The Northern Mountains
		4.3.2 The Great Plains
		4.3.3 The Peninsula
			4.3.3.1 The Islands
	4.4 Conclusions
	References
5 Major Soil Types and Classification
	Abstract
	5.1 Introduction
	5.2 Soil Survey in India
	5.3 Area and Distribution of Soil Groups
	5.4 Soils in Different Climatic Zones
	5.5 Soils of Different Agro-ecoregions
	5.6 Types of Soil in India
		5.6.1 Alluvial Soils
		5.6.2 Black (Cotton) Soils
		5.6.3 Desert (Arid) Soils
		5.6.4 Red Soils
		5.6.5 Laterites and Lateritic Soils
		5.6.6 Salt Affected Soils
		5.6.7 Forest and Hill Soils
		5.6.8 Podzolic Soils
		5.6.9 Brown Forest Soils
		5.6.10 Peaty and Marshy Soils
	5.7 Soil Classification
	5.8 Correlation of Classification System
	5.9 Spectral Library for Indian Soils
	5.10 Soil-Based Agro-technology Transfer
	5.11 Conclusions
	References
6 Soil Mineralogy and Clay Minerals
	Abstract
	6.1 Introduction
	6.2 Distribution of Clay Minerals in Major Soil Groups of India
		6.2.1 Alluvial Soils
		6.2.2 Red Soils
		6.2.3 Black Soils
		6.2.4 Laterite Soils
		6.2.5 Hilly Soils
		6.2.6 Tarai Soils
		6.2.7 Saline and Alkali Soils
		6.2.8 Peaty Soils
	6.3 Amorphous Clay Minerals in Soil
	6.4 Mineralogical Impacts on Pedogenesis and Soil Development
		6.4.1 Linking Clay Minerals to Parent Material and Climate Change
		6.4.2 Spatially Associated Red Ferruginous (Alfisols) and Black (Vertisols) Soils
		6.4.3 Smectite-Kaolinite Interstratification
		6.4.4 Paleosols
		6.4.5 Layer Charge Characteristics of Smectitic Minerals in the Vertisols
		6.4.6 Effect of Zeolite in Sand Fraction of Calcareous Vertisol
	6.5 Properties of Soil as Affected by Clay Minerals
		6.5.1 Soil Physical Properties as Affected by Clay Minerals
		6.5.2 Soil Chemical Properties as Affected by Clay Minerals
	6.6 Interaction of Clay Minerals with Humus
	6.7 Interaction of Clay Minerals with Pollutants
	6.8 Advanced Studies on Clay Mineral Structure, Size and Crystallinity
	6.9 Conclusions
	References
7 Soil Micromorphology
	Abstract
	7.1 Introduction
	7.2 Soil Complexity and Micromorphology
		7.2.1 Soil Micromorphology in Soil Forming Factors and Processes
		7.2.2 Soil Micromorphology and Polygenetic Soils
		7.2.3 Soil Micromorphology in Quaternary Research
		7.2.4 Soil Micromorphology in Archaeology
	7.3 Soil Micromorphology and Indian Agriculture
	7.4 Conclusions
	References
8 Soil Biogeochemistry
	Abstract
	8.1 Introduction
	8.2 Research Thrust in Soil Biogeochemistry in India
	8.3 Overlapping Domains of Soil Biogeochemistry
		8.3.1 Soil Organic Matter: The Hub of Soil Biogeochemistry
		8.3.2 Soil Microorganisms: Primary Agent of Soil Biogeochemical Cycles
		8.3.3 Soil Macro-Organisms: Secondary Agent of Soil Biogeochemical Cycles
		8.3.4 Major Biogeochemical Cycles in Soil
	8.4 Soil Biogeochemical Cycles: Alteration by Anthropogenic Perturbations
		8.4.1 Soil Biogeochemical Cycles as a Function of Land-Use Types
		8.4.2 Soil Biogeochemical Cycles as a Function of Agri-Management
	8.5 Effective Microorganisms for Sustainable Soil Management in India
	8.6 Modeling Studies in Soil Biogeochemistry
	8.7 Conclusions
	References
9 Benchmark Soils in Agro-ecological Regions
	Abstract
	9.1 Introduction
	9.2 Benchmark Soils in Agro-Ecological Regions (AERs)
		9.2.1 Cold Arid Shallow Skeletal Soils
		9.2.2 Hot Arid Desert and Saline Soils
		9.2.3 Hot Arid Red and Black Soils
		9.2.4 Hot Semi-arid Coarse-Loamy Alluvial Soils
		9.2.5 Hot Semi-arid Old Alluvial Soils
		9.2.6 Hot Semi-arid to Dry Sub-humid Alluvial and Tarai Soils
		9.2.7 Hot Semi-arid Moderately Deep Black Soils
		9.2.8 Hot Semi-arid with Mixed Red and Black Soils
		9.2.9 Hot Semi-arid with Red Loamy Soils
		9.2.10 Hot Sub-humid with Moderately Deep Black Soils
		9.2.11 Hot Sub-humid Red and Yellow Soils
		9.2.12 Hot Sub-humid Red and Lateritic Soils
		9.2.13 Hot Sub-humid Alluvial Soils
		9.2.14 Warm Sub-humid to Humid Sub-montane Shallow and Skeletal Soils
		9.2.15 Hot Sub-humid Loamy to Clayey Alluvial Soils
		9.2.16 Warm Humid to Per-Humid Loamy to Clayey Alluvial Soils
		9.2.17 Warm Per-Humid Shallow and Skeletal Soils
		9.2.18 Warm Per-Humid Red and Yellow Soils
		9.2.19 Hot Sub-humid Coastal and Deltaic Alluvial Soils
		9.2.20 Hot Humid/Per-Humid Red and Lateritic and Alluvial Soils
	9.3 Benchmark Soils and Soil Taxonomy: Correlation
	9.4 Conclusions
	References
10 Land Evaluation and Land Use Planning
	Abstract
	10.1 Introduction
	10.2 Aims of Land Evaluation
	10.3 Land Evaluation and Land Use Planning
	10.4 Principles of Land Evaluation
	10.5 Land Evaluation Procedures
	10.6 Data Set Requirements for Land Evaluation
		10.6.1 Spatial Database
		10.6.2 Socio-economic Data
	10.7 Land Evaluation Approaches
		10.7.1 Land Capability Classification
		10.7.2 Land Irrigability Classification
		10.7.3 Land Suitability Classification
		10.7.4 Fertility Capability Classification
		10.7.5 Prime Lands Classification
		10.7.6 Storie Index Rating
		10.7.7 Actual and Potential Productivity
		10.7.8 Crop Growth Models for Land Evaluation
	10.8 Conclusions
	References
11 Soil Health and Fertility
	Abstract
	11.1 Introduction
	11.2 Soil Resources
	11.3 Soil Health Issues
		11.3.1 Chemical Health
		11.3.2 Physical Health
		11.3.3 Biological Health
		11.3.4 Soil Pollution
	11.4 Climate Change Impact on Soil
	11.5 Opportunities for Evaluation of Soil Health
		11.5.1 Soil Health Assessment
		11.5.2 Soil Testing
		11.5.3 Balanced and Integrated Nutrient Management Versus Soil Sustainability
		11.5.4 Assessment of Soil Organic Matter
		11.5.5 Carbon Sequestration Potential
		11.5.6 Emission of N2O and Nitrate Pollution in Ground Water
		11.5.7 Extent of Soil Degradation
	11.6 Government’s Policy Initiatives
	11.7 Conclusions
	References
12 Soil Resilience
	Abstract
	12.1 Introduction
	12.2 Soil Resilience: Concept and Background
	12.3 Soil Resilience and Pedogenesis
	12.4 Framework to Measure Soil Resilience
		12.4.1 Factors Affecting the Soil Resilience
		12.4.2 Computation of Soil Quality Index
		12.4.3 Quantification of Soil Resilience Index
	12.5 Conclusions
	References
13 Soil and Industry
	Abstract
	13.1 Introduction
	13.2 Soil as Raw Material in Construction Industry
		13.2.1 Sand
		13.2.2 Silt
		13.2.3 Clays and Clay Minerals
		13.2.4 Laterite
		13.2.5 Zeolite
	13.3 Soil Based Construction and Products
		13.3.1 Mudwall
		13.3.2 Bricks
		13.3.3 Clay Tiles
		13.3.4 Earthenwares
		13.3.5 Soil Stabilization
	13.4 Pottery and Ceramic
	13.5 Soil in Art, Painting, Doll and Idol Making
	13.6 Peat as Fuel and in Horticultural Industries
	13.7 Nanotechnology and Nano-Clay
	13.8 Human Health, Cosmetics and Medical Treatments
		13.8.1 Evidences in Medical Uses
		13.8.2 Detoxification
		13.8.3 Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth)
		13.8.4 Soil and Clay Eating
	13.9 Emerging Issues and Opportunities
		13.9.1 Soil Based Industry in Agriculture
		13.9.2 Soil Evaluation and Soil Testing Laboratory
		13.9.3 Soil and Electricity
		13.9.4 Fossil Fuels, Radioactive Minerals and Gold
		13.9.5 Soil and Carbon Trading
	13.10 Conclusions
	References
14 Soil and Future
	Abstract
	14.1 Introduction
	14.2 Soil Science Education and Research
	14.3 The State of Indian Soils
		14.3.1 Soil Governance
		14.3.2 Functions and Services of Soils
		14.3.3 Pedology to Establish Major Soil Functions
		14.3.4 Towards Land-Use Planning
	14.4 Advances in Soil Research
		14.4.1 Geo-informatics in Soil Science
		14.4.2 Exploring Soil Biodiversity and Genomics
		14.4.3 Use of Biochar for Carbon Sequestration
		14.4.4 Application of Nanotechnology, NIR and MIR Spectroscopy
		14.4.5 Promoting Conservation Agriculture
	14.5 Challenges and Opportunities for Future
	14.6 Conclusions
	References
Index