Vol. 12, Issue 2 (2023)

Author(s):
Vasanthapu Mahesh

Abstract:
Soil fertility is the most important factor for sustaining life. Around 70% of the Indian population depends on agriculture and related services for their livelihood. The increasing population needs to self-sustain in order to increase the Indian economy. Most of the farmers depend on high-yielding varieties and in order to provide nutrients for them they are using high fertilizers throughout the seasons. This leads to the deterioration of soil fertility and soil quality. In Punjab, the crops are grown throughout the year which is leading to desertification. To tackle the problem of land degradation it is required to test the soil for its nutrient capabilities and provide the optimum amount of fertilizers. Due to the overuse of fertilizers the soil and water are getting contaminated. The physico-chemical study is very much important for the optimization of fertilizer use efficiency. Different parameters are considered to assess the physico-chemical property of the soil like pH, electrical conductivity, texture, temperature, soil organic matter, available nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. This data can be used to provide the right amount of fertilizers to the plants.