Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition is an applied science that integrates knowledge across all disciplines of soil and plant sciences to effectively and efficiently provide nutrients to plants. Efficient use of nutrients is required not only to maximize agricultural production but also to protect air, soil, and water quality as well as the natural resources involved in providing fertilizers to support agricultural production.
This book “Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Manual” brought out by Dr.A.S.Mailappa, is truly a
‘tour de force’ of condensation of the essentials of scientific knowledge and approaches to soil science and discusses the various aspects of soil fertility and crop nutrition with a focus on collection, preparation and analysis of essential plant nutrients in soil, plant and water. The book also describes the basic principles of mineral nutrition, deficiency symptoms of essential plant nutrients, lime requirement of acid soils, gypsum requirement of sodic soils and quality of irrigation water.
This present book is different in its league, written in a very simpler and lucid manner covering all aspects of soil fertility and plant nutrition in 26 well-illustrated comprehensive chapters, following the syllabi of latest Fifth Deans’ Committee for undergraduate programmes of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry, being followed in various Agricultural / Horticultural Universities in India.
This book has the admirable quality of being both organized to facilitate rapid look-up of information and being written in a readable style. The topics and discussion in this self- contained book are practical and user-friendly, yet comprehensive enough to cover material presented in upper-level soil and plant science courses. It allows practitioners with general background knowledge to feel confident applying the principles presented to soil / crop production systems.
Though this book is primarily intended for the students of undergraduate and post graduate level, it will be an authentic treatise to all those who are associated with soil science, soil fertility, plant nutrition and soil management.

Readership: Students / Teachers / Researchers / Practitioners of Agricultural Universities / Institutes, engaged in Teaching, Research and Extension activities related to Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and other allied disciplines.

 Principles of Instrumental Methods of Analysis
 Collection and Preparation of Soil Samples for Laboratory Analysis
 Estimation of Soil pH
 Estimation of Soil Electrical Conductivity
 Estimation of Organic Carbon Content of Soil
 Determination of Available Nitrogen in Soil
 Estimation if Available Phosphorus in Soil
 Estimation of Available Potassium in Soil
 Determination of Available Calcium & Magnesium in Soil
 Estimation of Available Sulphur in Soil
 Estimation of Available Micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn) in Soil
 Determination of Water Soluble Carbonate and Bicarbonate in Soil
 Determination of Water Soluble Chloride in Soil
 Determination of Water Soluble Calcium & Magnesium in Soil
 Determination of Water Soluble Sodium and Potassium in Soil
 Determination of Lime Requirement of Soil
 Determination of Gypsum Requirement of Soil
 Collection and Preparation of Plant Samples for Laboratory Analysis
 Estimation of Moisture Content in Plants
 Determination of Total Nitrogen in Plants
 Determination of Total Phosphorus in Plants
 Determination of Total Potassium in Plants
 Determination of Micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn) in Plants
 Mineral Nutrition of Plants
 Collection and Preparation of Water Samples for Laboratory Analysis
 Quality of Irrigation Water