Soil Quality Near Indian Oil Corporation Limited Pol Depot Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, State of India

The area in question has diversified relief and amount of rainfall and soil types. It is dry region lies in east, irrigated region in north and tribal-dominant population dominant in the west. Ahmednagar district is situated partly in the upper Godavari basin and partly in the Bhīma basin occupying a somewhat central position in Maharashtra state. The climate of the district is characterized by a hot summer and general dryness throughout the year except during the southwest monsoon season (i.e., June to September). Physiographically the district forms part of Deccan Plateau. Part of Sahayadri hill ranges fall in the district. Here in this chapter, the author has elaborated about soil quality and ground water quality near IOCL Terminal Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.

Red Mud (RM) and Soil Amelioration

Rapid growth in industrialization, which is necessary and inevitable for society progress, has also created negative encroachment. Red mud produced during alumina production has strong alkanity in a pH range of 10-13% because of the sodium hydroxide solution used in the refining process. The base is strong enough to kill plant and animal life, and due to finer particle and trace metal content, it creates soil contamination, ground water pollution, and suspension in ocean; hence, we need precautions while we use this waste to add with soil. Red mud occupies a large area or its deposition in it. Red mud has properties similar to sandy clay. Red mud has property similar to clay and sand, even if it does not contain quartz or clay mineral. Bauxite residue/red mud can be mixed with variant type of saline soils, acid soils organic rich material, and silicate soil suitable pH conditions were achieved to promote vegetation growth.

Impact Analysis of Amendment Application Under Diversified Agro-Ecological System

In alternative agricultural systems such as organic or low-input farming, farmers can build particular forms of relationships that help sustain ecosystem services and social infrastructure more effectively. The authors discuss many of these relationships, including direct marketing, fair trade certification, and food justice movements. An agroecological approach to improve tropical small farming systems must ensure that promoted systems and technologies are suited to the specific environmental and socio-economic conditions of small farmers, without increasing risk or dependence on external inputs. Here in this chapter, the authors have focused on diversified agro-ecological systems.

Soil Quality Assessment at Nganglam, Bhutan

The study area considered for environment impact assessment (EIA) studies is an area covering 5 kms radial distance from proposed plant site in the foothills of Himalaya at Nganglam, Pemagatshel, Bhutan. Analyzing the soil samples collected from six locations in the study area has assessed the soil characteristics in the study area, especially the extent of pollution undergone by the soils due to various sources and reasons. Sampling locations were chosen to represent the soil quality of the study area. A preliminary reconnaissance survey was made to get a general picture of the area's land use. The activities around the sampling sites were also taken into consideration to learn the sources of pollution if any or factors governing the physico-chemical properties of the soil. To analyze the soil quality of the area and to assess the impact of industrial or urban activities on land environment with respect to any specific contamination, soil quality studies were carried out under EIA study.

Synergism Between Microbes and Plants for Soil Contaminants Mitigation

Soil mitigation is an approach to reduce the soil degradation occurring in all aspects. Soil contamination mainly happens due to release of varieties of inorganic and organic constituents into soil. Presence of highly poisonous contaminants into soil in high concentrations is enough to cause a threat to ecosystem and on human health. Sustainable approaches can be designed by the direct and indirect utilization of microbes and plants to reduce the soil pollution load. The utilization of microbes with plants in “synergy” is considered as one of the most fruitful approaches for the removal of soil pollutants. It is well known that plant host a variety of microbes in their roots, rizosphere, and shoot by giving them essential environment to flourish and colonize. Similarly, microbes benefit by making available certain soil nutrients to plants and also help in maintaining the overall health of soil. This chapter will emphasize the problems related to soil degradation by metals, pesticides, and hydrocarbons, and their remediation by the utilization of plant-microbial synergism system.

Soil Sampling, Analysis, and Rock Phosphate Amendments

Soil plays a vital role in supporting the growth of crops and other vegetation, maintaining the environment, and acting as source and sink for atmospheric gases. Soils are natural bodies on which plants grow. The increasing population, industrialization, and changing lifestyle have negative effect on soil and are responsible for soil pollution. Good soil and climate for more crop production are valuable things for any nation. Soil amendments can be used to cost-effectively reduce the bio-availability and mobility of toxic metals in contaminated soils. Organic amendments considerably affect nutrient balance and interaction mobility of nutrients by influencing the chemical, physical, and biological environment in soils. Here in this chapter, the author has discussed the soil, its profile and type, analysis, and benefits on rock phosphate amendments.

Amelioration Technology for Agricultural Efficiency

The sustainable concepts for increased crop production are immediately needed to lower pressure on soils in order to reduce or prevent the negative environmental impacts of rigorous agriculture. One efficient way to increase organic matter in soil is amelioration in soil like compost, biochar, fly ash, red mud, phosphate rock, and other rock minerals. On the one hand, growth of livestock breeding and intensification of crop production has occurred while an increasing shortage of resources can be recognized. On the other hand, urbanization and growing population interconnected with an increased amount of waste output is responsible for environmental hazards and pollution. Therefore, soil amelioration became an efficient means of agricultural crop improvement.

Soil Quality of Tripura State of India

Soil quality can be defined as the fitness of a specific kind of soil to function within its capacity and within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation. Soil is one of the common factors that bring all agriculture together. It can also be used to describe more complex soil characteristics such as soil organic matter, nutrient amounts, soil structure, etc. The soil quality of Tripura state where ONGC has established numerous exploratory and development wells for exploration of natural gas has been studied and presented in this chapter.

Soil Quality and Soil Sustainability

Soil is an important and complex part of our environment. The agro-ecosystem is made up of many interacting components with multiple goals. Soil quality is one important part of sustainable agro-ecosystem management, analogous to water and air quality. Assessing soil quality may help managers identify practices that could be adapted to become more sustainable. Soil quality is the ability of a soil to perform functions that are essential to people and the environment. Soil quality is not limited to agricultural soils, although most soil quality work has been done in agricultural systems. Soil quality definitions emphasize several features. Dynamic properties include organic matter, soil structure, infiltration rate, bulk density, and water and nutrient holding capacity. Changes in dynamic properties depend both on land management practices and the inherent properties of the soil. Here, the author has presented for intrinsic and vigorous properties, soil structures and macrophores, soil quality management, etc.

Impacts of Phosphate Amendments at a Contaminated Site

Soil amendments can be used to cost-effectively reduce the bioavailability and mobility of toxic metals in contaminated soils. Phosphate amendments effectively can be transformed to soil from the non-residual (sum of exchangeable, carbonate, Fe/Mn, and organic) to the residual fraction. Metal immobilization can be attributed to the metal-induced formation of chloropyromorphite which can be identified in the surface soil, subsurface soil, and plant rhizosphere soil. Phosphate treatments can significantly reduce metal translocation from the roots to the shoots in the plants/crops possibly via the formation of chloropyromorphite on the cell walls of roots. Application of combined H3PO4 with phosphate rock can be provided an effective alternative to the current phosphate remediation technologies for contaminated soils.