Title- Material balance of soil in spinach plot ( 2nd Trial )

We have to do a second plot because spinach does not meet the support due to the loss of soil layer. due to depletion of soil layer we did take 2nd trial.

Introduction :

The case study is related to interaction effect among N,P,K, soil moisture, Water holding capacity, Dry mass of spinach, wet mass of soil, Soil testing before plantation and after plantation on some biochemical parameters of soil.

This study aims to investigate the effects of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium along with chemical and nutrition value of spinach plan. The soil to plant transfer of nutrients is  the result from interactions between plant and soil process.

Needs of project :

  1. Nowadays the  soil fertility is decreasing due to chemical fertilizer.
  2. For plants essential nutrients are N,P and K that’s why we must need to study of material balance in  soil.
  3. We  have to study quantity of nutrients present in soil i.e. NPK, if quantity of NPK is less in soil we can add it in the external form.
  4. Every plants needs nutrients for their own growth, so we have to check the balance of that nutrients in the soil.

Objective :

  1. To analysis the parameters in soil. (Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium ,Soil moisture, humidity, temeprature, water holding capacity ,PH , EC, and OC)
  2. To analysis the nutrients balance in soil of spinach plot.

Process flow chart:

20-09-2022

For taking 2nd trial we clean the whole area of project . 1st we calculated the area

Length of bed is 2meter

Area of square bed = (side)2

                            = (2)2

                            = 4m2

Then loosing of soil for preparing bed.  Put plastic paper on the bed. Then put the soil on plastic paper.

23-09-09

Levelled on all side of bed. Made 6 inches layer above plastic paper.

Used plastic paper:

  1. Seepage Losses
  2. Soil erosion
  3. To control flow of nutrients
Levelling of bed
Planatation of seeds

24-09-2022

Today we planted seeds in the bed. We soaked seeds for 24 hrs and then we sown 120 seeds in bed. Give water to seeds. Checked humidity and temperature of bed.

27-09-2022

Checked Humidity and temperature Daily 3 times.

28-09-2022

Soil Testing :

  1. Available nitrogen(N) in soil

Procedure:

  1. Take in Test bottle No. Nitrogen AN-1 up to 6ml mark
  2. Using funnel, add one flat spoonful of soil (1gm) in test bottle No 1
  3. Put cap and mix by gentle inversion for one minute. Allow the bottle to stand for 5 minute. Soil will settle & separate to leave clear liquid layer on the top.
  4. In clean Bottle No.2, carefully transfer 2 ml of upper clear liquid from bottle No. 1 dropper.
  5. To Test Bottle No.2, add 4 drops of reagent AN-2 & mix gently.
  6. Top test Bottle No.2, add 4 drops of reagent AN-3, put cap and & mix gently. Wait for 5 minute.
  7. Insert the available nitrogen colour chart in the comparator unit. Now the nitrogen colour comparator can be used for matching available nitrogen test colour
  8. After 5 minutes, mix gently & place the bottle in Nitrogen Colour Comparator & match the colour of bottle with colours on comparator.

So our Nitrogen is very less (140kgs/Ha)

Nitrogen Test

2) Available Phosphorous (P) in soil

Procedure:

  1. Take in Bottle No.1, Phosphorous reagent AP-1 up to 6ml. mark.
  2. Using funnel, add one flat spoonful (1gm) of soil in test bottle No. 1
  3. Put cap and mix by gentle inversion for one minute. Allow the bottle to stand for 5 minutes. Soil will settle & separate to leave clear liquid layer on the top.
  4. Carefully draw upper clear liquid in dropper and transfer the same to test bottle no.2 to make level up to 3 ml. mark.
  5. To 3ml. liquid in bottle No.2, add 6 drops of phosphorous reagent AP-2 and mix gently by swirling, add 3 drops of reagent Ap-3, Put cap and mix well gently by swirling. Add 3 drops of reagent AP-3. Put cap and mix well. Blue colour will develop in bottle No. 2
  6. Insert the available Phosphorous colour chart in the comparator unit. Now the phosphorous colour comparator can be used for matching of available phosphorous test colour.
  7. Place the bottle in phosphorous colour & match the colour of bottle with the colours on phosphorous colour comparator.

Our Phosphorus is very low ( 7kg/ Ha)

Phosporous Test

Available Potassium (K) in soil

procedure:

  1. Take in test bottle No.1. Potassium reagent AK-1 up to 6ml. mark.
  2. Using funnel, add two flat spoonful (2mg) of soil in test bottle No.1
  3. Put cap and mix by gentle inversion for one minute.
  4. Carefully draw upper liquid in dropper and transfer the same to another clean bottle no. 2 to make level up to 2ml. mark
  5. To 2ml. liquid in bottle No.2, add one tablet of potassium reagent AK-1 Do not put cap. Mix by swirling. Allow tablet to dissolve completely. Mix swirling intermittently to assist dissolution
  6. Take potassium reagent AK-4 in the 1 ml. syringe. Add reagent AK-4 Bottle no. Two drops at a time, and mix gently after each addition. Keep count of drops and continue addition until colour changes from purple blue, Count the no. of drops of reagent AK-4 required for colour change.

Count the 8 drops of reagent required for colour change purple to blue.

30-09-2022

We checked the water holding capacity of soil

Procedure of calculating the water holding capacity:

  1. Take 100 gm of dry soil in the plot.
  2. Take 200 ml water.
  3. Take a measuring cylinder 1000ml.
  4. Take a filter paper and fold the paper into the corners and put on the measuring cylinder
  5. Then added the 100 gm of soil to that cone shaped filter paper.
  6. 100gm of soil was taken and 200ml water on that soil. Measure the 200ml water by beaker.
  7. After 1hr we observed 135ml of water quantity in the measuring cylinder.
  8. Water holding capacity of soil was determined by using the following formula.

Water holding capacity :

= ( Total water added – Water retained in the measuring) ÷ Dry weight of sample X 100

{[ (200ml – 135)÷100}X 100

= 65%

The water holding capacity in soil is 65%

1st week observation

30-09-2022

Weekly Observations

1st Week observation :

Sr. No. Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium Humidity Temperature Water Holding Height
1.Very less ( 0.014kg/m2) Very low (0.0014kg/m2)8 Drops required 10 am= 67.110 am = 27.3°C65%3.6cm

8-10-2022

Today we tested the parameters of soil. Found the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, pH, Electric conductivity, and organic in soil. Checked water holding capacity in for weekly observation.

2nd Week Observation:

Sr. No. Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium PHECOCHumidity Temperature Water holding Height
1Very low ( 0.014kg/m2)Low (0.0028kg/m2)12 drops required 7 133Low( 0.2%)64.45%29.1°C50%5.6cm
Soil testing
Water holding capacity
While checking water holding capacity
PH and EC testing

9-10-2022

Today I checked organic carbon in soil.

12-10-2022 to 14-10-2022

3rd week observation:

Sr. No. Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium PH EC OC Humidity Temperature Water holding capacity Height
1. Very low
(0.014kg/m2)
Medium (0.0042kg/m2)17 drops 7.281low(0.2%) 10am -68.627.6°C50%7.9cm

115 seeds germinated in this week.

Soil testing
2nd week observation

17/ 10/2022 to 18/10/2022

In this week 108 seeds are germinated.

4th Week observations in this week:

Sr. No. Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium PHOCECHumidity temperature Water holding Height
1.Very low
(0.014kg/m2)
Medium
(0.0042kg/m2)
19 drops 7.9Medium (0.4%)7166.7%29.25°C50%20.04cm

28-10-2022 to 29-10-2022

Today we taken height of spinach and leaf size of spinach

Average height of spinach = (21.4+20+19.8+19.3+19.7)/ 5

= 20.04 cm

Soil moisture in this week:

weight of soil 1st reading 2nd reading 3rd reading Constant weight
100gm85gm82gm83gm83gm

Formula for calculating moisture content:

{(Weight of moist soil- weight of dry soil)÷weight of dry soil}×100

={(100-83)÷83}×100

=20.48 %

31-10-2022 to 1-11-2022

We did taken 5th week observations

Tested the nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, pH, EC of soil

4th week observation

2-11-2022

Helped Vaishnavi for removed fish in biofloc tank

3-11-2022

Helped Ketan for collecting brown mass in surrounding area

4-11-2022 to 9-11-2022

After 45 days we harvested spinach.

6th week observation
Sr. No. Nitrogen Phosphorous Potassium pH ECOCHumidity Temperature Water holding Height
1)Very low (0.014kg/ m2)Medium (0.0042kg/m2)27 drops required 8.9800.4%72.9%25.6°C50%27.42 cm

Soil moisture in this week:

weight of soil 1st reading 2nd reading 3rd reading Constant weight
100gm90gm89gm88gm88gm

Formula for calculating moisture content:

{(Weight of moist soil- weight of dry soil)÷weight of dry soil}×100

={(100-88)÷88}×100

=13.63%

10-11-2022-11-11-2022

Ash Analysis:

Procedure for ash content :

  1. Take a crusible and put it in the oven at 105°C for removing moisture.
  2. After 20min it should taken out from the oven kept in a desiccator for coolling.
  3. Take weight of crusible.
  4. Note that weight.
  5. Add 15 gm of soil sample
  6. Note that weight
  7. Keep the sample in muffle furnace and set 700°C for 3 hr.
  8. After 3hrs take out from muffle furnace.
  9. Keep in desiccator for cooling
  10. Then color become change whitish brown.
  11. Take final weight of ash
  12. Calculate the ash content by using following formula

Calculation:

% of ash content =( Mash/Mdry )x100

=(4.975/15.021)X100

=33.12%

Kept sample in muffle furnace

By using Flame Photometer we calculated the potassium content in ash
Procedure:

1)Switch on the flame photometer
2)First standardized flame photometer by distilled water
3)Adjusted the knob.
4) Took 5 different small beakers and pour solution on it
5)Took the reading one by one of each solution.

6) Note down the reading.
Result: In five different solutions we observed that are reading.
Learned to draw graph on excel sheet and drawn the graph.

Solution Reading
Distilled water 00
30 PPM30
50 PPM46
80 PPM78
100 PPM89
Test sample solution 09
Potassium content in ash

Potassium present in soil (before plantation) by using flame photometer is 20.75 ppm

Potassium present in soil (after harvesting) by using flame photometer is 31.2 ppm

Potassium present in Ash by using flame photometer is 38.95 ppm.

Conclusion:

  1. Nitrogen in our soil remain constant but phosphorous & potassium are changed.
  2. Organic carbon in the soil was low & it increased more.
  3. Without giving the spinach nutrients, the spinach grew well & produced healthier spinach.
  4. While checking the potassium (by flame photometer) in soil & ash is much higher than potassium.
  5. By using flame photometer we observe that potassium is increased in soil.
  6. This country to expectation, we could not assign reason for such increase. The measurement methodology needs to be established.