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 :
- Nowadays the soil fertility is decreasing due to chemical fertilizer.
- For plants essential nutrients are N,P and K that’s why we must need to study of material balance in soil.
- 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.
- Every plants needs nutrients for their own growth, so we have to check the balance of that nutrients in the soil.
Objective :
- To analysis the parameters in soil. (Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium ,Soil moisture, humidity, temeprature, water holding capacity ,PH , EC, and OC)
- 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:
- Seepage Losses
- Soil erosion
- To control flow of nutrients
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 :
- Available nitrogen(N) in soil
Procedure:
- Take in Test bottle No. Nitrogen AN-1 up to 6ml mark
- Using funnel, add one flat spoonful of soil (1gm) in test bottle No 1
- 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.
- In clean Bottle No.2, carefully transfer 2 ml of upper clear liquid from bottle No. 1 dropper.
- To Test Bottle No.2, add 4 drops of reagent AN-2 & mix gently.
- Top test Bottle No.2, add 4 drops of reagent AN-3, put cap and & mix gently. Wait for 5 minute.
- Insert the available nitrogen colour chart in the comparator unit. Now the nitrogen colour comparator can be used for matching available nitrogen test colour
- 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)
2) Available Phosphorous (P) in soil
Procedure:
- Take in Bottle No.1, Phosphorous reagent AP-1 up to 6ml. mark.
- Using funnel, add one flat spoonful (1gm) of soil in test bottle No. 1
- 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.
- Carefully draw upper clear liquid in dropper and transfer the same to test bottle no.2 to make level up to 3 ml. mark.
- 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
- 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.
- 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)
Available Potassium (K) in soil
procedure:
- Take in test bottle No.1. Potassium reagent AK-1 up to 6ml. mark.
- Using funnel, add two flat spoonful (2mg) of soil in test bottle No.1
- Put cap and mix by gentle inversion for one minute.
- Carefully draw upper liquid in dropper and transfer the same to another clean bottle no. 2 to make level up to 2ml. mark
- 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
- 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:
- Take 100 gm of dry soil in the plot.
- Take 200 ml water.
- Take a measuring cylinder 1000ml.
- Take a filter paper and fold the paper into the corners and put on the measuring cylinder
- Then added the 100 gm of soil to that cone shaped filter paper.
- 100gm of soil was taken and 200ml water on that soil. Measure the 200ml water by beaker.
- After 1hr we observed 135ml of water quantity in the measuring cylinder.
- 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%
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= 67.1 | 10 am = 27.3°C | 65% | 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 | PH | EC | OC | Humidity | Temperature | Water holding | Height |
1 | Very low ( 0.014kg/m2) | Low (0.0028kg/m2) | 12 drops required | 7 | 133 | Low( 0.2%) | 64.45% | 29.1°C | 50% | 5.6cm |
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 | 7.2 | 81 | low(0.2%) | 10am -68.6 | 27.6°C | 50% | 7.9cm |
115 seeds germinated in this week.
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 | PH | OC | EC | Humidity | temperature | Water holding | Height |
1. | Very low (0.014kg/m2) | Medium (0.0042kg/m2) | 19 drops | 7.9 | Medium (0.4%) | 71 | 66.7% | 29.25°C | 50% | 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 |
100gm | 85gm | 82gm | 83gm | 83gm |
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
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.
Sr. No. | Nitrogen | Phosphorous | Potassium | pH | EC | OC | Humidity | Temperature | Water holding | Height |
1) | Very low (0.014kg/ m2) | Medium (0.0042kg/m2) | 27 drops required | 8.9 | 80 | 0.4% | 72.9% | 25.6°C | 50% | 27.42 cm |
Soil moisture in this week:
weight of soil | 1st reading | 2nd reading | 3rd reading | Constant weight |
100gm | 90gm | 89gm | 88gm | 88gm |
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 :
- Take a crusible and put it in the oven at 105°C for removing moisture.
- After 20min it should taken out from the oven kept in a desiccator for coolling.
- Take weight of crusible.
- Note that weight.
- Add 15 gm of soil sample
- Note that weight
- Keep the sample in muffle furnace and set 700°C for 3 hr.
- After 3hrs take out from muffle furnace.
- Keep in desiccator for cooling
- Then color become change whitish brown.
- Take final weight of ash
- Calculate the ash content by using following formula
Calculation:
% of ash content =( Mash/Mdry )x100
=(4.975/15.021)X100
=33.12%
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 PPM | 30 |
50 PPM | 46 |
80 PPM | 78 |
100 PPM | 89 |
Test sample solution | 09 |
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:
- Nitrogen in our soil remain constant but phosphorous & potassium are changed.
- Organic carbon in the soil was low & it increased more.
- Without giving the spinach nutrients, the spinach grew well & produced healthier spinach.
- While checking the potassium (by flame photometer) in soil & ash is much higher than potassium.
- By using flame photometer we observe that potassium is increased in soil.
- This country to expectation, we could not assign reason for such increase. The measurement methodology needs to be established.