05 Feb Soil acidity: A limiting factor of crop production in India.
मृदा की अम्लता भारत में फसलोंत्पादन सीमित करने का एक बडा कारक है। Soil reaction is a very important chemical property of the soil. It is measured in terms of pH. The soils having pH 7 are neutral in reaction and those below or above 7 are acidic or alkaline respectively. In neutral soils, satisfactory plant growth can be expected, provided all other agronomic practices are followed properly. But neither acid soils nor saline soils are suitable for most of the crops except a few tolerant ones. Acidity or salinity acts as a limiting factor in crop production. When the concentration of some elements which are naturally acidic in reaction, goes too high in the soil, soils become acid and their pH goes down below 7. These elements are basically hydrogen (H), aluminium (Al) and Iron (Fe). In fact, last two elements are not directly responsible for soil acidity but they have a tremendous potential to generate hydrogen ions (H+) in the soil which are direct cause of acidity (ion is the minutes particles and electrically charged form of an element). The more the number of hydrogen ions in a solution, the greater will be its acidity and the lesser pH count. Therefore, the soils having hydrogen ions concentration above a reasonable limit...