THERMODYNAMICS OF SOIL NUTRIENT BIOAVAILABILITY IBD

Sinopse

This book focusses onátheáthermodynamics ofásoil nutrient bioavailability, and in particular theámost important plant nutrients such as, phosphorus and potassium, among major nutrients, and zinc among micronutrients. It proposes a paradigm shift in theáapproach toáglobal soil testing procedures. Historically, soil testing has been used toáquantify availability ofáessential plant nutrients toáfield-grown crops. However, contemporary soil tests are based onáphilosophies and procedures developed several decades ago, without significant changes in their general approach. For a soil test toábe accurate, one needs toáclearly understand theáphysico-chemico-physiological processes atátheásoil-root interface and, an understanding ofásoils and plant root systems as polycationic systems is essential. It is this knowledge that leads toásound prescriptive soil nutrient management inasmuch as soil nutrient bioavailability vis-Ãá-vis fertilizer application is concerned, because, ofáall theáfactors which govern sustainability in crop production, theánutrient factor is theámost important, yet, it is also least resilient toámanagement. This book provides a clear scientific basis of the thermodynamics of soil nutrient bio availability, which routine soil testing does not provide