Impact of Wide Use of Synthetic Fertilizers on Soil Health of Land Area in Nanded District, Maharashtra

Abstract

A field study was conducted at Nanded District on soil and its various contents from January 2022 to December 2023. A thorough survey was conducted to examine the quality of soil samples collected from agricultural farmlands around Ardhapur City in Maharashtra state, India. The soil is mainly alluvial. Data presentation revealed different values of physical and chemical characteristics of soil. The study\'s objective was to assess and compare the soil physicochemical properties of this soil. The study was carried out on a few selected physical, chemical, and microbiological characterizations, as well as the quality of soil and its nature. Standard analytical methods were applied to the soil analysis.

Introduction

Soil is a critical ecological factor providing plants with nutrients, water, and minerals. It consists of inorganic elements like Al, Si, Ca, Mg, Fe, and K, minor trace elements, and organic matter, mainly humus. Essential nutrients such as N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, and others primarily come from soil, while carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are supplied from air and water.

Soil quality is influenced by native vegetation and human activities, including industrial and agricultural pollution, which introduce heavy metals and salts. These contaminants can accumulate in soil and plants, posing risks to food safety, human health, and ecosystems. Salt buildup and heavy metal contamination, especially copper from fungicides, threaten soil productivity globally.

Soil organic matter is vital for nutrient storage, water retention, and maintaining soil structure, thus supporting agricultural productivity and preventing land degradation.

The study focused on soil samples from agricultural lands in Nanded district, Maharashtra, India, analyzing physical, chemical, and biological soil properties. Key findings include:

• Soil moisture ranged from 2.16% to 37.32%, water holding capacity from 25% to 29%.

• Electrical conductivity (EC), indicating salt content, varied between 69 to 109.5 µS/cm.

• Soil pH was slightly alkaline (6.85 to 7.80).

• Organic carbon ranged from 0.018% to 0.30%, and organic matter from 0.031% to 0.517%.

• Concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, K, sulfate, fluoride, iron, and phosphorus were measured, with some iron and fluoride levels exceeding permissible limits.

• Microbial counts in soil showed variation across samples.

The study methods and findings provide a baseline for assessing soil quality and the impact of fertilizers and contaminants in the region, with broader applicability to similar agricultural areas.

Conclusion

From this study, it was concluded that the study area has black cotton soil, which is rich in Calcium and magnesium. The soil is mainly alluvial in nature. From the results of the work, it can be concluded that the pH of all the soil samples was slightly neutral; microorganisms are also present in this soil. The organic carbon and calcium carbonate are low in all the soil samples. Most of the soil samples contain Iron above the permissible limit. Organic manures must be used for improvement in the fertility of soil instead of chemical fertilizers, which could improve the soil quality. Increase the use of natural pesticides to avoid the side effects of other pesticides and further avoid the loss of valuable black cotton soil in Ardhapur city. Declaration: The authors of this manuscript do not oppose the interest.

References

[1] Antwi-Agyei P., J.N. Hogarh and G. Foli., 2009, Trace elements contamination of soils around gold mine tailings dams at Obuasi, Ghana, African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.11, 353–359. [2] APHA, (2000). Standard methods for examining water and wastewater, 20th edition, American Public Health Association Washington D.C. [3] Chowdhury Nasrin, Petra Marschner, and Richard Burns, (2011). Response of microbial activity and community structure to decreasing soil osmotic and matric potential, Plant Soil, Vol.344, 241–254. [4] Cresser Malcolm, Ken Killham and Tony Edwards, (1993). Soil Chemistry and its Applications, Cambridge University Press. [5] Gavin F. Birch and Matthew Vanderhayden and Marco Olmos., 2010, The Nature and Distribution of Metals in Soils of the Sydney Estuary Catchment, Australia, Water, Air and Soil Pollution, Vol.216,581–604. [6] Georgios Papastergios,, Anestis Filippidis, Jose-Luis Fernandez-Turiel, Domingo Gimeno, and Constantinos Sikalidis, (2010). Surface Soil Geochemistry for Environmental Assessment in Kavala Area, Northern Greece, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, Vol. 216,141–152. [7] Jackson, M. L., (1973). Soil Chemical Analysis. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. [8] Johns U.S., (1982). Fertilizers and Soils Fertility, Reston Publishing Co., Virginia. [9] Khan H. R., Rahman K., Abdur Rouf A. J. M., Sattar G. S., Oki Y., Adachi T., (2007). Assessment of degradation of agricultural soils arising from brick burning in selected soil profiles, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 4, No.4, 471–480. [10] Martin N. Sarah, (1994). Standard Handbook for Solid and Hazardous Waste Facility Assessments, Lewis Publishers, USA. [11] Oluyemi E. A., Feuyit G., Oyekunle J. A. O. and Ogunfowokan A. O., (2008). Seasonal variations in heavy metal concentrations in soil and some selected crops at a landfill in Nigeria, African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 2, No.5, 89-96, [12] Pule-Meulenberg F., Moganane B. and Dikinya O., (2008). Physicochemical Properties of Soil from Five Villages in Botswana concerning Soil Degradation, Caspian Journal of Environmental Science, Vol. 3, No.1, 29-34. [13] Rana L., Dhankhar R. and Chhikara S., (2010). Soil Characteristics Affected by Long Term Application of Sewage Wastewater, International Journal of Environmental Research, Vol.4, No.3, 513–518. [14] Rosario García and Juan Antonio González, Virginia Rubio and Carlos Arteaga and Almudena Galán.,2011, Soil Contamination in Dumps on the Karstic Areas from the Plateaus (Southeast of Madrid, Spain), Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 10.1007/s11270-011-0801-1. [15] Sharma B.K., (2001). Environmental chemistry, IV Ed, Goel Publication House, Meerut. [16] Shikha Uniyal Gairola, Prafulla Soni, (2010). Role of Soil Physical Properties in Ecological Succession of Restored Mine Land – A Case Study, International Journal of Environmental Sciences, Vol. 1, No 4. [17] Soil Analysis Report, 2010, Agriculture department, government of Maharashtra, Parbhani. [18] Trivedi R.K., Goel P.K., and Trisal C.L., (1998). Practical methods in Ecology and Environmental Science, Enviro media publications, Karad. [19] Vishal D. Joshi, Narahari N. Palei, Punit R. Rachh, (2009). Physico-Chemical Properties of Four Farm Site Soils in Surrounding Rajkot, Gujarat, India, International Journal of ChemTech Research, Vol.1, No.3, 709–713. [20] Wild A., (1993). Soil and environment- An Introduction, Cambridge University Press. [21] Yannawar Vyankatesh B. (2015). The Nanded Information System, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany. [22] Yobouet Y. A., Adouby K., Trokourey A. and Yao B., (2010). Cadmium, Copper, Lead and Zinc speciation in contaminated soils, International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, Vol. 2, No.5, 802-812.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Pawale R. G., Nandkumar Gachche. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.