Applied Chemistry for Soil, Water and Agro Systems

Introduction to soil and its composition; soil organic matter and humus; soil pH and its effect on nutrient availability; essential plant nutrients (macro and micronutrients); soil fertility, soil colloids, and nutrient retention; soil salinity and its impact on crop growth; basic soil testing, soil pollution, and soil management for sustainable agriculture.

Physical and chemical properties of water, hardness (temporary and permanent), alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, BOD, COD, nitrogen cycle in water, phosphorus chemistry, irrigation water quality parameters (SAR, RSC, EC), water treatment for irrigation (coagulation, filtration, chlorination), groundwater chemistry

Fertilizers and Pesticides: Classification and chemistry of nitrogenous fertilizers (urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonia), phosphatic fertilizers (superphosphate, DAP), potassic fertilizers, micronutrient fertilizers, slow-release and controlled-release fertilizers, Introduction and classification of pesticides (organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, herbicides, fungicides), pesticide degradation and persistence, environmental effects of excessive agrochemical use.

Chemical composition of food (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals), food adulteration and detection methods, Maillard reaction and browning, food preservation chemistry (pickling, canning, dehydration, irradiation), antioxidants and preservatives, quality parameters of oils, grains, and dairy products,and basics of food packaging materials.

Green chemistry principles in agriculture, biofertilizers (Rhizobium, Azotobacter), biopesticides (neem, Bacillus thuringiensis), composting and vermicomposting chemistry, phytoremediation, biodegradable mulch films, agro-waste valorization, chemistry of renewable energy from agro-biomass