GYP Kit
Sodic soils are characterized by the presence of sufficient exchangeable sodium that adversely affects the growth of most crop plants. Agriculturally, in terms of exchangeable sodium, it is defined as the soils having exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP)> 15. The high ESP has an adverse effect on the both physical and nutritional properties of the soil, thereby reducing crop growth significantly. Besides this, there are salts capable of alkaline hydrolysis viz. carbonates and bicarbonates of sodium. In order to improve the productivity of these soils, the soil needs to be reclaimed. Various chemicals have been used as an amendment to these soils in order to neutralize excess alkali and to replace Na from exchange site by Ca to improve both physic-chemical and biological properties of the soil. These amendments are: gypsum, phosphogypsum, pyrites, Sulphur, sulphuric acid etc. Gypsum being the cheapest, easily available and easy to handle have been widely used. However, the amount of gypsum (CaSO₄. 2H₂O) required to reclaim sodic soil depends upon various factors such as degree of Nasaturation, texture, degree of improvement desired, water quality, crops intended to grow etc.The laboratory method for determination of gypsum requirement of sodic soils is very tedious and time consuming. It is very essential to estimate the gypsum requirement of sodic soil before going for chemical reclamation to avoid any over or under use of the amendments. The Gyp kit was developed on titrimetric soil analysis. This kit is user friendly and can be useful for field functionaries, researchers, line department officials as well as farmers desirous of assessing soil sodicity and quantum of mineral gypsum required for chemical reclamation of sodic soil to optimizing crop production. It is titrimetric estimation of gypsum requirement of sodic soils in Indo-Gangetic plains by calculating the gypsum required for chemical reclamation. Each kit is supplied with all required chemicals that can be refilled and the vials and bottles required for procedure. Also a operational manual is supplied with the kit. This field kit is devised in such a way that it can be easily used at the farm itself and does not require electricity or any power source. It instantly estimates the gypsum requirement of sodic soils.