About Department
The Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry is one of main Department in Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Trichy which was established as fourth constituent college of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Previously, it was established with ICAR funding as Kumaraperumal Farm Science Centre. During 1980, it was upgraded as “Soil Salinity Research Centre” by National Agricultural Research Project funding to conduct research on salt affected soils which is a unique problem in this area. The regional laboratory was established to cater soil and water testing service to the farmers. This is one of the pioneering centre in India on problem soils, particularly salt affected soils. The Agricultural College was originally started at Kumulur, near Lalgudi in Tiruchirappalli district in the year 1989 and shifted to the present campus Navalur Kuttappattu village, 14 kilometre from Tiruchirappalli town in 1992. In 1995 ICAR-AICRIP on Management of Salt Affected Soils and use of Saline Water in Agriculture was commenced with financial assistance from ICAR and University (75:25) to intensify research in the areas of problem soil and water.
During 2011, at ADAC&RI, the separate Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry was established. The Department offers courses for under graduate and post graduate degree programmes in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry. The Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry is interdisciplinary in nature wherein scientists from the disciplines of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Environmental Science, Agricultural Microbiology and Plant Bio chemistry are working as a team for teaching, research and extension activities particularly in problem soil towards improving and sustaining soil health.
MANDATE
- To cater the teaching needs of both UG and PG programmes.
- To organize inter disciplinary research for solving the location specific problems for the different ecological situations in Tamil Nadu particularly in the salt affected soils.
- Delineation, characterization and management of salt affected soils of Tamil Nadu
- To develop technologies for increasing productivity in the agricultural lands, degraded lands and wastelands and dissemination of technologies for improving the livelihood of the farmers.
- To assess the quality of surface and underground water sources and to develop technologies for management of poor quality water for irrigation