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Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in today’s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968’ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

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20171
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Subject: Soil Science × Author: Goswami, Kasturi × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2014 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    EFFECT OF CRUDE OIL SPILLAGE ON SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND RECLAMATION OF THE AFFECTED SOILS
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2017-07) Goswami, Kasturi; Kulendra Nath Das
    The release of crude oil into the environment by oil spillage is receiving worldwide attention due to the potential risk posed to the environment. Crude oil spillage is a regular phenomena in the oil drilling sites and the areas through which oil transportation pipelines carries the crude oil either to the oil collecting station (OCS) or to the oil refineries. Due to raining and flooding the spilled oil and oily sludge spread to the nearby cultivated field causing soil pollution and heavy reduction in the crop yield. Therefore, the present investigation was aimed to study the effect of crude oil spillage on soil physical properties and the influence of organic amendments as remediants in reclaiming the affected soils. Five soil samples in triplicates at an interval of 50m from three directions (E,W& S) from the spilled areas and one samples each from adjacent unpolluted areas were collected from two oil fields of Assam i.e. MFN, Moran, Dibrugarh and HYR, Kathalguri, Duliajan, Tinsukia where oil exploration activities are conducted by Oil India Limited (OIL). The samples were characterized for their physico-chemical properties. A pot experiment was conducted in the Department of Soil Science, AAU, Jorhat, Assam with unpolluted soils from the above oil fields under factorial set of treatments having five levels of crude oil pollution (0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 ml) and seven amendment treatments viz. poultry manure (PM), farm yard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), poultry manure + farm yard manure (PM + FYM), poultry manure + vermicompost (PM + VC) and farm yard manure + vermicompost (FYM+VC) with one control. After 30 days of crude oil addition, the soils were treated for another 15 days with the amendments, and then rice seedling of var. Ranjit was transplanted and grown upto the harvest of crop for two consecutive years i.e. 2014-15 and 2015-16 repeating treatments in 2nd year. Soil samples were collected before crude oil application, after 30 days of pollution treatment, after 15 days of amendment treatment and after harvest and analyzed for their physico-chemical properties. All agronomical data were recorded after harvest of the crop. The results revealed that the soils of Moran and Duliajan oil fields at 0m distance were highly affected by the oil spillage. The bulk density of soils increased from 1.31 to 1.63 Mg m-3 and 1.25 to 1.62 Mg m-3 in Moran and Duliajan oil field respectively, while decreased the total porosity, water holding capacity and hydraulic conductivity. The pH of the soil remarkably dropped with decrease in distance from 5.40 to 4.91 and 5.45 to 4.92, respectively making the soil strongly acidic in nature whereas the organic carbon content increased from 7.12 to 27.36 g kg-1 in Moran and 7.39 to 26.35 g kg-1 in Duliajan oil field. The available N and P2O5 were low near the spillage point and substantially increased with distance. Conversely, Av-K2O, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ significantly increased near the spilled point. The mean weight diameter (MWD) was maximum near the spillage point and decreased with increasing distance. The water stable aggregates (WSAs) were found higher in the coarser fraction (> 5mm) in soils of 0m and 50m distance whereas beyond 50m, finer fractions recorded the maximum WSAs. Similar trend was observed in organic carbon content in various fractions of WSAs. The total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was maximum at 0m distance in both Moran (14.48 mg g-1) and Duliajan (11.59 mg g-1) oil fields and was negligible beyond 200m. Water retention capacity of soil was lowest at all the applied pressures in the vicinity of drilling point while the values increased with distance. The results of the pot experiment revealed that addition of pollutant deteriorated the soil physico-chemical properties by increasing bulk density of soils while decreasing porosity and water holding capacity. The soil became more acidic and organic carbon and TPH content of soils increased with increased pollution levels whereas the available N, P2O5, K2O and exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ decreased significantly. The addition of organic amendments considerably improved soil parameters by decreasing soil bulk density and TPH content and increasing pH and available nutrient and exchangeable cations. The PM+VC combination amendment showed better results at all the pollution levels. Increase in pollution levels significantly and adversely affected yield attributing characters more pronouncedly at 150ml of crude oil. Addition of different amendment treatments improved the aforesaid plant characters with significant increase in grain and straw yield. The present investigation reveals crude oil spillage as a major factor of soil quality deterioration in Moran and Duliajan oil fields of Assam and the impact was more pronounced in the vicinity of drilling point adversely affecting all the physico-chemical properties of soil. Addition of different levels of crude oil as pollutant also established unfavourable affect on physical properties of soil such as bulk density, particle density, porosity, water holding capacity etc. along with the chemical properties and nutritional status of the soil. Application of organic amendments in various combinations observed to improve soil physico-chemical properties specially reducing TPH content of the soil. Organic amendments i.e. poultry manure + vermicompost (PM+VC) exhibited its excellent capacity to reduce pollution level implying their potentiality as a promising bioremediant for reclamation of crude oil polluted soils. Further, this combination proved to be superior in maintaining crop yield and soil quality.