Anju Yadav and Dr.Yogesh Kumar
Abstract:
The widespread use of chemical pesticides in modern agriculture has raised serious concerns regarding their long-term impact on soil health and sustainability. The present study evaluates the influence of pesticide application on the physico-chemical and biological characteristics of soil in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. Soil samples were collected using a grid sampling method from pesticide-treated fields and control fields without pesticide application. The samples were analyzed for key physico-chemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), bulk density, alkalinity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), total organic carbon (TOC), nitrogen, and phosphorus. Biological parameters including microbial population, soil fauna, enzyme activities (amylase, cellulase, dehydrogenase, phosphatase, and urease), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) evolution were also assessed.
