Use of radio-tracer technique in soil
fertility evaluation
SUBMITTED BY: AYUSH GULIA
ROLL NO : MHU2022H09B
SUBMITTED TO : DR.VIJAY ARORA
•What is tracertracer,
A radioactive technique ?
radiotracer, or radioactive
label, is a chemical compound in whichone or
more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide
[radioisotopes] so by virtue ofits radioactive decay
it can be used to explore the mechanism of
chemical reactions bytracing the path that the
radioisotope follows from reactants to products .
• It works on Dilution Principle ..
• Properties of aparticular
Used to follow Tracer element through various
pathways and quantitative measurements can be
made.
• They behave same as there stable counterparts
but can be easily traced .
• May be linked with colored dye.
• The major physical properties determining the
usefulness of a tracer are –
Half life
Mode of Decay
Important Radio TracersElements
Use of Tracer Tech. to determine fertility of soil
1. Rate of nutrient release of any particular
fertilizer or manure.
2. Contribution of other non conventional fertilizers
or manure in the soil fertility.
3. Uptake and Translocation of nutrients.
4. Measurement of labile Phosphorous content of
soil.
5. Root distribution of plant inside soil.
6. Screening and selection of better genotype of
plant.
Rate of nutrient release of particular
fertilizer or manure
• Radio labelled fertilizer (eg., Radiolabelled phosphate 32P) is applied to the sample
soil then slowly it starts releasing the element.
• Then the plant uptake of (P) can be easily traced and its movement in the plant can
also be easily monitored.
• The total activity of the plant after a predetermined time shows the efficacy and
usefulness of that fertilizer or manure.
Example Image :-Imaging of
radio-cesium uptake dynamics
in a plant body by using a
newly
developed high-resolution
gamma camera.
Contribution of non conventional
nutrient source in soil fertility
• The contribution of non conventional sources
{such as Guano, Sludge, Phosphate rocks } of
nutrient supply in soil nutrient pool can't be
easily traced.
• In that case the radioisotopes are added into the
sample soil ,the dilution of them determines the
nutrient release by these sources.
• This helps in proper incorporation of fertilizer
Uptake and translocation of
nutrients
• Some experiments using Micro-autoradiography
some experiments were conducted using P,Ca, S
radioisotopes enlightened the movement of
Fertilizer applied
Nutrients reaches to Process repeats in
through Leaf/Root of
nutrient some herbaceous plants.
plant 3 plant 3
plant 1
Nutrients reaches to
A part of it is released the farther points from
Same process repeats the site of application
into Soil, Sand, Water in plant 2
medium
Some part of the
A part of it is again
fertilizer is absorbed
reabsorbed by the
by the just immediate
same plant 1
adjacent plant 2
Measurement of labile Phosphorus
• The known amount of radioactive 32P is added to
content in soil
sample soil .
• The measurement of amount of radiophosphorus
and stable phosphorus taken up by plantwill show
that how much of phosphorus has come from
fertilizer and how much from alreadypresent P in
soil.
• Equation to know the already available P in soil :
Q2 =Q1(SA1/SA2-1)
• Where Q1= Exchangeable P in soil
Q2= Exchangeable P in labelled fertilizer
Determining water transport and
• Tritium the radioactive heavier isotope of
storage in unsaturated areas
Hydrogen is found very useful in tracking water
movement in unsaturated areas.
• Velocity of infiltration and evaporation flux.
• Soil Moisture And Neutron Probe [SMNP] is ideal
for measurement of soil water in the immediate
vicinity of the crop root.
•Root distribution
It can in soil
be determined matrix
by using radioisotopes using
methods like Soil Injection.
• This tech provide qualitative information about
the presence of function, dormant roots upto
farthest lateral spread and maximum death.
Screening and selection of better
• Use of radioisotopes such as 15N & 13c allowed
genotype of plants
us to quantify the contribution of N2 fixing plant
and plant litter for soil N pool.
• Also used to identify A/ toxicity and P deficiency
in acid soil.
•conclusion
All these techniques are used to replace the time
consuming and hectic laboratory methods for soil
fertility analysis and screening plants .... They
focus on more precise data and time saving.
• Tracing is done by measuring the activity per unit
mass of the sample.
Miscellaneous
Beta Counting
• Liquid Scintillation Counting
Energy of the released beta particles is only
upto 1/3rd of the Emax
A window can be set to detect particles with a
specific energy renge.
• Cerencov Counter
Beta particle when emitted, travels with the
speed approaching to speed
of light in vac. but thespeed of light in medium
