Evaluation of Nutrient stsatus and Pollution in the Paddy fields of Chathannoor panchayat in Kollam district, Kerala

Pollution by different means may harm the cultivation of paddy all over the world. Pollution of paddy fields mainly occurs due to industrial wastes, urban wastes, radioactive pollutants, agricultural practices, chemical and metallic pollutants and biological agents. Rice is the essential food crop, and being a tropical plant, it quickly grows in a humid and hot environment. For this study, nine paddy fields in Kurungal Paddy sector were selected after an extensive field study in the entire area of Chathannoor Panchayat in Kollam District, Kerala during January 2015. The rice variety Uma (MO16) developed by Rice Research Station, Moncombu, Kerala is cultivated in the paddy fields of the study area.

The major objectives of the study include (1) To prepare a Land use/Land cover map of the Chathannoor Panchayat and to identify the cultivated area and the area of paddy fields (2) To study the changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of paddy field soils in Kurungal paddy sector of Chathannoor Panchayat (3) To assess the physico-chemical characteristics of irrigation water used for paddy cultivation in the study fields (4) To assess the changes in morphological and physio-biochemical characteristics of paddy plants (5) To determine the heavy metals and residual pesticide levels in the paddy field soils, water, paddy plant and rice (6) To estimate the greenhouse gas emissions from the paddy fields of the study area (7) To suggest management

measures to reduce pollution and conserve the paddy fields of the study area.