Dr. S.K. Chaudhari - CSSRI Karnal

Dr. Suresh Kumar Chaudhari
Principal Scientist (Soil Physics)
Soil and Crop Management Division,
Central Soil Salinity Research Institute
Karnal – 132 001 (Haryana) INDIA.
E-mail: skc@cssri.ernet.in
Current Research Area
Dynamics of irrigation induced land degradation.
Soil Hydraulic properties under different quality waters.
Influence of poor and marginal quality waters on soil properties and plant growth.
Direct and indirect estimations of soil hydraulic properties.
Pedo-transfer functions to describe soil hydraulic properties.
Irrigation water management in field crops.
Qualification:
M.Sc. (Soil Science)
Ph.D (Soil Science)
Major Research Accomplishments:
Developed six new concepts for explaining changes in soil hydraulic properties.
Established new critical values of basic soil-water parameters and exchangeable sodium
percentage.
Developed rapid, reliable and accurate methods of soil physical analysis.
Developed empirical and conceptual models for soil-water movement and retention.
Developed computer software for assessing the groundwater suitability for cultivation of
crops through surface and drip irrigation.
Developed National-level water management database, which includes comprehensive
information on water management research conducted in different agro-ecological
regions of India during the last 60 years.
Developed 23 technologies for integrated water management and resource conservation
in various crops.
Awards:
Outstanding Achievement Award (2010) of the Institution of Engineers (India)
12th International Congress Commemoration Award (2009) of Indian Society of Soil
Science (India)
TWAS-medal (2009) of The Academy of Sciences for Developing World (Third World
Academy of Science), Italy
K.C. Das Memorial Award (2008) of The Institution of Engineers (India)

Young Scientist Award (2001) of Maharashtra Association for Cultivation of Sciences
(India)
Zonal Award (1999) of Indian Society of Soil Science (India)
Tata Endowment Award for Research (1999) of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
(India)
Young Scientist Award (1992) of Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology
(India)
Training conducted:
Methods of Soil, Water and Plant Analysis as Coordinator 10 July – 26 July 2005
Management of salt affected soils in coastal areas as Coordinator 11 Feb – 25 Feb. 2006
Watershed management technologies for drought mitigation as a Coordinator 16 Sept. -
07 Oct. 2004
Advanced irrigation techniques for enhancing agricultural production in Maharashtra as a
Coordinator 11 Sept 2000 to 10 Oct 2000
On-farm irrigation management for sustainable agricultural production as a Coordinator 7
May -6 June 1999.
Integrated drainage and irrigation planning for Coastal Orissa, Climatic analysis of
Chiplima (Western Orissa) and Water retention curves of soils as a Coordinator June 1-
30, 2006
National Symposium on Managing Black Soils for Higher Food Productivity and Quality
as a Organizing Secretary April 14-16, 2000
State level seminar on soil technology for sustainable agriculture as a Organizing
Secretary January 18-19, 2000
Training attended:
Cropping System Models: Applications in Land Resource Management, University of
Florida, USA
College on Soil Physics, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
Modeling salt and water balance in croplands University of California, Davis, USA
Enhancing productivity of waterlogged saline soils and poor quality waters University of
Brisbane and CSIRO, Australia
Modeling soil-water-plant relationships University of Ghent, Belgium
Water and energy balance under abiotic stresses University of Rostock, Germany
Patents, Technology, Methodology, Genetic Stock, Variety, etc.
Developed 23 technologies for integrated water management and resource conservation
in cereals, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and horticultural crops.

Developed a low-cost soil and water testing kit, anti-clogging treatment kit, sulphonated
press-mud composting technique.
Developed 5 innovative concepts of basic soil physics, 3 new methods, 5 models to
analyse changes in soil physical behaviour and 2 software.
Publications:
Chaudhari S.K., Singh Ravender and Kumar Ashwani (2010). Suitability of a hydraulicconductivity
model for predicting salt effects on swelling soils. Journal of Plant Nutrition
and Soil Science 173: 360–367.
Chaudhari S.K., Singh Ravender and Kundu, D.K. (2008). Modified rapid method for
textural analysis of saline and alkaline soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 72:
431-441.
Chaudhari, S.K and Somawanshi, R.B. (2004). Unsaturated flow of different quality
irrigation waters through clay, clay loam and silt loam soils and its dependence on soil
and solution parameters. Agricultural Water Management 64: 69-90.
Chaudhari, S.K., and Batta, R.K. (2003) Predicting unsaturated hydraulic conductivity
functions of three Indian soils from particle-size distribution data. Australian Journal of
Soil Research 41:1457-1466.
Chaudhari, S.K and Somawanshi, R.B. (2002) Effect of water quality on exchange phasesolution
phase behaviour of three soils. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science. 165:
229-234.
Chaudhari S.K., Gavsane D.V. and Patil A.S. (2001) Use of a non-similar media concept
in estimating water retention characteristics from soil particle-size distribution.
Geoderma 99:135-144.
Chaudhari, S.K and Somawanshi, R.B. (2004).Predicting sodium dynamics by
mechanistic and layer models in different textured soils. Communications in Soil Science
and Plant Analysis. 35: 2941-2956. (USA)
Chaudhari S.K. (2001) Saturated hydraulic conductivity, dispersion, swelling and
exchangeable sodium percentage of different texture soils as influenced by water quality.
Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 32:2439-2455. (USA)