Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry

The Department had a humble beginning as a small section in 1945 as Agricultural Chemistry with Dr.P.Satyanarayana as its Head. Later it was renamed as Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry. The other eminent teachers who succeeded him as heads of the Department include Dr. A. Sankaram, Dr. R.L. Narasimha Rao,Dr.I.V. Subba Rao, Dr. R.N. Pillai. The present Head of the deapartemnt is Dr. A. Laitha Kumari. PG programme was started in the Department in the year 1970-71 and Ph.D programme was initiated in the year 2010. So far 358 PG and 6 Ph.D students awarded degree from the Department and are placed in esteemed positions. The Department is offering seven UG, eight PG and eight Ph.D courses. The Department has one Professor, two Associate Professors and four Assistant professor as teaching faculty.

The Indian Society of Soil Science, Bapatla Chapter started functioning from 1980 was inaugurated by Dr. I.V. Subba Rao the then Professor and Head of the Department with an objective of organizing training programmes for farmers, giving radio talks, preparation of pamphlets on soil health care, screening of education films and organizing special lectures, contests, debates, brain storming sessions etc.

The staff members of the Department visit several villages in and around Bapatla and render advises and services to the farmers on soil health related problems and also involved in the analysis of soil, water and plant samples of the farmers and there by result in income generation. The department has a well equipped Laboratory for hands on training to both the UG and PG students.