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Agriculture Management Approaches

Pankaj Kumar Saraswat


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Agriculture Management
Approaches
AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT
APPROACHES

Pankaj Kumar Saraswat, Khushboo Chaudhary and


Meraj Alam Ansari

www.delvepublishing.com
Agriculture Management Approaches
Pankaj Kumar Saraswat, Khushboo Chaudhary and Meraj Alam Ansari

Delve Publishing
224 Shoreacres Road
Burlington, ON L7L 2H2
Canada
www.delvepublishing.com
Email: orders@arclereducation.com

e-book Edition 2023


ISBN: 978-1-77469-550-0 (e-book)

This book contains information obtained from highly regarded resources. Reprinted material
sources are indicated and copyright remains with the original owners. Copyright for images and
other graphics remains with the original owners as indicated. A Wide variety of references are
listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data. Authors or Editors or Publish-
ers are not responsible for the accuracy of the information in the published chapters or conse-
quences of their use. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or grievance to the
persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or thoughts in
the book. The authors or editors and the publisher have attempted to trace the copyright holders
of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission has
not been obtained. If any copyright holder has not been acknowledged, please write to us so we
may rectify.

Notice: Registered trademark of products or corporate names are used only for explanation and
identification without intent of infringement.

© 2023 Delve Publishing


ISBN: 978-1-77469-406-0 (Hardcover)

Delve Publishing publishes wide variety of books and eBooks. For more information about Delve
Publishing and its products, visit our website at www.delvepublishing.com.
DEDICATION

Dedicated to
My Parents
Mr. Rakesh Chaudhary
Mrs. Ajesh Chaudhary
ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Pankaj Kumar Saraswat graduated from R.B.S. College Bichpuri (Agra
University) Agra in 1996, completed post-graduate and Ph.D. in Soil Science
& Agricultural Chemistry from Banaras Hindu University Varanasi in 1999
and 2004, respectively. Dr. Saraswat started his career at H.N.B.G. University
Srinagar Garhwal Uttrakhand in 2005 as a lecturer in Soil Science and moved
as Subject Matter Specialist (Soil Science) to KVK Banasthali Vidyapith Tonk
Rajasthan. In October 2015, Dr. Saraswat joined ICAR-RC for N.E.H Region
Umiam as Sr. Scientist & Head at KVK Tamenglong Manipur. Dr. Saraswat as
P.I. completed two research projects externally funded from SERC-DST Govt.
of India New Delhi and DST-Govt. of Rajasthan Jaipur. At the same time, he also
conducted four INSPIRE-Internship Science Camps under the SEAT program
of DST for 10th pass top 1% students of Rajasthan. Presently Dr. Saraswat has
been working on agricultural technology assessment and demonstrations for its
wider application at farmers’ fields along with capacity development programs
for farmers, farm women, rural youth, line departments and other stakeholders
and also as P.I. in an NEC Shillong funded demonstration based projects in
Tamenglong district Manipur.
Dr. Khushboo Chaudhary is presently working as a Research Associate in
NRCE, Hisar Haryana, India and has 1 year of teaching experience. Previously,
she worked on “Improvement of Phytoremediation efficiency of Fluoride”.
She has published several research papers in international and national
journals. She has published three international textbooks. She has got seven
best paper and poster presentation awards from the Indian Society of Genetics
and Biotechnology Research and Development and received the president
appreciation awards also at the International Conference. She has got the best
poster award from ISSGPU Central Institute Research on Goats, Makhdoom.
She has published several gene banks in NCBI Pubmed. She has also published
a research article in a virology journal. She is likely to be a co-author in several
publications and coauthor in J. Virological Methods.

Dr. Meraj Alam Ansari is presently working as a Scientist under the Agronomy
Division from ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Manipur Centre Imphal. Dr. Ansari
M.Sc. (Agriculture) Agronomy from CSA University of Agril & Technology
Kanpur and Ph.D. from IARI New Delhi joined Agricultural Research. He is
a Scientist, Agronomy at ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Manipur Centre Imphal,
he has been engaged in farming system research including soil management
crop production and the development of integrated farming system (IFS) model
suitable and profitable for Jhumland hill farming.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Glossary.....................................................................................................xv
Acknowledgment................................................................................................ xix
Preface............................................................................................................ ....xxi

Chapter 1 Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality...................................... 1


Introduction................................................................................................ 2
Survey of the Area and Groundwater Sampling .......................................... 5
Groundwater Quality Analysis.................................................................... 5
Principal Component Analysis and Geospatial Characterization
of Groundwater................................................................................. 6
Chemical Characteristics of Banasthali Block Groundwater........................ 9
Chemical Characteristics of Newai Block Groundwater............................ 10
Geospatial Characteristics of Groundwater Quality................................... 11
Principal Component Analysis of Individual Layers................................... 12
Spatial Dependence of Groundwater Quality Parameter........................... 14
Spatial Distribution of Groundwater Quality Parameters........................... 16
Conclusion............................................................................................... 18
References................................................................................................ 19

Chapter 2 Effect of Long Term Treated Sewage Water Irrigation on Profile


Characteristics, Macro and Micronutrients in Soils at Farmer’s Field....... 23
Introduction.............................................................................................. 24
Irrigation Quality of Treated Sewage Water............................................... 27
Effect of TSW Irrigation on Basic Soil Properties........................................ 28
Effect of TSW Irrigation on Available NPK................................................. 30
Effect of TSW Irrigation on Available Micronutrients................................. 31
Correlation Matrix.................................................................................... 33
Conclusion............................................................................................... 34
References................................................................................................ 35
Chapter 3 Effect of Gypsum and Green Manuring Interventions on Mustard
Productivity and Sodic Soil Quality under on Farm Testing (OFT)
at Farmer’s Field....................................................................................... 37
Introduction.............................................................................................. 38
Nutrient Potential of Green Manure Crops................................................ 41
Effect of Technological Interventions on Mustard Yield.............................. 42
Effect of Green Manuring on Soil Properties.............................................. 43
References ............................................................................................... 46

Chapter 4 Characterization of Long Term Treated Sewage Water Irrigated Soils..... 49


Introduction.............................................................................................. 50
Irrigation Quality of Treated Sewage Water............................................... 53
Basic Soil Properties................................................................................. 53
Available NPK.......................................................................................... 58
Available Micronutrients........................................................................... 59
Conclusion............................................................................................... 60
References................................................................................................ 61

Chapter 5 Integrated use of Fertilizers, Manures and Amendments for


Improving Soil Quality, Input use Efficiency and Crop Productivity........ 65
Introduction.............................................................................................. 66
Soil Quality.............................................................................................. 69
Transfer of Technology for Improving Soil Quality..................................... 71
Integrated Nutrient Management.............................................................. 75
Importance of Integrated Nutrient Management........................................ 77
Strategies Adopted to Promote Soil Health and Crop Production .............. 79
Nutrient Potential of Summer Green Manures........................................... 81
Rice-Wheat Grain Yield............................................................................ 82
Macronutrient Content in Rice-Wheat and Their Uptake By Grain ........... 83
Soil Parameters......................................................................................... 85
Effect of Formulated Compost Application on Soil and Wheat Yield ......... 87
Steps Involved in the Preparation of Formulated Compost......................... 89
Nutrient Content in Different Organic Wastes and Formulated Compost... 89
Response of Wheat to Different Formulations........................................... 90
Practical Utility of The Findings and Summary.......................................... 92
Use of Soil Amendments Through INM Approach..................................... 93
Fly Ash Properties and Crop Response...................................................... 95

x
Studies on Soil Response to Flyash Application....................................... 100
Soil Physical Properties........................................................................... 105
Effect on Soil Biological and Biochemical Quality.................................. 119
Integrated Use of FA With Amendments in Soil....................................... 121
Recycling of FA in the Soil Through Production and Use of Biomanures.124
Summary................................................................................................ 132
Conclusion............................................................................................. 135
References ............................................................................................. 139

Chapter 6 Plant Microbe-Interactions..................................................................... 153


Introduction............................................................................................ 154
Phytoremediation................................................................................... 155
Rhizosphere Activity............................................................................... 157
PGPR (Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria) ...................................... 159
Microbial Activity .................................................................................. 160
Plant-Organism Interactions in the Rhizosphere ..................................... 161
Molecular Mechanism Activity in Hyperaccumulation Plants................. 162
Conclusion............................................................................................. 166
References.............................................................................................. 168

Chapter 7 Phytoremediation Approaches Technique for Improving


Agriculture Land.................................................................................... 175
Introduction............................................................................................ 176
Phytoremediation Technique Involving Trace Different Elements............. 177
Cadmium Pollution ................................................................................ 178
Cadmium Accumulation By Phytoextraction Process.............................. 179
Chromium Pollution Through Industries ................................................. 180
Chromium Hyperaggregation Through Phytoextraction .......................... 180
Impact of Arsenic on Environment.......................................................... 182
Arsenic Hyperaccumulation Through Phytoextraction ............................ 182
Arsenic Stress- Tolerant Gene Participates In Phytoextraction ................. 184
Copper In Marine Water ........................................................................ 185
Clean Up of Copper by Phytoextraction Process..................................... 185
Nickel Hyper Accumulate Quantification Efficiency............................... 187
Zinc Translocation Through Phytoextraction Technology ........................ 188
Molecular Mechanism Efficiency of Heavy Metal Tolerant Plants............ 188

xi
Role of Arabidopsis Genes ..................................................................... 189
Conclusion............................................................................................. 195
References.............................................................................................. 196

Chapter 8 Plant Growth-promoting Rhizosphere Role for


Improving Soil Fertility........................................................................... 211
Introduction............................................................................................ 212
Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizosphere .................................................... 213
Mechanisms By Which Microbes Influence Heavy Metal Accumulation.216
Molecular Mechanisms .......................................................................... 218
Conclusion ............................................................................................ 220
References.............................................................................................. 221

Chapter 9 Fluoride and its Effect on Environment.................................................. 225


Introduction............................................................................................ 226
Fluoride Accumulation Pathway in Plants .............................................. 228
Effect of Fluoride on Single Cell Microorganisms.................................... 229
Fluoride Pathway Through Hyperaccumulator on Plants.......................... 232
Visible Symptoms of F Wound ............................................................... 234
Technologies Used for the Removal of Fluoride from Water.................... 235
Fluoride Removal from the Soil............................................................... 235
Conclusion............................................................................................. 238
References.............................................................................................. 239

Chapter 10 Role of Pseudomonas Fluorescence and Pseudomonas Aeuroginosa


on Antioxidant Parameters, Polyphenols and Total Flavonoids of
Flouride (F) Hyperaccumulator Plant Prosopis Juliflora and
Improving Crop Productivity.................................................................. 247
Introduction............................................................................................ 248
Soil Characteristics Before Harvesting ................................................... 249
Pot Experimental Design......................................................................... 250
Antioxidant Activity................................................................................ 250
Determination of Polyphenols................................................................ 250
Estimation of Total Flavonoids................................................................. 251
Soil Analysis........................................................................................... 251
Growth Parameters Under Given Treatments........................................... 252
Antioxidant Enzyme Mechanism............................................................. 252

xii
Total Polyphenols Estimation.................................................................. 252
Total Flavonoids Analysis........................................................................ 253
Conclusion............................................................................................. 253
References.............................................................................................. 254

Chapter 11 Effect of Plant Growth-promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) on


Plant Growth and Flouride Uptake by Prosopis Juliflora........................ 257
Introduction............................................................................................ 258
Pot Experiment....................................................................................... 259
Antioxidant Activity................................................................................ 260
Determination of F.................................................................................. 260
Growth Parameters................................................................................. 261
Antioxidant Enzyme Mechanism............................................................. 261
Organ-Wise F Uptake............................................................................. 263
Conclusion............................................................................................. 266
References.............................................................................................. 267

Chapter 12 Bioremediation....................................................................................... 271


Introduction............................................................................................ 272
Hyperaccumulator Plants........................................................................ 273
Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria............................................... 276
Conclusion............................................................................................. 279
References.............................................................................................. 280

Chapter 13 Impact of Phytochelatins (PCs), Metallothionines (MTs) and


Heavy metal ATPase (HMA) Genes to Activate Plant Signaling.............. 287
Introduction............................................................................................ 288
Phytoremediation Techniques: An Overview........................................... 290
Hyperaccumulator Plants: A Base for Phytoremediation Technology....... 292
Heavy Metals Toxicity Mechanism.......................................................... 293
Heavy Metal Transportation Pathway ...................................................... 294
Types of Genes Used in Phytoremediation.............................................. 295
Future Possibilities ................................................................................. 300
Conclusion............................................................................................. 300
References.............................................................................................. 302

Index...................................................................................................... 315

xiii
LIST OF GLOSSARY

Bio Compost: Bio-compost is manufactured by composting press mud received from


cane juice filtration and spent wash received from distilleries.
Bio Manure: Bio Manure is rich in micro-organs and micronutrients that are the most
essential constituents required to improve the soil structure.
Compost: Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a
fertilizer and soil amendment.
Composting: Composting is a natural process that turns organic material into a dark
rich substance. This substance, called compost or humus, is a wonderful conditioner
for soil
Crop: A crop is a volunteered or cultivated plant (any plant) whose product is harvested
by a human at some point in its growth stage.
Fertilizers: Fertilizer(or fertilizer) is any organic or inorganic material of natural or
synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is added to soil to supply one or more.
Flushing: Washing away the surface accumulated salts by flushing water over the
surface is sometimes used to desalinize soils having surface salt crusts. Because the
amount of salts that can be flushed from soil is rather small, this method does not have
much practical significance.
Fly ash: Fly ash, also known as flue-ash, is one of the residues generated in combustion
and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases.
Functional Nutrients: Nicholas (1961)proposed the term functional nutrient for any
mineral nutrient that functions in plant metabolism whether or not its action is specific
e.g Na, Co and Si.
Green Manure: In agriculture, green manure refers to crops that have already been
uprooted (and have often already been stuffed under the soil). The then dying plants
are of a type of cover crop often grown primarily to add nutrients and organic matter
to the soil. Typically, a green manure crop is grown for a specific period of time, and
then plowed under and incorporated into the soil while green or shortly after flowering.
Green manure crops are commonly associated with organic farming and are considered
essential for annual cropping systems that wish to be sustainable.
Integrated Nutrient Management: Integrated Nutrient Management refers to the
maintenance of soil fertility and of plant nutrient supply at an optimum level for
sustaining the desired productivity through optimization of the benefits from all possible
sources of organic, inorganic and biological components in an integrated manner.
Integrated Water Resources Management: Integrated water resources management
has been defined by the global water partnership (GWP) as “a process which promotes
the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in
order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner
without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Integrated Water Shed management: Integrated watershed management provides
a system to integrate natural resource management with community livelihoods in a
sustainable way. This action area (AA) addresses the issues of degradation of natural
resources, soil erosion, landslides, floods, frequent droughts and desertification, low
agricultural productivity, poor water quantity and quality and poor access to land and
related resources from an integrated watershed management perspective.
Integrated Weed Management: Integrated weed management (IWM) is the
combination of multiple management tools to reduce a pest population to an acceptable
level while preserving the quality of existing habitat, water, and other natural resources.
Combinations of biological, mechanical, and chemical management practices are
utilized in IPM programs to efficiently suppress a pest population at the most effective/
desirable points during the pest’s lifecycle or growing season.
Manure: Manure is an organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures
contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients.
Nutrient: A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance
used in an organism’s metabolism which must be taken in from its environment.
Plant nutrition: Plant nutrition is the study of the chemical elements and compounds
that are necessary for plant growth, and also of their external supply and internal
metabolism. In 1972, E. Epstein defined two criteria for an element to be essential for
plant growth: its absence the plant is unable to complete a normal life cycle; or that the
element is part of some essential plant constituent or metabolite.
Saline Soil: Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil; the process of increasing the salt
content is known as salination. Salt is a natural element of soils and water.
Scraping: Removing the salts that have accumulated on the soil surface by mechanical
means has had only limited success although many farmers have resorted to this
procedure. Although this method might temporarily improve crop growth, the ultimate
disposal of salts still poses a major problem.
Sodic Soil: Sodic soils are characterized by a disproportionately high concentration of
sodium (Na) in their cation exchange complex. They are usually defined as consisting
of an exchangeable sodium percentage greater than 15%. These soils tend to occur
within arid to semiarid regions and are innately unstable, exhibiting poor physical and
chemical properties, which impede water infiltration, water availability, and ultimately
plant growth.
Soil Amendments: A chemical substance used to improve the structure of the soil and
increase its porosity; gypsum can be used as a soil conditioner.

xvi
Soil Conservation: Soil conservation is a set of management strategies for the
prevention of soil being eroded from the Earth’s surface or becoming chemically altered
by overuse,
Soil Fertility: The ability of soil to supply plant nutrients that support plant growth.
The capacity of soil to provide plants with enough assailable nutrients and moisture to
produce crops.
Soil Moisture: Water content or moisture content is the quantity of water contained
in a material, such as soil (called soil moisture), rock, ceramics, fruit, or wood. Water
content is used in a wide range of scientific and technical areas and is expressed as a
ratio, which can range from 0 (completely dry) to the value of the materials’ porosity at
saturation. It can be given on a volumetric or mass (gravimetric) basis.
Soil organic matter: Soil organic matter is the organic matter component of soil,
consisting of plant and animal residues at various stages of decomposition, cells and
tissues of soil organisms, and substances synthesized by soil organisms. SOM exerts
numerous positive effects on soil physical and chemical properties, as well as the soil’s
capacity to provide regulatory ecosystem services. Particularly, the presence of SOM is
regarded as being critical for soil function and soil quality.
Soil Quality: Soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within
natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity,
maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation.
Soil: Soil is considered the “skin of the earth” with interfaces between the lithosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Soil consists of a solid phase (minerals &
organic matter) as well as a porous phase that holds gases and water. Accordingly, soils
are often treated as a three-state system.
Soil: Soil is the mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and a myriad of
micro- and macro- organisms that can support plant life. It is a natural body that exists
as part of the pedosphere and it performs four important functions: a medium for plant
growth; water storage, supply and purification; modifier of the atmosphere; a habitat for
organisms that take part in decomposition and habitat for other organisms.
Sustainable Agriculture: Sustainable agriculture is the act of farming using principles
of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. It has
been defined as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having
a site-specific application that will last over the long term.

xvii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This thanksgiving has to begin with the thanks to Department of Science& Technology
(Government of Rajasthan). I convey earnest thanks to Madam Smt Dr. Amita Gil
Director Department of Science & Technology (Government of Rajasthan), Bani Park,
and Jaipur for guidance and support in releasing funds timely for the smooth running of
the project. The author expresses sincere thanks and deep sense of gratitude to the Vice-
Chancellor Banasthali Vidyapith for providing facilities and environment and moral
encouragement through his speech on various occasions. His highly enlightened vision
and affection acted as a constant source of inspiration to me for working in projects
and completion of work with great ease. The author expresses sincere thanks to Dr.
Sushil Kumar Sharma Programme Coordinator and Dr. Vinay Shankar Prasad Sinha
(Department of Remote Sensing) for their constant guidance and help rendered in the
statistical analysis without which it would have been an impossible task. It’s a matter of
great pleasure to place on record my deep sense of gratitude to my former Programme
Coordinator Smt. Dr. Sharda and my esteemed senior colleagues Dr. Mahendra Singh,
Dr. Ram Charan Yadav and Mr. Banshidhar Chaudhary and my faculty colleagues Dr.
Ragini Mishra, Dr. Geetam Singh, Mr. Udai Pratap Singh, Mr. Vineet Kumar Dwivedi,
Mr. Mithileshwar Nath Upadhyay, Mr. Ashu Singh Bhati and Mr. Banshee Lal Kumawat
who have always rendered their all kind of support during the course of investigation.
Words of appreciation are also due to my office supporting staff Mr. Shravan Lal
Sharma, Mr. Om Prakash and Gaurav Singh Negi for their additional efforts and all
kind of support during the project period. I also feel great pleasure to place on record
deep sense of gratitude to my husband Mr. Manoj Chaudhary for his relentless
cooperation and lovely son Lavyansh Chaudhary who always and eagerly waited for
me on my late coming to his daycare and I am really the luckiest mother who has a
son like Lavyansh.

Dr. Pankaj Kumar Saraswat

Dr. Khushboo Chaudhary

Dr. Meraj Alam Ansari


PREFACE

The present book entitled “Agriculture Management Approaches” is aimed at


presenting precise information for undergraduate, postgraduate students and research
scholars. This book has updated information on agricultural land management by using
organic waste or recycling organic waste, heavy metal contaminated groundwater, using
gypsum and integrated management of soil for improving crop productivity. It will be
a milestone in the current scenario of environmental research on heavy metal pollution
in groundwater, soil and its management. This book is an updated document on current
research and the latest and cost-effective green technology. Plants are valuable resources
for all living organisms that provide food, medicine, produce oxygen and regulate the
water cycle. Heavy metal stresses have a negative impact on the environment and
destroy our nature. Its direct and indirect effect on human beings and drastic effect
on crop yield and movement in the food chain. This book describes the development
of cost-effective, sustainable and user-friendly technology for the farmers by using
organic waste and gypsum for improving soil fertility.
While the main emphasis is given to increasing the proper and balanced use of mineral
fertilizers, the role of organic manure, biofertilizers, and green manuring and recycling
of organic wastes should be considered supplementary and not substitutable. On one
hand, there is a vast scope for increasing plant nutrient supply through the use of fly
ash and organic fertilizers, but there is, on the other hand, no scope for reducing the
consumption of mineral fertilizers since the present level of crop productivity has to be
increased in the coming years.
All chapters are an overview on the spatial characterization of groundwater quality,
treated sewage water irrigation on profile characteristics, macro and micronutrients
in soils in a farmer’s field, gypsum and green manuring interventions on mustard
productivity and sodic soil quality on-farm testing, long term treated sewage water
irrigated soils, use of fertilizers, manures and amendments for improving soil quality,
use efficiency and crop productivity, plant-microbe interactions, phytoremediation
approaches technique improving agriculture land, role of plant growth-promoting
rhizosphere to improve soil fertility, fluoride effects on the environment and using
different amendments for improving crop productivity. Heavy metals are released into
the environment as a result of human activities such as mining, smelting, electroplating,
energy and fuel production, power transmission, intensive agriculture, sludge dumping,
and melting operations. Studies on detailed characterization and potential application of
wastes from new technologies like co-firing ash, oxy fuel combustion ash, biomass ash,
co-gasification residue, MSW ash, etc. Utilization of microbes like vermicomposting
can be a novel, economically viable and eco-friendly strategy that can reduce toxic
chemicals in the conventional protocol.
Remediation is the only way to clean up the contaminants in soils and groundwater.
Remediation refers to the process of environmental cleanup of contaminated sites and
the techniques to reduce or eliminate contamination from soil or groundwater. In the
preparation of this book, I have been greatly helped by several books which I express my
acknowledgment in the references and if I have forgotten any references in my notice,
please ignore these mistakes. This book is a compilation of maximum information
regarding the management of agricultural land after our best efforts.
Dr. Pankaj Kumar Saraswat
Dr. Khushboo Chaudhary
Dr. Meraj Alam Ansari

xxii
CHAPTER

1 Spatial Characterization of
Groundwater Quality

Contents
Introduction................................................................................................ 2
Survey of the Area and Groundwater Sampling .......................................... 5
Groundwater Quality Analysis.................................................................... 5
Principal Component Analysis and Geospatial Characterization
of Groundwater................................................................................. 6
Chemical Characteristics of Banasthali Block Groundwater........................ 9
Chemical Characteristics of Newai Block Groundwater............................ 10
Geospatial Characteristics of Groundwater Quality................................... 11
Principal Component Analysis of Individual Layers................................... 12
Spatial Dependence of Groundwater Quality Parameter........................... 14
Spatial Distribution of Groundwater Quality Parameters........................... 16
Conclusion............................................................................................... 18
References................................................................................................ 19
2 Agriculture Management Approaches

INTRODUCTION
Geo-statistical analysis of groundwater quality in Newai Tehsil has been done
in order to identify the possible spatial structure of water quality parameters
and to assess the spatial dependence of water properties with the help of
principal component analysis (PCA). Two types of maps (Spatial map and
Principal component map) of groundwater quality have been developed.
Studies revealed that HCO3 and RSC were found to be positively and highly
correlated with principal component 1. Manganese, electrical conductivity
and Chlorine are correlated in second-order whereas iron (Fe) and carbonate
(CO3) showed poor correlation with principal component 1. Ca+2+Mg+2,
Cu, Zn and pH had a negative correlation with principal component 1. The
spatial map developed for PC2 showed a highly positive correlation only
with chloride, whereas, Ca+2+Mg+2 and EC were in the second-order of
correlation with PC2. Mn, Fe, Zn and CO3 showed a very poor correlation
with PC2. Cu, HCO3,pH and RSC were negatively correlated with PC2.
PC3 had a highly positive correlation with EC of groundwater, whereas Fe,
Mn, Cl and CO3 showed a negative correlation with PC3. Ca+2+Mg+2, Cu,
Zn, HCO3, pH and RSC were normally correlated with PC3. PC4 was found
to be positively and highly correlated with Ca+2+Mg+2 and copper and highly
and negatively correlated with Mn, Fe, Zn, CO3, EC, and RSC. Cl, HCO3
and pH showed a normal correlation with PC4.
The PC 5 showed a highly positive correlation with Mn, Fe, and copper,
the highest possible score of any principal component of the groundwater
quality parameter under study. Cl, HCO3 and EC had a negative correlation
with PC5 and Zn, CO3, pH and RSC showed a very poor correlation with
PC5. PC6 maintained a very poor correlation with Ca+2+Mg+2, Mn, Fe, Zn
and HCO3 and all the remaining parameters were negatively correlated. PC7
showed a high and positive correlation with Fe whereas that of PC8 is highly
negative with CO3. Among PC9 and PC10, CO3 and pH were found to be
highly and positively correlated respectively and the rest all parameters
under PC9 and PC10 either showed a poor or negative correlation with
groundwater quality parameters. PC11 showed a highly positive correlation
with Zn and a negative correlation with Mn, Cu, CO3, HCO3 EC whereas the
remaining parameters were poorly correlated with PC11.
Groundwater is one of the most critical inputs required for the survival
of humans, plants and animals on this planet. Soils are the primary source of
elements found in groundwater. The extent of elements found in groundwater
directly affects the quality. Groundwater quality decides the extent to which
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 3

it can be used for the purpose. Irrigation is one of the prime sectors in India
where one-third of land surface falls under arid and semi-arid climates
and rainfall is seasonal and erratic. The semi-arid climate prevailing in
Tonk district necessitates the characterization of groundwater quality for
optimizing its use in irrigation as well as in domestic consumption. The
majority of the underground water contains a high concentration of salts
and their continuous use affects soil, animal and plant health, thereby crop
production (Shahid et al. 2008). Groundwater resources in the country are
dwindling very fast due to poor water harvesting leading to excess runoff
and poor recharging of the groundwater.
This is accompanied by excessive withdrawal/exploitation to meet
the household and irrigation requirements in agriculture (Sarkar, 2011).
Technically sound, economically viable, environmentally non-degradable
and socially acceptable use of a country’s natural resources like land, water
and genetic endowment to promote sustainable development of agriculture
has been accepted as the ultimate goal. Geo-informatics technologies
will help in achieving some of the defined goals (Marwah, 2003). Geo-
informatics is a fast-emerging science encompassing the modern tools
of Remote Sensing (RS) Geographic information system (GIS), Global
Positioning System (GPS) and simulation models. A combination of these
technologies provides cost-effective means of acquiring high-resolution
real-time data through remote sense, data management and analysis through
GIS and geo-referencing the ground truth data with GPS, putting all the data
in an information system and utilization of the information for a specific
purpose. The key element that differentiates Geo-informatics from other
areas of information technology (IT) is that all input data is being geo-coded
i.e. has an address in 3-D space and is linked to some locality on the earth
surface. In India, GIS has been introduced in various fields like optimizing
land use plans, characterization of groundwater quality, and development
of degraded and wasteland and management of salt-affected soils. Spatial
variation in groundwater quality occurs due to variation in underlying rock
strata.
Groundwater quality is an essential parameter to be studied for the
sustainable development of agriculture and human life. The advent of
information technology has developed tools like GPS and GIS which help
in the spatial characterization of groundwater quality. The maps generated
through GPS and GIS delineate homogenous units to decide on the size and
collecting a systematic set geo-referenced samples and generating spatial
data about groundwater quality (Sood et al. 2004 and Sharma, 2004). A
4 Agriculture Management Approaches

comprehensive understanding of spatial variability in groundwater quality


has become essential in precision agriculture. Groundwater quality varies
spatially from the field to a large regional scale and is influenced by geology,
topography, climate as well as soil use (Quine and Zhang, 2002). Variability
can also occur as a result of land use and management strategies (Wang et al.
2009). In recent years, geo-statistics has proved to be effective in assessing
the variability in soil and groundwater quality (Webster and Oliver, 2001).
Geo-statistics is a technology for the appraisal of soil and groundwater
quality in non-sampled areas or areas with sparse sampling (Yao et al. 2004).
Geostatistics provides a set of statistical tools for a description of spatial
patterns, quantitative modeling of spatial continuity, spatial predictions
and uncertainty assessment (Goovaerts, 1999). Geostatistical techniques
incorporating spatial information into predictions can improve estimation
and enhance map quality (Muellar and Pierce, 2003).
Quantitative evaluation of groundwater parameters to obtain quality
indices classification using principal component analysis (PCA) has
immense utility (Norris, 1971). PCA also is known as factor analysis is a
statistical device to reduce the number of variables to a smaller number
of indices. The transformation of raw data using PCA can result in new
values that are often more interpretable than the original data (Norris, 1972).
Principal factors are, in fact, the Eigenvectors or characteristics/proper
vectors of the covariance (or correlation) matrix and the variance of the
principal factors are corresponding Eigenvalues. Principal factor analysis
compares the information content of the number of quality parameters
into a few transformed factors. Such a reduction in dimensionality is an
important economic consideration, especially if the potential information
is recoverable from transformed data, is just as good as the original data
(Anderson and Furley, 1975). Prasad (2000), Rao and Jose (2003), Geissen
et al. (2009) also reported that principal component analysis is a meaning
full tool for relating quantitative factors into quality parameters in case of a
crop field and natural resource management.
Means and ways have been devised for use of poor-quality water in
irrigation (Minhas and Gupta, 1993 Tiwari et al, 2003, Chauhan et al, 2007,),
but the spatial characterization of groundwater quality for irrigation and
drinking purpose is virtually lacking in arid and semi-arid regions. Keeping
these things in mind and in view of such advantages of Geo-informatics, GPS
and GIS technologies, a study was undertaken to assess the groundwater
quality potential and classify them by using principal component analysis in
Newai Tehsil of Tonk district during 2011-14.
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 5

SURVEY OF THE AREA AND GROUNDWATER


SAMPLING
For the study purpose, 28 villages under Banasthali and Newai blocks in
Newai Tehsil were selected for spatial characterization of groundwater
quality using the GPS (Trimble R3) technique of survey and sampling. 16
villages namely Palai, Jugulpura, Bidauli, Aliyabad, Radhakishanpura,
Govindpura, Jagmohanpura, Subhashpura, Sunara, Bhanakpura, Lodeda,
Jagatpura, Surajkheda, Chhauriya, Banasthali and Haripura come under
Banasthali block. Whereas 12 villages namely Bhanwati, Bhanwata,
Saindariya, Kishorpura, Dahlod, Lalwadi, Sirohi, Jhilay, Sangrampura,
Bhanwarsagar and Bhagwanpura are under the Newai block. Taking all
protocols into account, a total number of 140 groundwater samples of tube
well, bore well and hand pump origin from 28 villages (5 from each) were
collected in properly labeled in neutral plastic bottles and brought to the
Soil and Water testing laboratory for further chemical analysis. GPS points
were taken keeping in view that five water sample locations are representing
a single village. GPS survey helped to plot the latitudinal and longitudinal
information in the real-world coordinate system. The GPS-enabled data
containing the positional location of the source of sample collection was
further utilized to analyze the groundwater quality parameters in geospatial
distribution patterns using geostatistical tools.

GROUNDWATER QUALITY ANALYSIS


Collected water samples were employed for the characterization of drinking
and irrigation quality analysis. Groundwater samples were analyzed for
pH, EC, cations (Ca+2+Mg+2), anions (Cl-, CO3 and HCO3), residual sodium
carbonate (RSC) and trace elements (Fe, Cu, Mn, & Zn) using standard
methods and procedures as outlined by Richards (1954), Tandon (2009) and
Trivedy and Goel (1993). The pH and soluble salts in water samples were
estimated by using pH and EC Meter. Cations and anions were analyzed
by titration method and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) was calculated
using the formula as RSC (meq L-1) = (CO3+HCO3) - (Ca+2 + Mg+2). The
presence of trace elements in groundwater was estimated by employing
processed water samples on the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS
Model No. 4129). The outcome of the analysis of quality parameters of the
samples was found (range and mean form).
6 Agriculture Management Approaches

PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS AND


GEOSPATIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF
GROUNDWATER
Principal component analysis (PCA) is one of the multivariate analyses used
as a method of data compression or removing data redundancy. It allows
redundant data to be compacted into fewer bands i.e. dimensionality of the
data is reduced. Here the components of the variables are considered as spatial
data set i.e. in the form of a geospatial image. The image/bands of PCA data
are non-correlated and independent and are often more interpretable than
the quality parameters data. The process is easily explained graphically with
an example of data in two quality parameters image/ bands. The two quality
parameters are shown by the scatter plot, which shows the relationships of
both the quality parameters in two axis bands. The values of one band are
plotted against those of the other. If both bands have normal distributions, it
forms an ellipse shape.

The length and direction of the widest transect of the ellipse are
calculated using matrix algebra, which corresponds to the major (longest)
axis of the ellipse, called the first principal component of the processed data.
The direction of the first principal component is the first Eigenvector and its
length is the first Eigenvalue. A new axis of the spectral space is defined by
this first principal component. The points in the scatter plot are now given
new coordinates, which corresponds to this new axis and a new origin will be
described. Since in spectral space, the coordinates of the points are the data
file values. A new data file value is derived from this process. These values
are stored in the first principal component image/band of a new data file.
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 7

The first principal component shows the direction and length of the widest
transect of the ellipse. Therefore, as an axis in spectral space, it measures the
highest variation within the data.

It is easy to see that the first Eigenvalue is always greater than the range
of the input quality bands. Just as the hypotenuse of the right triangle must
always be longer than the legs, the second principal component is the widest
transect of the ellipse that is orthogonal (perpendicular) or non-correlated
to the first principal component. As such the second principal component
describes the largest amount of variance in the data which is not already
described by the first principal component. In a two-dimensional analysis,
the second principal component corresponds to the minor excess of the
ellipse. Although there is an output in a PCA, the first few bands account
for a high proportion of the variance in data in some cases almost 100%.
Therefore, PCA is useful for compressing data into fewer bands. In other
applications, useful information is gathered from the principal component
bands with the least variance. These bands show subtle detail in the image
that was obscured by higher contrast in the original input image. To compute
the principal component image/band it is necessary to analyze all water
quality parameters in the geospatial model. In the present investigation,
there are 11 quality parameters of 140 geographical locations of the study
area tested in the laboratory.
The outcome of all the quality results is considered as non-spatial
attributes of the water sample sources like tube well, bore well and hand
pump. In the Arc-GIS environment the non-spatial data is attached to the
spatial coordinate locations of all 140 sampling sites using GIS. Using spatial
interpolation tools with a local model, these non- spatial attributes of water
qualities were interpolated to generate 11 quality surfaces of the study area.
8 Agriculture Management Approaches

As mentioned in the PCA concept it requires a relationship among individual


quality parameters. Using spatial interpolation each quality parameter
converted into 11 water quality images /bands in the spatial domain. Now it
is necessary to perform a spatial correlation among the parameters. Further
using matrix algebra these 11 images of quality parameters were considered
as row (m) and column (n) with quality bands (k) of images. All quality
parameters considered as 11 bands and covariance and variance matrix were
generated. With the help of these matrix spatial correlations between these
quality parameters were identified. Further using the transpose matrix and
input of 11 quality parameters bands the 11 principal components were
generated.
The Eigenvalue and Eigenvector of all components were also calculated.
Finally, the relationship between component and quality parameters was
also spatially evaluated using the spatial correlation between component
and quality parameter. With the help of Indian/WHO standards, all the
quality parameters were explained in the form of spatial pattern and
distribution of potable zone or threat zone. The raw data were interpolated
to generate spatial surface maps under principal factor analysis. Quantitative
evaluation of groundwater quality indices using PCA has immense utility
(Norris, 1971). PCA also is known as factor analysis is a statistical device
to reduce the number of variables to a smaller number of indices. The
transformation of raw chemical analysis data using PCA can result in new
values that are often more interpretable than the original data. Principal
factors are, infact the Eigenvectors or characteristics /proper vectors of the
covariance (or correlation) matrix and the variance of the principal factors
are the corresponding Eigenvalue. PCA compares the information content
of a number of fertility/quality parameters into a few transformed factors.
Such a reduction in dimensionality is an important economic consideration,
especially if the potential information recoverable from the transformed
data is just as good as the original data (Anderson and Furley, 1975).
An attempt has been made to evaluate the groundwater quality of the
Banasthali and Newai Block area so as to make interpretation of groundwater
quality by the use of principal component analysis. Principal factor analysis
is a method or technique that provides a means of identifying or measuring
the relationship basic pattern in a data set. This technique greatly facilitates in
reducing a large number of interdependent variables to a smaller set of more
meaningful and nearly uncorrelated new variables or components known
as principal components. The principal component analysis of raw data of
groundwater provided important statistical parameters viz. (i) correlation
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 9

matrix (ii) variance-covariance matrix (iii) Eigenvalues and corresponding


Eigenvalues. Eigenvalues explained the amount of variance contributed
by each component. Eigenvectors are the coefficient of the transformed
equation of each component. The water quality of 28 village areas has been
analyzed with respect to the above-mentioned quality parameters and further
interpretation and inference have been drawn through spatial distribution
considering their variability through GPS spatial map for all eleven
parameters. For the general discussion of groundwater quality parameters,
the range and mean of each five water samples collected from every village
have been discussed in detail. Further, the values of groundwater quality
parameters have been put under factor analysis for making correlation
estimation.

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BANASTHALI


BLOCK GROUNDWATER
A perusal of the data reveals that irrespective of water sampling area in
Banasthali block, the mean values of groundwater reaction (pH) varied from
8.2-8.5 being lowest in Aliyabad and Jagmohanpura villages and highest
in Govindpura village, but all water samples showed slightly alkaline taste
with respect to its pH. Water samples of the Govindpura village area showed
the lowest electrical conductivity (3.46 dS m-1) whereas the Jagmohanpura
area was higher (14.8 dS m-1) on the basis of its mean values. The Ca+2+Mg+2
contents (1.08 meq L-1) were found to be lowest in Surajkheda water samples
whereas Banasthali water samples contained 3.76 meq L-1 (Ca+2+Mg+2) being
highest compared to the rest of the water samples. Jagatpura water samples
registered the lowest chloride (4.60 meq L-1) and that of Radhakishanpura
and Govindpura samples contained the highest (19.80 meq L-1) amount
of chloride ions (table 2a). Carbonate (0.80 meq L-1) and bicarbonate
(5.42 meq L-1) contents were of the lowest magnitude in Surajpura and
Jagatpura samples respectively, whereas Jagmohanpura and Palai village
water samples registered the highest amount of carbonate and bicarbonate
contents being 3.0 and 17.3 meq L-1 respectively. Residual sodium carbonate
(RSC) showed a positive correlation with CO3+HCO3 andCa+2+Mg+2cations
in water. RSC value was highest in the Palai area (14.46) being lowest (5.56
meq L-1) in Surajkheda village water samples. Although RSC showed a
positive correlation with EC during the study, but in the Banasthali block the
RSC of groundwater was found to be low in water samples having higher
10 Agriculture Management Approaches

EC. These findings are in line with the work of Gupta (1981) who also found
and reported that RSC of groundwater decreases with an increase in EC.
Data pertaining to trace elements in groundwater, reveals that iron and
manganese contents were comparatively higher than copper and zinc in
groundwater irrespective of the area under study. Bhanakpura area water
samples registered a higher amount of iron on the basis of mean values.
Manganese contents in water samples were lowest in Palai water and the
highest content of the same element was recorded in Bidauli and Chhauriya
village water samples. Among copper and zinc, the copper contents
were in general higher in Bidauli village (2.42 mg L-1) and lowest in the
Jagmohanpura area. Whereas Zn content in groundwater was the highest in
Jagmohanpura and the lowest in Bidauli village water samples.

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWAI BLOCK


GROUNDWATER
The chemical analysis of groundwater samples of 12 village areas has
been furnished. A critical perusal of the data given in the table shows that
irrespective of the groundwater sampling area, the contents of chloride,
carbonate and zinc were lowest in Bhagwanpura water samples whereas Cl
(14.60 meq L-1), CO3 (1.40 meq L-1) and Zn (1.24 mg L-1) were of higher
magnitude in Saindariya and Dahlod area respectively (table 2b). Data
further revealed that the lowest values of HCO3 (5.0) and RSC (1.72) were
found in Saindariya and Dahlod respectively whereas the Bhagwanpura area
showed the highest values of HCO3 (9.60 meq L-1) and RSC (9.36 meq L-1)
respectively. Many shreds of evidence have been put forward for dominance
of Cl, CO3 and HCO3 ions in the groundwater of arid and semi-arid regions
(Paliwal and Yadav, 1976; Minhas and Gupta 1992, and Sharma, 1999). High
depth of aquifers also contributes more cations thereby increasing salinity
and hardness in groundwater (Singhal et al. 2014). Deeper aquifers also show
low resistivity in terms of longitudinal conductance than upper aquifers.
Maurya et al. (2014) also reported that in semi-arid regions groundwater
contains more salinity and the presence of carbonate and bicarbonates
which affect the irrigation and drinking quality of water. A critical perusal
of the data with respect to trace elements (Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn) reveals
that the highest value of Fe (8.94 mg/l) and Mn (4.20 mg/l) were found in
Kishorpura village whereas Sangrampura and Bhanwarasagar contained the
lowest quantity of Fe (5.30 mg L-1) and Mn (0.68 mg L-1) among all the area
under study. Data further reveals that Newai and Dahlod showed the highest
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 11

contents of copper and Zinc respectively whereas Dahlod and Bhagwanpura


water samples area showed the lowest Cu and Zn contents in them.

GEOSPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
GROUNDWATER QUALITY

General Geo-statistics of Individual Component


Groundwater sampling area covering (28 villages) was divided into
Banasthali block (16 villages) and Newai block (12 villages). Collected
water samples were analyzed for eleven parameters (pH, Electrical
conductivity (EC), calcium magnesium (Ca+2+Mg+2), carbonate (CO3),
bicarbonate (HCO3), chloride(Cl-), residual sodium carbonate (RSC)and
trace elements including iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and
zinc (Zn). These eleven parameters were subjected to factor and principal
component analysis to assess the correlation between these parameters.
General statistics of individual water quality parameter is furnished. Data
reveal that standard deviation values of all 11 layers are lower than the
mean values, which indicates that the effect of abnormal data on sampling
values was not great. Desirable or acceptable limits of these parameters have
also been found. The covariance matrix of individual quality parameters
reveals that in I layers manganese (-0.125), iron (-0.013), carbonate (-0.035),
bicarbonate (-0.383) and residual sodium carbonate (-0.827) were found
to be negatively correlated with Ca+2+Mg+2 whereas the rest of the layers
showed a positive correlation with the presence of Ca+2+Mg+2 in groundwater
samples. Manganese in the second layer showed a negative correlation (Mn
-0.125) with Ca+2+Mg+2, copper (-0.185) and pH (-0.050) and the rest were
found to be positively correlated.
In the third layer, iron showed a negative correlation leaving only Mn,
Cl, CO3 and EC of groundwater. Leaving aside Ca+ Mg, Zn and pH, the Cu
had a negative correlation with the rest of all. The presence of Zn with Fe,
Cl, HCO3, pH and RSC showed a negative correlation whereas the rest of all
parameters were found to be positively correlated with Zn. Chlorine showed
a positive correlation with most of the parameters barring Cu (-0.580), Zn
(-0.030) and pH (-0.182). The presence of CO3 in groundwater was found to
be negatively correlated with Ca+ Mg, copper and pH whereas HCO3 had
a negative correlation with Ca+ Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn and pH. Water reaction
(pH) itself showed a negative correlation leaving Ca+ Mg, Cu, pH and EC
of groundwater. Further, EC was positively correlated with almost all layers
12 Agriculture Management Approaches

barring only Cu whereas RSC showed a positive association only with Mn,
Cl, CO3, HCO3, EC and RSC of groundwater and the remaining parameters
were highly positively correlated. The correlation matrix of these eleven layers
has also been worked out and is given in Table 3C. Data reveals that RSC
showed a highly negative correlation among all the layers of groundwater
quality parameter having negative value (-0.552) whereas manganese was
highly positively correlated with chlorine (0.422), carbonate (0.558)and RSC
(0.422). CO3and HCO3also showed a strong connection with the RSC layer.
The presence of Zn and Fe did not show any strong correlation with
any of the layers under study. Ca+2+Mg+2 in groundwater were found to
be highly and negatively correlated with RSC showing the presence of
CO3and HCO3thereby higher pH in groundwater. Chloride showed a highly
positive correlation with Ca+2+Mg+2. Many saline sodic soils contain soluble
carbonates besides the excess of soluble salts (Gupta and Abrol, 1990). In
such soils, the topography, soil depth and amount of rainfall might have
caused an increase in sodicity and salinity of groundwater. Singh et al. 2008
also reported higher pH and EC of groundwater due to low recharging of
wells and soils leaving soluble salts accumulated in the subsurface layer.
Higher EC in groundwater might be due to the fact that salts reach the
groundwater quickly in shallow soils. The declining water table in certain
parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat has also been reported to be responsible for
fluctuations in sodicity and salinity in groundwater (Sharma, 2002).

PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF


INDIVIDUAL LAYERS
The results principal component analysis of groundwater quality parameters
in the form of communalities and total variance is explained by the
component of quality parameters. Eigenvalues with percent of Eigenvalue
and cumulative for each component are also found. Data reveals that
Eigenvalues correspond to the first four components are 44.925, 28.402,
18.594, and 3.136 in decreasing order and nearly 95.057 % of the variation
is explained. Data further shows that Eigenvalues corresponding to the first
four components are 10.084, 6.375, 4.174 and 0.704, respectively. The
principal component analysis results of groundwater quality parameters
reveal the relationship between these variables and the intensity of their
affinity with the significant tests. In addition, the contribution of the factors
more to explaining the variations of the results are also studied by a toposheet
graph of each principal component.
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 13

Figure 1.1: Principal component analysis scatter plot of two quality parameters
image/bands and scatter plot of new coordinates Eigenvalues.
14 Agriculture Management Approaches

Figure 1.2: Spatial principal component map of groundwater quality param-


eters with Bicarbonate, carbonate, Residual sodium carbonate, chloride, EC,
calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper.

SPATIAL DEPENDENCE OF GROUNDWATER


QUALITY PARAMETER
Geo-statistical analysis of groundwater sample village area has been done
in order to identify the possible spatial structure of water quality parameters
and to assess the spatial dependence of water properties with the help of
principal component analysis (PCA). On the basis of principal component
analysis, two types of maps (Spatial map and Principal component map)
of groundwater quality have been developed. The groundwater quality
parameters such as (HCO3 and RSC) are positively and highly correlated with
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 15

principal component 1 (Figure PC1). Manganese, electrical conductivity


and Chlorine are correlated in second-order whereas iron (Fe) and carbonate
(CO3) showed poor correlation with principal component 1. Data further
revealed that calcium + magnesium (Ca+2+Mg+2), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and
pH had a negative correlation with principal component 1. Data again shows
that the spatial map developed for PC2 shows a highly positive correlation
only with chloride ion amongst all eleven water quality parameters (Figure
PC2) whereas, Ca+2+Mg+2 and EC were in the second order of correlation
with PC2. Mn, Fe, Zn and CO3 showed a very poor correlation with PC2. A
critical review of data further reveals that copper bicarbonate (HCO3), pH and
residual sodium carbonate (RSC) were negatively correlated with PC2. The
relationship of PC3 with all eleven parameters shows that PC3 has a highly
positive correlation with the electrical conductivity (EC) of groundwater,
whereas iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chlorine (Cl) and carbonate (CO3)
showed a negative correlation with PC3. Ca+2+Mg+2, Cu, Zn, HCO3, pH and
RSC were normally correlated with PC3 (Figure PC 3).
The spatial relationship of PC4 with all eleven parameters reveals that
PC4 is positively and highly correlated with Ca+2+Mg+2 and copper. Mn,
Fe, Zn, CO3, EC, and RSC were highly and negatively correlated with PC4
(Figure PC4). Chloride, bicarbonate and pH of groundwater showed a normal
correlation with PC4 under study. Data are given in table 3D and figure PC
5 reveal the outstanding and highly positive correlation of PC5 with Mn,
Fe, and copper, the highest possible score of any principal component of
groundwater quality parameter under study.
Further data showed that PC5 had a negative correlation only with 3
quality parameters (i.e. chlorine bicarbonate and electrical conductivity). Rest
quality parameters (Zn, CO3, pH and RSC) showed a very poor correlation
with PC5. The correction of PC6 with all eleven quality parameters
reveals that Ca+2+Mg+2, Mn, Fe, Zn and bicarbonate maintained a very
poor correlation and the remaining parameters were negatively correlated
(Figure PC6). The relationship of the water quality parameter with PC6 had
a highly negative correlation with copper amongst all the parameters and the
remaining parameters were poorly correlated with PC6. Map developed for
PC7 and PC8 shows that PC7 is highly and positively correlated with iron
(Fe) whereas PC8 is highly and negatively correlated with CO3. PC7 was
also found to be negatively correlated with Ca+2+Mg+2, Mn, Cu, Zn, CO3 and
HCO3 whereas PC8 showed a negative correlation only with Ca+2+Mg+2,
Zn and RSC parameters (Figure PC8). Among PC9 and PC10. CO3 and
pH were found to be highly and positively correlated respectively and the
16 Agriculture Management Approaches

remaining parameters under PC9 and PC10 either showed a poor or negative
correlation with groundwater quality parameters (Figure PC9 and PC10).
Data further revealed that PC11 showed a highly positive correlation with
Zn and a negative correlation with manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), carbonate
CO3), bicarbonate (HCO3) and electrical conductivity (EC) whereas the
remaining parameters were poorly correlated with PC11.

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF GROUNDWATER


QUALITY PARAMETERS
The spatial distribution of all eleven groundwater parameters has been
studied in water sample village areas of Newai Tehsil. The groundwater
quality parameters were used to carve out spatial distribution maps of all
water quality parameters of the study area covering 28 villages in Newai
Tehsil. Proper legends have also been developed over each spatial map to
describe the relative distribution of each quality parameter/water property.
Low and high values (with their acceptable limit) have also been displayed
over each spatial map. The spatial distribution of all eleven parameters with
respect to their quality reveals that spatial distribution of Ca+2+Mg+2 was
found to be within the range in all 28 water sample village areas under study,
but as far as their distribution is concerned the dark brick red colored areas
mostly confined towards north zone showed their maximum concentration
in groundwater (spatial map1).
Similarly, the legend showing the spatial distribution of Manganese (Mn)
reveals its highest occurrence in the western part of the whole map whereas
the appearance of some contour lines over the map shows Mn occurrence
within the permissible limit (spatial map 2). The spatial distribution of iron
(Fe) depicted in spatial map No. 3 clearly reveals that regions showing
higher content of iron (Fe) in groundwater are maximum in the eastern part
of spatial map No. 3. Legends further show barring these regions all other
areas are having their normal distribution in sample village areas. Spatial
distribution of copper through spatial map No. 4 shows the higher occurrence
of copper in some middle and central part and the appearance of contour
lines express the copper distribution in groundwater within the safe limit
(spatial map No.4). Spatial map (No. 5) showing the spatial distribution
of zinc (Zn) reveals that points showing contour lines are having Zn within
the permissible limits in the area under study, whereas the dark-red colored
area shows the highest concentration of Zn in groundwater (spatial map
No. 5). Chloride distribution shown on spatial map No. 6 shows a higher
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 17

concentration of chloride in the western part of the study area on the map,
whereas the south and eastern parts contain chloride in the normal range.
The spatial distribution of carbonate (CO3) ions in groundwater also
followed a similar pattern indicating higher concentration in the western part
of the Newai Tehsil study area (spatial map No.7). In the case of bicarbonate,
the central and western part of the study area had higher bicarbonate (spatial
map No. 8). The spatial map carved out for pH distribution in sample village
area reveals that most of the study area having continuous contour lines
shows normal pH, whereas some northern and southern parts indicated
higher pH in groundwater (spatial map No. 8). Spatial distribution of
electrical conductivity (EC) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) carved
out on maps No. 10 and 11 reveals that higher EC values in groundwater
were observed in the eastern and southern parts on the spatial map. No.10.
Whereas RSC showed its normal distribution through contour lines in the
eastern part of the map. Higher RSC values were observed in the western
part through the boundary wall of spatial map No. 11.
18 Agriculture Management Approaches

Figure 1.3: Spatial distribution maps of Bicarbonate, carbonate, Residual so-


dium carbonate, chloride, Electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, iron,
manganese, zinc, copper and fluoride.

CONCLUSION
Spatial characterization of groundwater quality was studied in Newai
Tehsil. The groundwater quality parameters were used to carve out spatial
distribution maps of all water quality parameters of the study area covering
28 villages in Newai Tehsil. Proper legends have also been developed
over each spatial map to describe the relative distribution of each quality
parameter/water property. Low and high values (with their acceptable limit)
have also been displayed over each spatial map.
Spatial Characterization of Groundwater Quality 19

REFERENCES
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Title: Il richiamo della foresta


romanzo

Author: Jack London

Translator: Gian Dàuli

Release date: August 26, 2023 [eBook #71490]

Language: Italian

Original publication: Milano: Modernissima, 1924

Credits: Barbara Magni and the Online Distributed Proofreading


Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced
from images made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IL RICHIAMO


DELLA FORESTA ***
Il Richiamo della Foresta
JACK LONDON

IL RICHIAMO
DELLA FORESTA
ROMANZO
PREFAZIONE E TRADUZIONE DI
GIAN DÀULI

MCMXXIV
MODERNISSIMA
MILANO
PROPRIETÀ LETTERARIA RISERVATA
Stab. Tipo-Lit. FED. SACCHETTI & C. — Via Zecca
Vecchia, 7 — Milano
INDICE
JACK LONDON

Credo che non vi sia scrittore il quale abbia vissuto e sofferto, amato
e odiato con tanta disperata e selvaggia intensità, come Jack
London. I Gorki, i Dostoiewski, gli Upton Sinclair, i Rimbaud, i
Baudelaire, tra miserie fisiche e morali, hanno saputo, sì,
rappresentare visioni mai concepite da altri, ma vivendo una vita
che, per quanto agitata, non soffrì che in parte del grandioso e
avventuroso travaglio che agitò l’esistenza dura ed eroica del grande
scrittore americano, le cui opere suscitano in noi sentimenti di paura
e di tenerezza, di amore e di dolore e, soprattutto, di ammirazione.
Ci pare di trovarci di fronte all’uomo delle caverne che riveli alla
nostra sensibilità moderna i misteri e le ferree leggi della vita
primitiva.
Perciò, con senso di pena, ho visto in questi giorni pubblicata, a cura
del Prezzolini, la prima traduzione italiana di uno dei romanzi di Jack
London, «Il lupo di mare», come uno dei tanti libri per ragazzi. Poveri
innocenti! Le opere di London affidate nelle mani di adolescenti che
s’affacciano alla vita, e non conoscono ancora il male, e ignorano i
feroci egoismi degli uomini, la cecità del Dio cristiano, le leggi
inesorabili della natura? Quale errore!

***

La favola di questi romanzi, per quanto avventurose ne siano le


vicende e pittoresco il paesaggio entro il quale si svolge, appare
poca cosa in confronto dello spirito realistico che l’ànima e della
visione totale della vita e del destino dell’uomo che l’autore vuole e
riesce a comunicarci. Egli mira al nostro cuore e alla nostra
coscienza, più che alla nostra mente e alla nostra fantasia, da
selvaggio armato di frecce avvelenate e infallibili. Ossequiente alle
leggi naturali della vita che accomunano l’uomo all’animale, nella
foresta, egli ci mostra, a fini sociali, nell’animale, l’uomo, e gli istinti
dell’uno nell’altro, rivivendo, con profondo senso primigenio,
selvagge emozioni ereditarie che dormono nella natura umana,
attraverso il ricordo di antenati preumani e di migliaia di generazioni.
Così che si ripensa, per associazione d’idee, alle crudeltà della
guerra mondiale, agli errori ed orrori della rivoluzione russa, ai
massacri degli ebrei, alle violenze dell’attuale guerriglia sociale, alle
aberrazioni quotidiane della vita umana costantemente insidiata da
brutale malvagità, e vien fatto di pensare: — Possiamo, dunque,
senza vergogna, affermare d’essere fatti ad immagine di Dio? O non
forse è vero che anche noi, come gli altri animali, barcolliamo nelle
tenebre, spinti dagl’istinti più bassi, che nelle forme più estreme e più
elementari sono legge di vita per i cani e per i lupi? Pare oggi, infatti,
che la legge della mazza e dei denti abbia sopraffatto millennî di
diritto civile, e ci riconduca in pieno mondo londoniano, dove il più
forte, per istinto, non per crudeltà, abbatte ed uccide il più debole,
divorandoselo poi, e la ferocia della passione sensuale fa strage, e i
maschi si uniscono e combattono insieme sotto il pungolo della
fame, e s’uccidono l’un l’altro appena il pungolo è attenuato,
ciascuno conducendo via la compagna quando ha ucciso i rivali.
Solo ritegno conosciuto, in questo mondo primigenio, è l’istinto della
propria conservazione, che tiene unito il maschio alla femmina e
spinge il maschio a nutrirla! Dappertutto è libertà assoluta,
dappertutto è la paura della morte onnipresente e sovrana.
Ma il London non si limita a mostrarci, con crudele realismo, il
rapporto naturale tra la vita selvaggia e la vita civile, ma rappresenta
il contrasto diretto tra l’una e l’altra, affermando, invece della licenza,
la legge; invece dell’istinto, il trionfo dell’autorità. Devozione del forte
al debole, venerazione del debole per il forte, ecco la grande legge
della vita che combatte gli impulsi selvaggi: ideale questo o, meglio,
regola di vita veramente civile, che la società umana potrebbe a
dovrebbe attingere se non fosse così mal ordinata da sembrare fatta
per la conservazione e lo sviluppo degli istinti primitivi.

***

Per dare degnamente inizio alla pubblicazione delle opere complete


di Jack London, scegliemmo, nella sua vasta produzione, due
romanzi: «Il richiamo della foresta» («The Call of the Wild») e
«Zanna bianca» («The white fang»), i quali a nostro avviso,
caratterizzano, meglio di tutti gli altri, non solo il temperamento dello
scrittore, ma il processo di sviluppo della sua anima di pensatore
temprato dall’esperienza della vita.
Nel primo, «Il richiamo della foresta», è il racconto di un cane che,
attraverso perigliose vicende, per la crudeltà degli uomini e
l’asprezza dell’esistenza finisce col diventar lupo, facendo, cioè, a
ritroso, di gradino in gradino, il cammino inverso della civiltà, da una
vita sicura, tranquilla, soleggiata, familiare, quale godeva. Aveva
fede negli uomini, e la perde; credeva nell’onestà e nell’onore, e
finisce col rubare per vivere, e uccidere per non essere ucciso: e
quando l’ultimo amore umano cade, egli si ritrova nella selva,
animale primitivo signoreggiato dai soli istinti naturali.
La vita di questo cane che diviene lupo, rispecchia materialmente e
spiritualmente la vita dello stesso scrittore. Egli ebbe certamente un
primo albore d’infanzia felice nell’amore dei suoi, sino a quando,
fanciulletto, passava intere giornate sotto un albero a sorvegliare,
per i contadini, il ritorno degli sciami delle api dalla loro vita operosa
e errabonda. Breve albore al quale seguì ben presto la miseria più
dura. Non ancora decenne, per aiutare la sua famiglia caduta in
povertà, egli vende giornali per le vie di San Francisco, per le vie
della sua amata «Frisco», dove egli era nato il 12 gennaio del 1876.
Poco dopo, è operaio in una fabbrica di prodotti alimentari, dove
sente i primi morsi dell’odio contro la piovra sociale, e i primi impeti
di ribellione. Infatti, a soli quindici anni egli abbandona la famiglia e il
lavoro per unirsi a una banda di pirati, e a sedici anni possiede una
sua barca, la Razzle Dazzle, e la sua donna, una fanciulla della
stessa età, ed è chiamato dai contrabbandieri il Principe del Banco
delle Ostriche, perchè egli solo osa fare il contrabbando nella baia di
San Francisco, sotto gli occhi della polizia, con una donna a bordo.
Vestito di lana grigia, con scarponi da marinaio, e la larga cintola di
cuoio rigonfia d’una grossa rivoltella, solido e robusto benchè ancora
imberbe, egli si sente re del proprio destino, e con pacata
sfrontatezza ingoia alcool, tra perduta gente, con la tenera
mantenuta al fianco, nella bettola dell’Ultima Fortuna. Durò un anno
quella vita selvaggia ch’egli definiva, sette anni dopo, come la più
rischiosa della sua esistenza; durante la quale guadagnava in una
settimana quello che più tardi non riusciva a guadagnare in un anno.
Diciassettenne, si decide o per amore di avventure o forse con la
speranza di liberarsi dall’abitudine di bere, a partire, mozzo, per una
crociera al Giappone, su un trealberi; ma non muta tenore di vita;
come egli stesso confessa nel suo libro «Memorie di un bevitore»:
«Incominciava la sera quando arrivammo ad un caffè e... è tutto
quello che vidi del Giappone! E purtanto il nostro veliero stette
quindici giorni nel porto di Yokohama! Quindici giorni passati a bere
in compagnia dei migliori ragazzi di questo mondo».
Dal Giappone passa alla caccia delle foche nei mari della Russia
orientale, e quando ritorna in patria, si dà a tutti i mestieri, ma
soprattutto a quello del vagabondo, contro il suo vangelo sociale che
considerava il lavoro fisico come un dovere per l’uomo, un dovere
che conferisce alla salute e santifica la vita. «L’orgoglio che io
traevo», scriss’egli, «da una giornata di lavoro ben compiuto, non si
può nemmeno concepire. Io mi sentivo lo sfruttato ideale, lo schiavo
tipo, ed ero quasi felice della servitù». Ma forse egli traeva a quel
tempo più orgoglio dall’essere considerato da tutti come il «boy
socialista», il vagabondo rivoluzionario. Per un certo tempo egli fa
parte dei «two thousand stiffs», dei duemila irrigiditi, i terribili
sovversivi che, condotti dal generale Kelly, mossero dalla costa del
Pacifico alla socializzazione del mondo. La piccola armata di ribelli
catturava treni, metteva a sacco città e villaggi, militarizzava tutti
gl’uomini che incontrava sul suo cammino. Quando le autorità
governative riescono ad arrestare la marcia di questi sovversivi e a
disperderli, Jack London ritorna al suo vagabondaggio ed è spesso
messo in prigione, come disoccupato senza fissa dimora.
Così, Jack London è in condizioni da ascoltare e sentire in sè tutto il
fascino dell’appello della vita selvaggia, the call of the wild, e alla vita
selvaggia si abbandona con l’impeto inconsiderato della sua
esuberante natura. E davanti agli aspetti sempre più terribili della
realtà, fra esperienze strazianti, lo spirito gli si rinvigorisce e s’affina.
Il destino l’afferra, l’attanaglia, l’abbatte, l’abbrutisce: il cane diventa
lupo, ma il lupo è signore della selva, dominatore nella vita
selvaggia. Ma Jack London è un sensitivo, un delicato a dispetto
della sua vita, uno spirito universale che non può perire schiacciato
dal contingente; ed ecco ricominciare il travaglio affannoso dell’uomo
che, per virtù del suo ingegno, pur rincantucciato nell’antro, ad
affinar la selce, nella desolata solitudine della Vita selvaggia, spia se
stesso, studia le voci arcane della natura, e, attraverso ostacoli
tremendi, risale alla superficie della civiltà, mercè la potenza del
patissero.
Il lupo diventa cane. (White fang).
Jack London ritorna spesso col pensiero al primo libro letto da
bambino, l’Alambra, di Washington Irving, e cerca altre letture. Vuole
istruirsi, e finisce — ha allora diciannove anni — per far ritorno alla
famiglia, stabilita, a quel tempo, ad Oakland, dove l’attende la
dolorosa sorpresa di trovare il padre graduato dell’odiata polizia. Egli
vince, tuttavia, la ripugnanza che l’occupazione del padre e la vita
ordinata destano in lui, ed accetta il posto di portinaio in una scuola
secondaria. Poco dopo, collabora al bollettino letterario della stessa
scuola, e, ad un tratto, diviene scrittore. Un giornale di San
Francisco offre un premio per un articolo descrittivo: Jack London
tenta la prova a vince. Incoraggiato dal primo successo, invia un
altro articolo allo stesso giornale, che glielo rifiuta, questa volta.
Allora, disgustato del suo mestiere di portinaio, riprende la vita
nomade, e attraversa a piedi tutto il continente americano fino a
Boston. Visita il Canadà, diviene minatore d’oro e pescatore di
salmone nell’Alaska. Ma, intanto, il suo pensiero, in mezzo a tante
traversie, si forma e precisa. Ha letto Spencer e Carlo Marx: la
società gli appare sempre più mal combinata, il capitalismo odioso,
con i suoi eccessi che ne fanno un mostro crudele, divoratore; allora
il socialista per istinto diviene socialista rivoluzionario per
ragionamento, convinto che il socialismo «mira, se non altro, a
mettere ciascuno al suo posto».
Al ritorno dall’Alaska, incomincia a predicare in pubblico le sue idee
socialiste, la bellezza della rivoluzione e del mondo nuovo che deve
sorgere dal crollo della società capitalistica, ed è, alla fine, arrestato,
non più come vagabondo, ma come rivoluzionario.
Uscito di prigione, Jack London sente il bisogno di compiere la sua
istruzione: va a San Francisco e riesce a farsi ammettere
nell’Università, conciliando il bisogno dello studio con la necessità di
guadagnarsi il pane, giorno per giorno. Si occupa in una stireria. «Il
ferro e la penna si alternavano nella mia mano», ricorda egli più
tardi, «ma dalla mia mano stanca la penna cadeva sovente, e
sovente i miei occhi si chiudevano sui libri».
Dopo tre mesi di accannito lavoro, egli, robustissimo, non riesce più
a reggersi. Allora decide di ritornare a piedi ad Oakland, di
riconciliarsi con la famiglia; ma una nuova crudele delusione
l’attende. Il padre è morto, la madre e i fratelli sono in miseria.
Questa nuova traversìa, se lo costringe per qualche tempo ancora al
lavoro manuale, non gli toglie la speranza di un avvenire diverso e
migliore. Nelle solitudini nevose della terra del Nord «dove nessuno
parla, dove tutti pensano», egli s’era ripiegato su se stesso ed aveva
intravisto il suo vero orizzonte, che era quello del lavoratore
intellettuale. Riprende a scrivere. Un giornale di California accetta un
suo racconto, un altro gli chiede degli scritti. «Le cose
incominciavano a prendere una buona piega, e sembrava che io non
dovessi aver più bisogno, per qualche tempo almeno, di scaricare
carbone». In fondo, la Società, maledetta da Jack London,
incominciava a tendergli la mano. Nel 1900 appare il suo primo
Volume: The son of the wolf, «Il figlio del lupo» [1], raccolta di
racconti del paese dell’oro, che gli fece acquistar subito fama di
scrittore originale e poderoso, a ventiquattr’anni!
D’allora seguirono nuovi libri quasi senza interruzione e con
crescente successo. Sposatosi, con la sua amata compagna,
London gira il mondo e attende alle sue opere. Ma lo spirito
d’avventura non si spegne in lui. Egli vive un certo tempo nei
bassifondi di Chicago e di Londra, fa il giro del mondo in un
minuscolo yacht, lungo appena quindici metri, fa il corrispondente di
guerra al Giappone e in Manciuria nel 1904 e al Messico nel 1914,
nè cessa mai la sua inesorabile requisitoria contro la Società mal
costituita.
A soli quarantanni, nel 1916, dopo aver pubblicato una cinquantina
di volumi, la Morte lo coglie proprio all’inizio della sua vera gloria di
scrittore più letto e più discusso, più odiato e più amato, nel suo
paese. Ancora oggi non si sa come egli sia morto; e il mistero che
vela gli ultimi istanti della vita del rude avventuriero e scrittore di
genio, è degno di quel capolavoro di irrequietezza che fu, tra opere
pari, l’anima di questo Grande.

***

Così visse Jack London, lo strano romanziere che s’avvia a diventar


popolare in tutto il mondo, popolare, per la ragione semplicissima
che nello scrittore è l’uomo, ricco di una sua esperienza nuova da
raccontare, con parola nuova.
Già scrivendo di Jack London nell’Azione di Genova, nel febbraio del
1921, lamentavo che, purtroppo, bisogna cercare nelle opere
straniere quei più vasti orizzonti ideali e quell’aria pura e vivificante
di cui ha bisogno il nostro spirito, stanco o viziato, per ritornare
fattivamente alla meditazione dei più profondi problemi dello spirito e
della vita sociale.
Oggi, più che nel ’21, c’incalzano e premono da tutte le parti
formidabili problemi rivoluzionarî, e ci sentiamo oppressi da un alito
di continuata tragedia nascosta che gli sbandieramenti patriottardi
non riescono a mascherare del tutto, nè le fanfare e i canti a
completamente soffocare. Il domani si presenta pauroso agli spiriti
alacri e indipendenti, nei quali è un’avidità di sapere, di udire la
verità, o parole coraggiose e nuove che aiutino a rintracciare la
verità, a risolvere la profonda crisi di pensiero e di sentimento che
travaglia le coscienze migliori. Che ci dà oggi la letteratura nostrana?
Lettere alle sartine d’Italia e vergini da diciotto carati, romanzetti
pornografici e sentimentali ed esercitazioni stilistiche e cerebrali,
senza mai un accento di umana commozione per le tragedie politico-
sociali del mondo o anche solo una parola che la mostri consapevole
del profondo travaglio spirituale della patria. Oh, intellettuali italiani!
eccovi una folata d’aria gelida purificatrice! Anche senza farvi uscire
dal sicuro romitaggio del vostro egoismo o dai caffè affumicati cari
alla vostra presuntuosa pigrizia, anche senza farvi deporre livree o
indossare armi. Jack London vi condurrà, con le sue opere, dalla
bettola dell’Ultima Fortuna ai confini del mondo, sui perduti sentieri di
tutti gli ideali e di tutti gli ardimenti! Giova almeno con lo spirito
partecipare alla grande avventura del mondo! Senza l’azione,
l’azione costante, la Morte è là in agguato e non tarda a lanciarsi su
di noi, inesorabile.
Troverete nel «Richiamo della foresta» e in «Zanna bianca» la
rappresentazione realistica dell’Umanità che lotta costantemente
contro la prepotenza dell’infinito, dell’inafferrabile, dell’imponderabile.
Scenda o risalga il millenario cammino della civiltà — il cane diventi
lupo o il lupo diventi cane — ogni creatura vivente, insoddisfatta,
cerca sensazioni nuove, è costretta a sgombrare il proprio cammino,
a vincere mille ostacoli, chè la vita si rinnova con sempre maggiore
Varietà di forme e con più rapidi mezzi di distruzione. Questi due
romanzi racchiudono una lezione in atto; questa: che la civiltà non
deve indebolire il carattere nè affievolire lo spirito; il lupo che diviene
cane è travolto, e forse il cane trova il suo completo sviluppo nel
lupo! Da questa crudele lezione, i socialisti, conservatori, comunisti e
aristocratici possono trarre elementi per scindere la parte viva da
quella morta della propria filosofia o del proprio credo. La lettura di
queste opere ci può lasciare immutati, ma non impassibili: l’odio e
l’amore trovano in esse accenti definitivi che toccano le radici della
nostra coscienza e dello nostra sensibilità. E mentre l’occhio spazia
per vastità nuove e terribili, e ammira terre e solitudini sconosciute, e
vede esperienze impensate, il cuore, il cuore dell’eterno fanciullo che
è in noi, mormora inconsapevolmente una parola d’amore e di
solidarietà ultraumana.

***

Pubblicheremo, in seguito, «Martin Eden», «L’amore della vita», «Il


vagabondo delle stelle» e gli altri romanzi nei quali Jack London
profuse i ricordi e le impressioni dei suoi movimentati viaggi e
vagabondaggi attraverso il mondo. Ma forse daremo ai lettori italiani,
prima di essi, la traduzione di almeno uno dei suoi romanzi sociali,
del terribile Tallone di ferro, che a noi sembra oggidì opera di viva
attualità.
Il «Tallone di ferro», scrisse Anatole France, presentando, l’anno
scorso, il volume ai lettori francesi, «è il termine energico col quale
Jack London disegna la plutocrazia. Il libro che, tra le sue opere,
porta questo titolo, fu pubblicato nel 1907. Rintraccia la lotta che
scoppierà un giorno tra la plutocrazia e il popolo, se il Destino, nella
sua collera, lo permetterà. Ahimè! Jack London aveva il genio che
vede quello che è nascosto alla folla degli uomini e possedeva una
scienza che gli permetteva d’anticipare i tempi. Egli previde
l’assieme degli avvenimenti che si sono svolti nella nostra epoca. Lo
spaventevole dramma al quale ci fa assistere in ispirito, nel Tallone
di ferro, non è ancora divenuto una realtà, e noi non sappiamo dove
e quando si compierà la profezia dell’americano discepolo di Marx.
«Jack London era socialista spinto, socialista rivoluzionario. L’uomo
che, nel suo libro, distingue la verità e prevede l’avvenire, il saggio, il
forte, il buono, si chiama Ernesto Everhard. Come l’autore, fu
operaio e lavorò con le sue mani. E voi sapete che colui che fece
cinquanta volumi prodigiosi di vita e d’intelligenza e morì giovane,
era figlio di un operaio e incominciò la sua illustre esistenza in
un’officina. Ernesto Everhard è pieno di coraggio e di saggezza,
pieno di forza e di dolcezza, tratti tutti che sono comuni a lui e allo
scrittore che l’ha creato. E a integrare la somiglianza che esiste tra
loro, l’autore assegna, a colui ch’egli realizza, una moglie d’anima
grande e di spirito forte, della quale il marito fa una socialista. E noi
sappiamo, d’altro canto, che Mrs. Charmian lasciò, con suo marito
Jack, il Partito del Lavoro dopo che cotesta associazione diede segni
di moderatismo.
«Le due insurrezioni che formano materia del libro che io presento al
lettore francese sono così sanguinarie, e presentano nel disegno di
quelli che le provocano una tale perfidia e nell’esecuzione tanta
ferocia, che ci si chiede se esse sarebbero possibili in America, in
Europa, specie in Francia. Io non lo crederei, se non avessi
l’esempio delle giornate di Giugno e la repressione della Comune del
1876, che mi ricorda come tutto sia permesso contro i poteri. Tutto il
proletariato d’Europa ha sentito, come quello d’America, il Tallone di
ferro.
«Per il momento, il socialismo in Francia, come pure in Italia e in
Ispagna, è troppo debole per temere il Tallone di ferro, poichè
l’estrema debolezza è l’unica salvezza dei deboli. Nessun Tallone di
ferro calpesterà questa polvere di partito. Qual’è la causa della sua
diminuzione? Ci vuol ben poco per abbatterlo in Francia dove la cifra
dei proletarî è esigua. Per diverse ragioni la guerra, che si dimostrò
crudele col piccolo borghese spogliandolo senza farlo gridare,
giacchè questi è un animale muto; la guerra non fu troppo
inclemente per l’operaio della grande industria, che trovò da vivere
fabbricando armi e munizioni e un salario, magro sin troppo dopo la
guerra, ma non caduto, tuttavia, mai troppo in basso. I dominatori del
momento vegliavano, e quel salario non era, in sostanza, che della
carta che i grossi proprietarî, vicini al potere, non penavano troppo a
procurarsi. Bene o male, l’operaio visse. Aveva udito tante
menzogne che non si stupiva più di nulla. Fu quello il momento che i
socialisti scelsero per disgregarsi e ridursi in polvere. Questa pure è,
senza morti e feriti, una bella disfatta del socialismo. Come
accadde? E come mai tutte le forze di un grande partito
s’addormentarono? Le ragioni da me esposte non sono sufficienti a
spiegarlo. La guerra ci deve entrare per qualche cosa, la guerra che
uccide gli spiriti come i corpi.
«Ma un giorno la lotta del lavoro e del capitale ricomincerà. Verranno
allora giorni simili alle rivolte di San Francisco e di Chicago, delle
quali Jack London ci mostra, per anticipazione, l’indicibile orrore.
Non vi è alcuna ragione, pertanto, di credere che in quel giorno (o
vicino o lontano) il socialismo sarà ancora frantumato sotto il Tallone
di ferro e affogato nel sangue.
«Avevano gridato nel 1907 a Jack London: «Voi siete uno
spaventevole pessimista!». Socialisti sinceri l’accusavano di gettare
lo spavento nel partito. Avevano torto. Bisogna che quelli che hanno
il dono prezioso e raro di prevedere, pubblichino i pericoli che
presentono. Ricordo di avere udito dire parecchie volte dal grande
Jaurès: «Non si conosce abbastanza fra noi la forza delle classi
contro le quali abbiamo a combattere. Hanno la forza e si attribuisce
loro la virtù; i preti hanno messo da parte la morale della chiesa per
coltivare quella dell’officina; cosicchè la società tutt’intera, allorchè
queste classi saranno minacciate, accorrerà a difenderle». Egli
aveva ragione, come London ha ragione di porgerci lo specchio
profetico dei nostri errori e delle nostre imprudenze.
«Non compromettiamo l’avvenire: ci appartiene. La plutocrazia
perirà. Nella sua potenza si scorgono di già i segni della rovina. Essa
perirà perchè ogni regime di casta è votato alla morte; il salariato
perirà perchè è ingiusto. Perirà gonfio d’orgoglio, in piena potenza,
come perì la schiavitù e la servitù.
«E già, assentandolo attentamente, ci si accorge che è caduco.
Questa guerra, che la grande industria di tutti i paesi del mondo ha
voluto, questa guerra che è stata la sua guerra, questa guerra nella
quale essa riponeva la speranza di nuove ricchezze, ha causato
tante distruzioni e così profonde, che l’oligarchia internazionale è
essa stessa scossa e s’avvicina il giorno in cui essa crollerà su
un’Europa rovinata.
«Non posso annunziare che perirà d’un colpo e senza lotta. Essa
lotterà. L’ultima sua guerra sarà forse lunga e avrà diverse fortune. O
voi, eredi del proletariato, o generazioni future, figli di giorni nuovi,
voi lotterete, e allorchè dei crudeli rovesci vi faranno dubitare del
successo della vostra causa, riprenderete fiducia, e direte col nobile
Everhard: «Perduro per questa volta, ma non per sempre. Abbiamo
appreso molte cose. Domani l’idea risorgerà, più forte in saggezza e
in disciplina».

***

Non abbiamo potuto resistere alla tentazione di riprodurre nella sua


interezza la presentazione che Anatole France fa del Tallone di ferro,
perchè, confortati dal suo giudizio, nell’ora torbida che attraversa
l’Europa tutta, premuta com’è dal tallone del bolscevismo
dell’estrema sinistra e dell’estrema destra, dalle dittature rosse e da
quelle monarchico-militaristiche, è più che mai necessario che quelli
«che hanno il dono prezioso e raro di prevedere, rendano noti i
pericoli che presentono».
A parte il grande godimento intellettuale che dà l’opera di Jack
London, essa racchiude in sè un insegnamento e un ammonimento
che non debbono andare del tutto perduti. Sin dal 1904, egli aveva
scritto una terribile requisitoria contro la società capitalistica attuale.
Il suo inesorabile «j’accuse», dal titolo «War of the Classes», Guerra
delle classi, vibra di sincera e profonda rivolta contro la borghesia
trionfante, e predica il socialismo come una santa crociata. In lui
l’amore del proletario è qualche cosa di più alto, di più universale
dell’amore di patria; e nell’accusare e nel difendere trova accenti che
impressionano e commuovono, perchè ci fa sentire nella sua
personale e dolorosa esperienza tutta l’ingiustizia di una società
«dove sono uomini che sprecano ricchezze non guadagnate col
proprio lavoro, e uomini che languono nella miseria per mancanza di
lavoro».

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