NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF VEGETABLE GROWING AREAS OF MANDI DISTRICT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
12-02-20
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COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY, DR Y S P UHF, NERI, HAMIRPUR
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to evaluate nutritional status of vegetable growing areas of Mandi district. Soil and leaf samples were collected from 49 pea growing villages of Gohar and Sundernagar blocks of Mandi district. The collected soil and leaf samples were analyzed for different soil properties such as soil texture, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon and available N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn nutrient. The leaf samples were analyzed for nutrient such as N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn. On the basis of soil textural classes, the soils of different pea growing areas varied from silty loam to clay loam and the bulk density is < 1.6 g cm-3, hence the soils are less compact and do not interfere with root growth. The soils were acidic to neutral in soil reaction. The soils are in safe limits of electrical conductivity as the values were less than 0.8 dS m-1. Soil organic carbon status was found to be medium to high in both layers. The available N content was low in surface and sub-surface layers. The available K, Cu and Zn contents were medium to high in availability, whereas P, Ca, Mg, S, Fe and Mn were high in status. The leaf nutrient status indicated that 42.96, 71.85, 11.11 and 11.11 per cent samples were deficient in N, P, S and Cu, while 89.63, 92.59, 87.41 and 88.89 per cent were sufficient in K, Ca, Mg and Cu. However, nutrient status of leaf Fe, Mn and Zn were high in 100, 66.67 and 65.93 per cent samples. Soil organic carbon was significant and positively correlated with N, Fe, Mn and Zn. Available Ca and Mg exhibited significant and positive relationship with their respective leaf nutrient contents. On the basis of coefficient of variation, the soil properties such as the bulk density, pH and exchangeable Ca are least variable. Whereas, available nutrients like N, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and leaf N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and Cu are moderately variable. However, electrical conductivity, OC, available P, K, S, Cu, Zn and leaf Fe, Mn and Zn are highly variable. For moderately and highly variable soil parameters, site specific nutrient management strategies should be developed and popularized for enhancing the productivity of the crop in the region.
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