NUTRITIONAL SURVEY OF CAULIFLOWER GROWING AREAS IN THEOG BLOCK OF SHIMLA DISTRICT IN HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2022-11
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out during 2021-22 in Theog block of Shimla district, Himachal
Pradesh with the objective to study the soil and leaf nutrient contents of cauliflower and to establish
the relationship among soil characteristics and leaf nutrients contents. The total no. of 25 sampling
sites were selected in the study area. Total 50 no. of soil samples were collected at two depths i.e.,
surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-30 cm), and 25 no. of leaf samples were collected from 25
identified sampling sites before the harvesting of crop i.e., in the month of March – April. The
collected soil and leaf samples were analysed for different soil physical, chemical and biological
properties such as soil texture, bulk density, particle density and porosity, pH, electrical conductivity,
soil organic carbon and available N, P, K, exchangeable Ca, Mg, available SO4
--S and DTPA
extractable Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn nutrients, microbial counts and biomass. The leaf samples were analysed
for nutrient such as N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn. On the basis of soil texture classes, the
soil of different cauliflower growing areas varied from sandy loam to loam and bulk density is <1.6 g
cm-1, hence the soils are less compact and do not interfere with root growth. The soil was slightly
acidic to neutral in soil reaction. The soils are in safe limits of electrical conductivity as the values
were < 0.8 ds m-1. Soil organic carbon was found to be medium in both layers. The available N was
low in surface and subsurface layers. The available K and DTPA extractable Zn was found to be
medium range. Whereas P, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn and microbial count and biomass was high. The leaf
nutrient status indicates that all the nutrient N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn were in sufficient
amount in the leaf and no leaf nutrient deficiency was observed. Available N, P and K showed highest
positive significant correlation with available P, N and available K. Highest positive significant
correlation of available SO4
--S, exchangeable Ca and Mg was observed with K and Mg. Negative
correlations of all the micronutrients were observed with soil pH Highest positive significant
correlation of Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn was found with DTPA-extractable Fe and Zn. The results revealed
that the addition of FYM along with N fertilizers will not only pave the way for achieving sustainable
crop productivity but will also maintain the soil healt