SOIL FERTILITY STATUS OF PRUDENTIAL SUGAR FACTORY ZONE IN CHITTOOR DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
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Date
2018
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Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out to study “Soil fertility status of Prudential sugar factory zone in different villages of various mandals in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh”. For this, two hundred and seventy surface soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected in different locations of study area covering all types of soils. All the soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory for physical characteristics viz., soil texture, bulk density, particle density, porosity, water holding capacity, volume expansion, physico-chemical characteristics viz., pH, EC, organic carbon and chemical characteristics viz., available N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu.
The study area was characterized by semi-arid monsoonic climate with distinct summer, winter and rainy season. The texture of the sugarcane growing soils varied from sandy loam to sandy clay loam whereas the colour of the soils varied from pale red to very dark gray (2.5 YR 7/2 to 10 YR 3/1). The physical constants viz., bulk density ranged from 1.07 to 1.63 Mg m-3, particle density varied from 2.0 to 2.77 Mg m-3, porosity ranged between 36.33 and 58.25 per cent, water holding capacity ranged from 29.76 to 53.91 per cent and volume expansion varied from 1.15 to 21.01 per cent, respectively.
The soils were acidic to strongly alkaline in reaction, non-saline and low to medium in organic carbon content. All the samples were low to medium in available nitrogen and low to high in available phosphorus and potassium. Available calcium and magnesium were deficient to sufficient. Regarding
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available sulphur about 5.19 per cent soils were defficient and 94.81 per cent soils were sufficient in available sulphur.
Regarding micronutrient status, the soils were deficient to sufficient in DTPA extractable Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu. However, in the Prudential sugar factory zone about 54.44 per cent area (2943 ha) was deficient in DTPA extractable Fe, 52.96 per cent area (2863 ha) was deficient in DTPA extractable Mn, 27.78 per cent area (1502 ha) was deficient in DTPA extractable Zn and 4.44 per cent area (238 ha) was deficient in DTPA extractable Cu.
Soil fertility maps were also prepared for Prudential sugar factory zone in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh for various parameters such as pH, EC, organic carbon, available macronutrients (N, P and K), secondary nutrients (Ca, Mg and S) and micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn) under GIS environment using ArcGIS.
Simple correlation studies revealed that pH of the soil was positively and significantly correlated with available calcium while negatively and significantly correlated with DTPA extractable Fe and Mn. Available K2O in the soils positively and significantly correlated with electrical conductivity. A positive and significant correlation was observed between organic carbon and DTPA extractable Cu in the soil.
In the Prudential sugar factory zone the major soil constraints identified are strongly alkaline reaction (643 ha), low organic carbon (3183 ha), nitrogen (5346 ha), K2O (2903 ha) and deficiency of Fe (2943 ha) and Mn (2543 ha).
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D5735
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