Nutrient status of soils of Almora district Uttarakhand and its correlation with soil properties
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Date
2022-10
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G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to analyze the general soil properties, status of available macronutrients (N, P K and S) and to study the relationship between soil properties and macronutrients. Soil samples (0-15cm depth) were collected from 80 different location of Almora district of Uttarakhand. Different methods of analysis of soil were employed to know the availability of N, P, K and S. Available Nitrogen was analyzed by alkaline KMnO4 method, available phosphorus by Bray’s method, AB-DTPA method, Mehlich-3 method and Morgan method, available Potassium was analyzed by Ammonium acetate, AB-DTPA, Mehlich-3 and Morgan methods and Available Sulphur was analyzed by CaCl2 method. The color of soil samples of entire study area were, grayish brown, brown, light brown, weak red, dark brown, pale brown, light yellowish brown, light olive brown, olive yellow, olive grey, light yellowish brown, pale olive, olive grey, reddish grey and dark grey brown. The soil texture of entire study area was from coarse texture to medium texture. Soil was found to be acidic with soil pH and EC ranging from 5.15 – 6.97 and 0.012 - 0.952 dSm-1 with overall mean value of 6.26 and 0.186 dSm-1, respectively. The soils were medium to high in organic carbon content and ranged from 0.09- 1.90% with overall mean value of 0.99%. The percent organic matter content in soils ranged from 0.16- 3.27% with overall mean value of 1.71%. The percent calcium carbonate content in soils of entire study area ranged from 1.07 – 2.96% with mean value of 2.03%. The available nitrogen in soils ranged from 99.10 - 244.61 kg ha-1 with overall mean of 148.33 kg ha-1. The available phosphorus content extracted by Bray’s method, AB-DTPA method, Mehlich-3 method and Morgan method ranged from 12.43 – 22.35 kg ha-1, 11.64 - 63.62 kg ha-1, 21.35 – 55.93 and 20.13– 69.16 kg ha-1, respectively. Available potassium content ranged from 78.18 – 317.52 kg ha-1, 114.38-296.60 kg ha-1, 90.64-164.74 kg ha-1 and 97.39 - 197.57 kg ha-1, when extracted by Ammonium acetate, AB-DTPA, Mehlich-3 and Morgan methods respectively. The soil available Sulphur ranged from 10.19 - 90.58 kg ha-1 with mean value of 38.26 kg ha-1. No significant correlation was found between soil properties and macronutrients in 18 location soils. At 62 locations, Organic Carbon had significant and positive correlation with available N. and S. In sixty two location soils also showed positive and significant correlation with available nitrogen and potassium with soil pH and EC. On the basis of calculated nutrient indices, the soils under study were found to be low in extractable nitrogen, low to medium in extractable phosphorus, low to high in extractable potassium, low in calcium carbonate and high in sulfur content.