Studies on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen Stocks and Enzyme activities under Saffron Growing Soils of Jammu and Kashmir
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Date
2024
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SKUAST Kashmir
Abstract
The study entitled “Studies on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen Stocks and Enzyme activities under Saffron growing soils of Jammu and Kashmir” was undertaken during the year 2022-2023. The soil samples were collected from saffron growing soils of Pulwama and Kishtwar districts from two depths i.e., 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm. The study revealed that the texture of saffron growing soils of Pulwama and Kishtwar varied from loam to silt clay loam. The soils were slightly acidic to slightly alkaline in reaction with normal electrical conductivity. The mean values of calcium carbonate were in surface and sub-surface soils was 4.46 and 4.71 per cent in soils of Pulwama, whereas, in soils if Kishtwar its content was 3.52 and 3.72 per cent, respectively, in surface and subsurface soils. The mean values of available N, P and K in surface and subsurface soils of Pulwama were 338.46 and 318.07 kg ha-1, 21.25 and 18.82 kg ha-1, 258.83 and 232.03 kg ha-1 respectively, whereas the average content of available N, P and K in surface and subsurface soils of Kishtwar was 307.56 and 283.77 kg ha-1, 15.10 and 13.54 kg ha-1, 258.83 and 232.03 kg ha-1, respectively. The results revealed that available N, P and K decreased with increased in soil depth. The readily oxidizable carbon, total organic carbon, permanganate oxidizable carbon, particulate organic carbon, mineralizable carbon, water soluble carbon, microbial biomass carbon and necromass carbon ranged between 4.49-3.65 g kg-1, 7.72-23.48 g kg-1, 195-755 mg kg-1, 1149-1718 mg kg-1, 1.15-2.35 mg g-1, 23-75 mg kg-1, 135-368 gm kg-1 and 2.54-6.88 g kg-1 respectively, in soils of Pulwama, whereas in soils of Kishtwar these carbon fractions varied between 5.05-7.82 g kg-1, 8.69-13.45 g kg-1, 244-585 mg kg-1, 979-1669 mg kg-1, 0.51-1.98 mg g-1, 28.65-63.45 mg kg-1, 136.51-211.14 mg kg-1 and 2.56-3.87 g kg-1 respectively. The total organic carbon stocks varied between 15.18-39.09 Mg ha-1 and 12.65-26.47 Mg ha-1 in saffron growing soils of Pulwama and Kishtwar respectively. In saffron soils of Pulwama, the total organic and inorganic nitrogen ranged between 344.14-547.58 and 32.55-59.1 mg kg-1 whereas in soils of Kishtwar it varied between 293.47-484.81 and 21.87-41.81 mg kg-1 respectively. The enzyme activities of soil urease, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, aryl sulphatase, dehydrogenase, catalase and β-D Glucosidasevaried between 23.98-39.50 µg NH4+-N g-1 2h-1, 12.87-28.04 µg PNP g-1 soil hr-1, 11.40-20.58 µg PNP g-1 soil hr-1, 22.83-33.40 µg PNP g-1 soil hr-1, 2.25-7.57 µg TPF g-1 soil 24hr-1, 2.62-6.54 ml H2O2 g-1 hr-1 and 19.23-28.60 µg PNP g-1 hr-1 in saffron soils of Pulwama, whereas in Kishtwar district these enzyme activities ranged between 24.68-35.57 µg NH4+-N g-1 2h-1, 11.80-22.04 µg PNP g-1 soil hr-1, 10.17-15.53 µg PNP g-1 soil hr-1, 18.74-26.58 µg PNP g-1 soil hr-1, 6.08-16.84 µg TPF g-1 soil 24hr-1, 7.06-12.58 ml H2O2 g-1 hr-1 and 14.19-23.10 µg PNP g-1 hr-1. The viable count of different beneficial microbes like Azotobacter, PSB, KSB, ZnSB, Cellulolytic bacteria and Hemicellulolytic bacteria varied between 26.49-54.78 x103 cfu g-1, 10.39-29.46 x102 cfu g-1, 9.23-24.95 x102 cfu g-1, 2.0-6.25 x102 cfu g-1, 15-37.45 x102 cfu g-1 and 11.26-29.55 x102 cfu g-1 in saffron growing soils of Pulwama, whereas in soils of Kishtwar, it ranged between 23.99-49.87 x103 cfu g-1, 7.59-19.84 x102 cfu g-1, 10.35-22.64 x102 cfu g-1, 1.0-7.95 x102 cfu g-1, 10.37-31.65 x102 cfu g-1 and 5.66-18.26 x102 cfu g-1 respectively. The findings of the study revealed that enzyme activities, microbial populations, various carbon and nitrogen fractions were moderately supplied in both Pulwama and Kishtwar districts. To enhance the Carbon Management Index (CMI) of saffron growing soils of Pulwama and Kishtwar districts, it is advisable to incorporate improved carbon management practices which can, in turn, positively impact productivity of saffron.
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Keywords
Saffron growing soils, Carbon fractions, Nitrogen fractions, Beneficial microbes, Soil enzyme activities, Carbon management index, Soil Science