AGRAWAL, GHANSHYAMBHANOT, LOKESH2023-01-162023-01-162022-11https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810192412ABSTRACT 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 healtEnglishThesis