Status of macro- and micro-nutrients in soils of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand

Abstract

A GPS based soil survey was conducted in nine blocks of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand (n=300) to evaluate the status of extractable macro- and micro-nutrients and to relate them with general soil properties. Soil texture ranged from sandy loam to clay loam, pH from 4.8 to 8.29, electrical conductivity from 0.170 to 5.431 dSm 1 and organic carbon content from 3.14 to 30.72 g kg 1 soil. Among the macro-nutrients, Olsen’s and Bray’s extractable P varied from 1.41 to 47.20 mg kg 1 soil, neutral normal ammonium acetate extractable K content from 24.82 to 269.1 mg kg 1 soil. Exchangeable Ca and Mg content varied from 20 to 1620 mg kg 1 and 12 to 288 mg kg 1 soil, respectively. The content of 0.15% CaCl2 extractable S content varied from 1.23 to 26.64 mg kg 1 soil. The DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn content varied from 0.09 to 15.41, 0.08 to 9.03, 3.13 to 84.22 and 1.93 to 54.96 mg kg 1 soil, respectively. Hot water-soluble B content varied from 0.23 to 2.61 mg kg 1 soil while ammonium oxalate (pH 3.3) extractable Mo content varied from 0.18 to 1.36 mg kg 1 soil. Simple correlation showed that soil pH had a significant and positive correlation with soil extractable P, Ca, S, B and Mo but a negative one with extractable Cu, Fe and Mn. Soil EC had a significant and positive correlation with extractable P, K, Mg, S, Fe, B and Mo. Soil organic carbon had a significant and positive correlation with extractable K. On the basis of calculated nutrient indices (N.I.), the soils of Chamoli district were low in soil extractable S, medium in extractable K and Zn, high in organic carbon content, extractable P, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, B and Mo with sporadic cases of Zn, Cu and B deficiency.