Assessment of Soil Fertility of Some Villages of Lahowal Block, Dibrugarh, India
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Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(8): 1438-1450 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 8 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2020.908.165 Assessment of Soil Fertility of Some Villages of Lahowal Block, Dibrugarh, India Aradhana Barooah1*, Hiranya Kumar Bhattacharyya2 and Karma Bahadur Chetri2 1College of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat- 785013, Assam, India 2Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dibrugarh, Assam Agricultural University, Assam, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT A study was conducted to evaluate the fertility status of soils of five different villages of K e yw or ds Lahowal block of Dibrugarh district, Assam, India. A total of 100 numbers of surface soil Soil fertility status, samples (0-15 cm depth), comprising of 20 composite soil samples from each site, were collected. The collected soil samples were air dried, sieved and analyzed for different Soil acidity, Nutrient index, fertility parameters viz., soil pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, primary nutrients Macronutrient, (available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium), available sulphur and Micronutrient micronutrients (available zinc and boron) using standard analytical methods. Soil fertility rating as low, medium and high for each fertility parameter was done by calculating Article Info nutrient index value. Results revealed that pH of the all soils of study area was found in the acidic range and majority (51 %) of the samples lie in the very strongly acidic (4.5 to 5.0) Accepted: range. Electrical conductivity was normal (<1.0 ds/m). Soil organic carbon was medium to 15 July 2020 high. Nutrient index value for available nitrogen and phosphorus was low to medium Available Online: range. Available potassium content was low and sulphur and zinc content was found 10 August 2020 medium in all the samples but available boron was in low to medium index level. Introduction deterioration mostly occurs due to increased population density, land use, adverse climatic Soil fertility, being the complex and dynamic conditions, over grazing, increased land natural property, is the inherent capacity of fragmentation and deforestation etc. soil to provide essential nutrients for crop Continuous and intensive cropping without growth and yield enhancement (Tisdale et al., adequate use of nutrients and improper soil 1993). Soil fertility is the result of interaction management practices may decline soil among physical, chemical and biological fertility. Soil erosion through run off and properties of soil which is directly related to sediment is also an important cause of soil agricultural production (Rakesh et al., 2012). fertility deterioration (Sahoo et al., 2015; Soil fertility depletion is a major concern Meena et al., 2017; Bashagaluke et al., 2018) worldwide because it affects the sustainable and reduces soil organic matter. Imbalanced agricultural production system as well as food and inadequate use of chemical fertilizers, security (Tan et al., 2005). Soil fertility improper irrigation, crop residue removal and 1438 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(8): 1438-1450 different cultural practices may also deplete agriculture, soil test based nutrient soil fertility (Pathak, 2010; Medhe et al., management approach is important to 2012). Seasonal variation of different soil diagnose and manage soil fertility (Wani, fertility parameters like organic carbon, major 2008). It also helps in judicious and efficient nutrients viz., nitrogen and phosphorus, total use of nutrients in local as well as regional exchangeable cations, percentage base level (Black, 1993; Sahrawat et al., 2010). saturation etc., (Roberts, 1987; Isichei and Soil testing reveals the current fertility status Muoghalu, 1992) may be affected by factors of the soil which provides information like climatic pattern, land use, cropping regarding nutrient availability in soils that sequence and farming system (Rabbi et al., forms the basis for the fertilizer 2014). Soil fertility varies both temporally recommendations for increasing crop yields and spatially and are influenced by both and to maintain the optimum soil fertility intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Cambardella (Singh et al., 2018). Therefore, it is necessary and Karlen, 1999, Ondersteijn et al., 2003). to assess the fertility status of soil before crop Soil fertility of different land use system and planning for judicious use of required land treatment varies and requires soil and nutrients. Nutrient index method and fertility crop specific nutrient management for yield indicators can be used to evaluate the fertility enhancement (Moran and Mausel, 2002; status of the soil (Khadka et al., 2016; Singh and Jamir, 2017; Chandrakala et al., Annepuet al., 2017; Singh et al., 2018). The 2018). The fertility of soil may vary among soil fertility status under different cropping various agro-ecosystems too (Kavitha and sequence can also be assessed by using Sujatha, 2015). nutrient index approach (Singh et al., 2016). The availability of macro and micro nutrients In Assam state, India about 90% of in the soil determines the fertility level which population depends on agriculture for their in turn governs the crop productivity of that livelihood (Upadhyai and Nayak, 2017). soil (Bharti et al., 2017). The quality and Lahowal block is located in the eastern side of productivity of any soil depends on the Dibrugarh district, Assam state, India, and tea concentration of soil fertility parameters like and rice are two major crops grown in the organic C, N, P and K and their effect on block. Tea, being a commercial perennial physical, chemical and biological properties crop, requires large amount of nutrients and to of soil (Cao et al., 2011). For sustainable increase crop yield farmers practice to use agricultural production, maintenance of soil chemical fertilizers injudiciously which may fertility and soil health is crucial (Prasad and cause serious soil as well as environmental Power, 1997) as it is related with chemical degradation (Rahman and Zhang, 2018). reactions in soil, availability of essential nutrients, their depletion and replenishment in Application of fertilizers without considering soil. the soil fertility status and crop requirement may adversely affect the soil health as well as Evaluation of soil fertility is essential to crop production (Ray et al., 2000). The provide nutrients for optimum crop growth present study site, Lahowal block of (Nafiuet al., 2012). Perhaps soil testing is the Dibrugarh district, Assam is lacking the detail most commonly used method for soil fertility information of fertility status. Since evaluation (Havlinet al., 2010) for increasing sustainable agricultural production needs use agricultural production through fertility of essential plant nutrients in right quantity, in management (Goovaerts, 1998). In practical appropriate proportion and at right time 1439 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(8): 1438-1450 following right method is a matter of concern available nitrogen, available phosphorus, (Jaga and Patel, 2012). Prior knowledge of available potassium, available sulphur and soil fertility is essential to maintain soil health micronutrients (available zinc and boron) by as well as for enhanced crop production. using standard analytical methods. Soil pH Accordingly, there is a need of assessing and and electrical conductivity in 1:2.5 soil: water monitoring different soil fertility parameters suspension of the processed samples were of Lahowal block of Dibrugarh district for determined by potentiometric method using adoption of proper management strategies to glass electrode pH meter and Systronics maintain sustainable agricultural production Digital Electrical Conductivity meter and soil health. Keeping this in view the respectively (Jackson, 1973). Titrimetric present study attempts to evaluate the fertility determination or wet digestion method of status of five different villages of Lahowal Walkley and Black (1934) was used to block of Dibrugarh district, Assam, India determine organic carbon content of the using fertility ratings and nutrient index in composite soil samples. order to determine the variability existing among different soil parameters. The soil samples were analyzed for macronutrients like available nitrogen and Materials and Methods phosphorus by alkaline potassium permanganate method (Subbiah and Asija, Soil samples were collected from five 1956; Sharawat and Burford, 1982) and different villages viz., Rongpuria (27°41'63"N Bray’s I method (Bray and Kurtz, latitude to 95°04'39"E longitude), Ikoratoli 1945),respectively. Available potassium was (27°47'07"N latitude to 95°08'54"E determined by flame photometer with neutral longitude), Phutahula (27°38'11"N latitude to normal ammonium acetate as an extractant 95°04'24"E longitude), Bokul Majgaon (Hanway and Heidel, 1952). Available (27°42'97"N latitude to 94°98'96"E longitude) Sulphur content of the soil samples were and Alimur (27°23'79"N latitude to determined by turbidimetric method (Black, 94°30'85"E longitude) of Lahowal block of 1965). Micronutrients viz., available zinc Dibrugarh district, India. The climate of the (DTPA extractable) was determined by using study sites is basically humid and warm with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer annual average precipitation of 2781 mm with (Lindsay and Norvell, 1978) and hot water- 135 rainy days. Temperature in winter ranges