Appraisal of Fertility Indices of the Soils of Degana Tahsil, Nagaur District (Rajasthan)

Research Article Appraisal of fertility indices of the soils of Degana tahsil, Nagaur district (Rajasthan) BHUPENDER SINGH Received : 09.01.2014; Revised : 08.05.2014; Accepted : 19.05.2014 Author for Correspondence : Summary BHUPENDRA SINGH, Krishi Vigyan Soil fertility status evaluation of an area is an important aspect in context of sustainable agriculture production. Kendra, KHEDA (GUJARAT) INDIA In order to soil fertility at micro-level, the surface (0-30 cm) soil samples were colleted from Degana tehsil Email: [email protected] of Nagaur district. The samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon, phosphorus and potash. The results revealed that soils in the area were found moderately alkaline in nature in soil reaction with pH ranging from (pH 8.04 to 9.45). All the samples tested were low in organic carbon and medium in available phosphorus and available potassium. On the basis of the analytical results and taking development indices as unit, a soil fertility map had been prepared. Key words : Major nutrient, Soil fertility indices, Soil fertility map

How to cite this article : Singh, Bhupender (2014). Appraisal of fertility indices of the soils of Degana tahsil, Nagaur district (Rajasthan). Asian J. Soil Sci., 9(1): 100-102.

Introduction Study area : Degana tehsil is located at southeast part of Nagaur Soil characterization in relation to evaluation of fertility district in western Rajasthan. The studied area lies in agro status of the soils of an area is an important aspect in context climatic zone IIa. It is a semi-arid belt of Rajasthan. Degana of sustainable agriculture production. Soil is a natural medium tehsil is surrounded by Parbatsar, Makrana, Nagaur, Merta, for crop production. Plants derive their nutrients, water and Didwana and Jayal tehsils of Nagaur district and Ajmer tehsil support from soil. Suitability of soil as a medium for plant of Ajmer district. The annual rainfall of the tract varied between growth depends upon its ability to provide sufficient amount 400-500 mm and major portion of which is received during the water and nutrients in available form, which in turn is controlled monsoon season. The mean annual temperature is about by its properties. As it is known, soil losses a considerable 26.70C. amount of its nutrients, depending upon the cropping pattern, leaching, erosion, salinity or degradation etc. If intensive cropping and introduction of H.Y.V. continued over a long Resource and Research Methods period of time without replenishment of soil nutrients, its Representative and composite surface soil samples (0- fertility will be reduced which leads to reduction/decline in 30 cm depth) from 60 sites were collected from cultivated fields crop yield. Therefore, the deficiency of plant nutrient should irrigated with well water from Degana tehsil. The samples were be determined and correlated by adding fertilizers, guided on collected after harvest of Rabi season crops. The soil samples scientific basis. Soil testing of the best available tools for were processed in the laboratory and analyzed for pH, electrical evaluating soil fertility of any area which is the basis for the conductivity in 1:2 soil water suspension and supernatant, recommendations of N,P and K fertilizers to obtain optimum respectively, with the help of pH meter and conductivity metre, crop yields. Since the complete information’s about the fertility organic carbon (Walkley and Black, 1934), available status of soil of Degana tehsil are not yet available. The present phosphorus (Olsen et al., 1954) and available potassium investigation were undertaken to assess the same. (Metson, 1956). The values of organic carbon available

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Table A : Important character and available nutrient status of soils Surface soils ( 0-30 cm) Soil characteristics Minimum Maximum Range pH 8.04 9.45 8.78 EC (dsm-1) 0.14 1.64 0.62 Organic carbon (%) 0.13 0.27 0.19 Available P (kg P/ha-1) 16 39 25.3 Available K (kg K/ ha-1) 107 304 213.6 phosphorus and potassium were transferred on the map and very alkaline (pH 8.5-9.0), 25.0 per cent were highly alkaline after rating them into low, medium and high (Table A). Nutrient (pH > 9.9) and 21.7 per cent samples were alkaline (pH 8.0-8.5). index values for organic carbon, P and K were computed (Table 2) The natural to alkaline pH may be promoted to the following. The procedure developed by Subbiah and Asija reaction of applied fertilizers with soil colloids (Singh and (1956) and Muhr et al. (1965). Mishra, 2012).

Research Findings and Discussion Electrical conductivity : The total soluble salts content of these soils expressed The findings of the present study as well as relevant as electrical conducing (EC). The electrical conductivity of discussion have been presented under following heads : soils varied from 0.14 to 1.64 of dSm-1 at 250C with an mean value 0.62 dSm-1 (Table 1). The data presented in Table 2 Soil reaction : -1 revealed that 85 per cent samples had EC2 dSm less than 1.0 A perusal of data in Table 1 revealed that the soil were or normal while the remaining 15 per cent samples were having alkali in reaction. The soil pH varied from 8.04 -9.45 in the -1 EC2 between 1.0 - 2.0 dSm which were tending to become surface (0-30 cm). About 53.3 per cent of the soil samples were saline in nature.

Table 1 : Salinity and alkalinity of soils of Degana Alkalinity (pH) Salinity (EC) dsm-1 Characters <8 8-8.5 8.5-9.0 >9.0 T <1 1-2 2-3 >3 T Number of sample - 13 32 15 60 51 9 9 - 60 Percentage of samples in each category - 21.7 53.3 25.0 100 85 15 - - 100 Index 3.03 (Moderate alkalinity problem) 1.15 (No salinity problem)

Table 2 : Fertility indices of soils of Degana Organic carbon Available P Available K Characters L M H T L M H T L M H T Number of sample 60 - - 60 12 48 - 60 7 48 5 60 Percentage of samples in each category 100 - - 100 20 80 - 100 11.7 80 8.3 100 Index 1.00 (Low) 1.80 (Medium) 1.97 (Medium) L=Low, M=Medium, H=High, T=Total

Table 3 : Rating limits for fertility groups Characteristics Low Medium High References O.C. (per cent) < 0.5 0.5-0.75 >0.75 Muhr et al. (1965) Available nitrogen kg/ ha < 250 250-500 >500 Subbiah and Asija (1956) Available phosphorus kg /ha < 20 20-50 >50 Muhr et al. (1965) Available potassium kg/ ha >125 125-300 >300 Muhr et al. (1965)

Table 4 : Fertility group of soils of Degana Sr. No. Fertility group Symbol No. of samples Percentage of samples 1. LLM A 12 20.0 2. LML B 7 11.7 3. LMM C 36 60.0 4. LMH D 5 8.3

HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE 101 Asian J. Soil Sci., (June, 2014) 9 (1) : 100-102 APPRAISAL OF FERTILITY INDICES OF THE SOILS OF DEGANA TEHSIL, NAGAUR DISTRICT (RAJASTHAN)

Organic carbon : carbon and available phosphorus and potassium were 1.00, The organic carbon content of the soils ranged from 1.80 and 1.97, respectively (Table 2). On the basis of these 0.13-0.27 per cent, with mean value 0.19 per cent (Table 1). The indices it can be concluded that the soils of Degana tehsil are tested soil samples were found 100 per cent low in organic low in organic carbon and medium in both available carbon content in the studied area. Low organic carbon phosphorus and potassium status (Meena et al., 2006). content in the soils appeared to be mainly due to the sandy Further, the studied area was also classified into four nature of soils, arid warm climate and absence of the vegetarian fertility group i.e. LLM, LML, LMM and LMH (Table 4) on the of the soils and excessive sand drift from the upper soil surface basis on the organic carbon available phosphorus and due to high wind erosion in the area. The results of the potassium status of the soil. An examination of table indicate investigation are in complete agreement with the finding Akbari that the 60 per cent soil samples fell under low in organic et al. (1993) and Agarwal and Kumar (1994). carbon, medium in both phosphorus and potassium group (i.e. LMM group) whereas, only 8.3 per cent samples were Available phosphorus : observed in low in organic carbon, medium in available The available phosphorus content is low to medium phosphorus and high in available Potassium group i.e. LMH because the phosphorus fixation reaction in soil may allow to group (Table 4). a small fraction (10-15%) of phosphorus in fertilizer and manure to be taken by plants in the year of application. The availability Literature Cited of phosphorus is pH dependent and due to the high pH of Agarwal, P.K. and Kumar, P. (1994). Availability and management studied area, the availability of phosphorus was low to medium. of nitrogen in soils of arid ecosystem. Ann. Arid Zone, 33(1) : 1-18. Available phosphorus content varied from 16-39 kg/ha with a mean value of 25.3 kg/ha (Table 1). Available phosphorus Akbari, K.N., Fateh Karan and Pandya, H.R. (1993). Distribution content of the surface soils in general, ranged from low to of available P, K and organic carbon in Mewar region. Ann. Arid Zone, 32(4) : 251-252. medium. In the surface soils of studied area, 80 per cent samples tested medium in available phosphorus, whereas, 20 per cent Ghosh, A.B. and Hassan, R. (1976). Potassium in soils, crops and samples tested low in available phosphorus (Table 3). fertilizers. Bull. Indian Soc. Sci., 10 : 1-5. Gupta, S.K., Bansal, K.N. and Verma, G.P. (1991). Distribution of Available potassium : nutrient contents in saline and sodic soils of Chambal Area of Madhya The data presented in Table 1 indicate that the available Pradesh. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 38 : 17-18. potassium content of these soils varied from 107-304 kg/ha Meena, H.B., Sharma, R.P. and Rawat, U.S. (2006). Status of macro with mean value 213.6 kg/ha. In these soils, 11.7 per cent, 80 and micro nutrients in some soils of tonk district of Rajasthan. J. per cent and 8.3 per cent samples tested low, medium and Indian Soc. Sci., 54 (4) : 508-512. high, respectively (Table 3). Metson, A.J. (1956). Methods of chemical analysis of soil survey The available potassium content were generally in samples. Bull. No. 2, Deptt. Sci. Md. Res. Soil Bur. 12. medium range due to the presence of potassium bearing Muhr, G.R., Datta, N.P., Sankara, Subramaniam, H., Leley, V.K. minerals (like – muscovite, biotite and feldspar etc.) which on and Donohue, R.L. (1965). Soil testing in India, USDA Publication, weathering slowly release potash. The results of the present pp. 120. investigation are in according with those reported by Gupta et al. (1991) who reported medium K in soils of Chambal Olsen, S.R., Cole, C.V., Watanabe, F.S. and Dean, L.A. (1954). command area of Rajasthan. Similar finding were reported by Estimation of available P by extraction with sodium carbonate. USDA Circular, 939 : 1-19. Ghosh and Hassan (1976). Singh, R.P. and Mishra, S.K. (2012). Available macro nutrients (N, Spatial distribution : P, K and S) in the soils of Chiraigaon block of district Varanasi Fertility of soil categorizing with O.C., phosphorus and (U.P.) in relation to soil characteristics. Indian J. Sci. Res., 3(1) : 97- potassium into three categories viz., low, medium and high 100. and the area under different soil fertility group were calculated Subbiah, B.V. and Asija, G.L. (1956). A rapid procedure for the Table 3. estimation of available nitrogen in soil. Curr. Sci., 25 : 259-260. The nutrient indices for organic carbon, available Walkley, and Black, C.A. (1934). An examination of the digestion phosphorus and potassium were calculated (Muhr et al., 1965) method for determining soil organic matter (a proposed modification and presented in Table 3. The nutrient indices for organic of chromic arid titration method). Soil Sci., 37 : 28-35. t h Year      of Excellence9     

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