An Asian Journal of Soil Science Volume 9 | Issue 2 | December, 2014 | 330-333 |  e ISSN–0976–7231 Visit us : www.researchjournal.co.in

A Case Study DOI : 10.15740/HAS/AJSS/9.2/330-333 Sulphur status and their spatial variability in soil of four block of district

R.G. GOSWAMI, V.N. MISHRA, A.K. SINGH, P.K. KURRE AND HAREESH KUMAR Received : 06.06.2014; Accepted : 22.11.2014 MEMBERS OF RESEARCH FORUM: Summary Corresponding author : The grid based surface (0-25 cm depth) one hundred ninety eight soil samples from four blocks viz., Dharsiwa R.G. GOSWAMI, Department of Soil (54), Abhanpur (48), Tilda (54) and (42) of Raipur districts, (C.G) were collected using global positioning Science and Agricultural Chemistry, system (GPS) and were analyzed to assess the status of available sulphur (S) and their relationship with some Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, physico-chemical properties of soil. Results revealed that the available S varied from 16.24 to 80.24 kg ha-1 with RAIPUR (C.G.) an average of 39.90 kg ha-1 in Dharsiwa block. At Abhanpur, the available S varied from 12.07 to 79.80 kg Email: [email protected] ha-1 with an average of 43.94 kg ha-1. At Tilda, available S varied from 8.68 to 97.22 kg ha-1 with an average of 41.59 kg ha-1 and similarly in Arang block it ranged from 8.96 -98.84 kg ha-1 with an mean value of 38.83 kg ha-1. Among the four blocks the available sulphur status in soil decreased gradually from Abhanpur followed by Co-authors : in Tilda, Dharsiwa and lowest status was found in Arang block. Amongst the soil properties, pH showed negative V.N. MISHRA, A.K. SINGH, P.K. KURRE AND HAREESH KUMAR, correlation while organic carbon showed positive correlation (r = 0.091) with available S status in soil at Raipur. Department of Soil Science and Soil nutrient index of the Raipur was to be found categorized under high fertility classes for available sulphur. Agricultural Chemistry, Indira Gandhi Key words : Sulphur status, pH, OC, Nutrient index, Variability Agricultural University, RAIPUR (C.G.) INDIA How to cite this article : Goswami, R.G., Mishra, V.N., Singh, A.K., Kurre, P.K. and Kumar, Hareesh (2014). Sulphur status and their spatial variability in soil of four block of . Asian J. Soil Sci., 9(2): 330-333.

Introduction plant growth. It is not only an often growth-limiting plant nutrient but also indirectly affects the use efficiency of other Soil fertility plays a key role in increasing crop plant nutrients, such as N (De Bona and Monteiro, 2010). It production in the soil. It comprises not only in supply of is now assuming importance next to major nutrient i.e. nutrients but also their efficient management. The fertility nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc for Indian agriculture. Its status of soil indicates their nutrient supplying capability. deficiency has become wide spread in India and it is now Moreover fertility of soil is subject to man’s control however rightly called fourth major nutrient. In India, nearly 57m ha soil degradation is an outcome depletive human activities of arable land suffers from various degress of sulphur and their interaction with natural environment (Deshmukh, deficiency (Tripathi, 2003). The availability of S is largely 2012). In recent years the attention has been focused on dependent on its fraction. About 90 per cent of plant sulphur spatial variability of nutrients in soils, comparing different is present in these amino acids. Sulphur deficiencies in India ground covers and locations (Gallardo and Parama, 2007; are found in almost 40 per cent of the cultivated area. Wang et al., 2007). Differences in this characteristic were Deficiency of sulphur is becoming widespread due to use of compared between individual plots, as well as within a plot; high yielding crop varieties (HYVs), intensive multiple they were related to the possibility of exact identification of cropping system, high sulphur requiring crops and continous the plot and its parts and further usage of these data for use of sulphur free fertilizers as well as restricted use of organic specific measures, locally applied (Dahiya et al., 1985, manure coupled with its leaching from root zone are largely Brodsky et al., 2001 and Baxter et al., 2003). responsible for increasing S deficiency in inceptisol soil Sulphur is one of the essential nutrients required for the (Sammi Reddy et al., 2001). The areas speculated as sufficient

HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE R.G. GOSWAMI, V.N. MISHRA, A.K. SINGH, P.K. KURRE AND HAREESH KUMAR

Table A : Locations of soils collected to analyze the available with soil properties. sulphur status in Raipur Number of sampled Total number of soil Sr. No. Blocks villages samples Resource and Research Methods 1. Dharsiwa 9 54 Raipur lies between 22° 33N’ to 21°N latitude and 2. Abhanpur 8 48 82°6’ to 81°38E’ longitude. The total geographical area is 2 3. Tilda 9 54 13,083 km north to south. The climate of the district is 4. Arang 7 42 moist sub-humid with annual rainfall of 1233 mm. One hundred ninety eight surface soil samples were collected Overall 33 198 from Raipur district of . This district after a period of intensive cultivation due to crop removal, consisting of 4 blocks viz., Dharsiwa, Abhanpur, Tilda, organic matter losses, leaching and erosion losses and use of Aarang in which 33 villages were selected based on non-sulphur are containing fertilizers (Beiderbecke, 1978; stratified multistage random sampling method covering Blair, 1979). Again high annual rainfall (>2000mm) in Assam all the blocks and a total of surface soil samples (six from each village) were collected using GPS representing small, enhances leaching of SO4, leaving these soil deficient in S (Borkotoki and Das, 2008). Form of S and their medium and large farmers’s category. These samples were interrelationship with soil properties, on other hand; analyzed for available sulphur status to categorise them determine the sulphur supplying power of the soil through into low, medium and high categories with pH and organic their influence on release and dynamics of S in soil (Sammi carbon level and standard statistical procedure for Reddy et al., 2001). Geographic information system arc (GIS) correlation study was followed (Table A). Surface (0-25) 9.3 based soil fertility mapping has appeared as a promising soil samples were collected from the study area. The soil alternative. The present research work was taken as efforts to sample were collected and prepared by drying, crushing evaluate the S status of Bemetara district of Chhattisgarh with and sieving through 2 mm sieve. The selected samples were the help of GIS and GPS techniques and their interrelationships analyzed for soil pH (1:2.5) soil: water suspension after

Table 1 : Basic physic–chemical properties of selected soil samples Sr. No. Blocks No. of sampled villages Total no. of sample pH EC (dSm-1 ) OC ( %) N (kg ha-1) P (kg ha-1) K (kg ha-1) 1. Dharsiwa 9 54 7.49 0.11 0.60 236.72 11.33 559.02 2. Abhanpur 8 48 7.2 0.12 0.59 229.45 12.15 434.36 3. Tilda 9 54 8.22 0.10 0.76 229.55 10.79 446.40 4. Arang 7 42 7.11 0.12 0.59 277.88 10.97 497.10

Table 2 : Block level distribution of available sulphur in the soil of Raipur district No. of Available S (kg/hac) Per cent samples Sr. No. Block samples Min Max Mean Low (<20) Medium (20-30) High (>30) 1. Dharsiwa 54 16.24 80.24 39.90 4 (7.40%) 8 (14.81%) 42 (77.77%) 2. Abhanpur 48 12.07 79.80 43.94 4 (8.33%) 6 (12.5%) 38 (79.16%) 3. Tilda 54 8.68 97.72 41.59 8 (14.81%) 6 (11.11%) 40 (74.07%) 4. Arang 42 8.96 98.84 38.83 6 (14.28%) 4 (9.52%) 32 (76.19%) Overall 198 8.12 89.15 41.06 22 (11.20%) 24 (12.48) 152 (76.79%)

Table 3 : Important properties and available sulphur status in selected soil sample of blocks of Raipur district (range and mean) Sr. No. Particuler pH OC (%) Available (s) (kg/hac) 1. Soils low in available S 6.5-7.9 (7.20) 0.38-0.86 (0.63) 8.68-19.60 (14.89) 2. Soils medium in available S 6.3 -8.2 (7.37) 0.25-0.93 (0.62) 20.72-29.40 (25.81) 3. Soils high in available S 5.7-8.2 (7.57) 0.23-0.96 (0.64) 30.24-98.84 (47.04) The figures in the parenthesis ( ) indicate the mean value of the respective properties

Table 4 : Correlation between soil characteristics and available sulphur (kg/hac) Sr. No. Soil properties Available sulphur 1. pH -0.01759 2. Organic carbon 0.0910

HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE 331 Asian J. Soil Sci., (Dec., 2014) 9 (2) : 330-333 SULPHUR STATUS & THEIR SPATIALVARIABILITY IN SOIL stirring for 30 minutes, by glass electrode pH meter as of study area was found in the category of ‘high fertility statuses suggested by Piper (1966), organic carbon by Walkley and for Sulphur. The nutrient index value for S were 2.65 against Black (1934) rapid titration method. The most suitable and the nutrient index values <1.6 for low, 1.67-2.33 for medium widely used method for estimation of available sulphur in and > 2.33 for high fertility status (Meena et al., 2006). the soil was done as suggested by (Williams and Steinberg,

1969) using 0.15 per cent CaCl2. H2O an extractant and S Conclusion : is measured by turbidimetry. Fertility mapping for S status From the above study it can be concluded that the out of at district level was prepared using GIS Arc view 9.3 total soil samples 22 samples found in low, 24 samples software. It has been widely used for determination of medium and 152 sample high in available sulphur. Among available soil S. However, the amount of S extracted by the four blocks Abhanpur block was found in high S contain this method is affected by the extraction time and than the other blocks. temperature and the potential resorption of S during the cooling period. Literature Cited Baxter, S.J., Oliver, M.A. and Gaunt, J. (2003). A geostatistical Research Findings and Discussion analysis of the spatial variation of soil mineral nitrogen and 198 surface soil samples from four blocks viz., Dharsiwa potentially available nitrogen within an arable field. Prec. Agr., 4 (54), Abhanpur (48), Tilda (54) and Arang (42) of Raipur (2) : 213-226. districts (C.G) were collected by (GPS) system. Results Borkotoki, B. and Das, K.N. (2008). Forms of sulphur and their revealed that the available sulphur ranged from 16.24 to 80.24 relationship with soil properties in entisols, inceptisols and aalfisols (mean 39.90 kg ha-1) it was found that 7.40 per cent tested of Assam. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 56 (2) : 186-191. soil samples were in low S content, medium (14.81%) and Brodsky, L., Van., K.V., Szakova, J. and Tipek, K. (2001). Spatial high (77.77 %) from Dharsiwa block (Table 1). At Abhanpur heterogeneity of soil properties. Rostl. Vyr., 47: 521.528. -1 available S varied from 12.07 to 79.80 (mean 43.94 kg ha ) Dahiya, I.S.R., Ablauf, K.C., Kersebaum, K.C. and Richter, J. and the soil samples testing showed that low, medium and (1985). Spatial variability of some nutrient constituents of an Alfisol high in available S were 8.33 per cent, 12.5 per cent, 79.16 from loess. II. Geostatistical analysis. Z. Pfl.-Ernahr. Bodenkde, per cent, respectively. At Tilda available S varied from 148 : 268-277. 8.68 to 97.22 kg ha-1 with an average 41.59 kg ha-1and the De Bona, F.D. and Monteiro, F.A. (2010). Nitrogen and sulfur soil sampled testing low, medium and high in available S fertilization and dynamics in a Brazilian entisol under pasture. Soil were 14.81 per cent, 11.11 per cent, 74.07 per cent, Sci. Soc. America J., 74 (4) : 1248–1258. respectively and Arang block was found available S varied Deshmukh, K.K. (2012). Evaluation of soil fertility status from from 8.96–98.84 kg ha-1 with an average 38.83 kg ha-1 Sangamner Area, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. India. and the Soil sampled testing low, medium and high in Rasayan J. Chem., 5(3): 398-406. available S were 14.28 per cent, 9.52 per cent, 76.17 per cent, respectively in total sample each from low, medium Gallardo, A. and Parama, M. (2007). Spatial variability of soil and high S categories was analyzed for some selected soil elements in two plant communities of NW Spain. Geoderma, 139 (1-2) : 199-208. properties like soil pH and OC (Table 2). Considering the soil test rating for available sulphur (<20 as low, 20-30 as Isitekhale, H.H.E., Aboh, S.I. and Oseghale, E.S. (2013). Sulphur medium, >30 as high status). The Table 3 showed that the status of some soil in endo state, Nigeria. Internat. J. Scientific & soil sample of Raipur district ranged from 8.68-19.60 Technol. Res., 2 (5): 91-94. (mean 14.89 kg ha-1) soil low in available S, 20.72-29.40 Jackson, M.L. (1967). Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall of India (mean 25.81 kg ha-1) soil medium in available S and 30.24- Pvt. Ltd. NEW DELHI (INDIA) 263-393 pp. -1 98.84 (mean 47.04 kg ha ) soil high in available S (Table Kumar, R., Sarkar, A.S., Singh, K.P., Agarwal, B.K. and Karmakar, 4). Among the soil properties pH showed negative S. (2009). Appraisal of available nutrients status in Santhal (-0.01759) correlation while OC showed positive correlation Paraganas region of Jharkhand. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 57 (3): 366- (r = 0.091) with available S Raipur. Soil nutrient index of the 369. Raipur were found in high fertility classes for available Kundu, M.C., Chakrabortty, S. and Mukhopadhyay, P. (2005). Soil sulphur. Similar results were also reported by Shankaraiah et fertility status of rice growing soil of four villages of Haringhata al. (2006) and Singh et al. (2009) in soil of Udham Singh block under Nadia district of West Bengal. Environ. & Ecol., 23 Nagar district. (4): 922-925. Meena, H.B., Sharma, R.P. and Rawat, U.S. (2006). Status of macro Nutrient index value : and micro nutrients in some soils of Tonk district of Rajasthan. Considering the concept of nutrient index value the soil J.Indian Soc.Soil Sci., 54 (4) : 508-512.

HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE 332 Asian J. Soil Sci., (Dec., 2014) 9 (2) : 330-333 R.G. GOSWAMI, V.N. MISHRA, A.K. SINGH, P.K. KURRE AND HAREESH KUMAR

Piper, C.S. (1966). Soil and plant analysis. Hans Publisher, Bombay, Tripathi, N. (2003). Role of FCO in promoting quality secondary M.S. (INDIA) 85-102 pp. and micronutrient. Fertiliser News, 48: 111-114. Shankaraiah, M., Sreemannarayana, B. and Srinivasaraju, A. Walkley, A. and Black, C.A. (1934). Estimation of soil organic (2006). Studies on the status and distribution of sulphur in black carbon by chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci., 47: 29-38. soils of Karimnagar district, Andhra Pradesh. Indian J. Dryland Wang, L., Mou, P.P., Huang, J. and Wang, J. (2007). Spatial Agric. Res. & Dev., 21 (1): 74-79. heterogeneity of soil nitrogen in a subtropical forest in China. Plant Singh, S.P., Singh, R., Shrivastava, P.C. and Singh, P. (2009). Soil, 295 (1) : 137-150. Different forms of sulphur in soils of Udham Singh Nagar district, Williams, C.H. and Steinbergs, A. (1969). Soil sulphur fraction as Uttarakhand and their relationship with soil properties. Agropedol., chemical indices of available sulphur in some Australian soil. Aust. 19 (l): 68-74. J. Agric. Res. 10: 340-352.

th Year  of Excellence9 

HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE 333 Asian J. Soil Sci., (Dec., 2014) 9 (2) : 330-333