International Journal of Chemical Studies 2018; 6(1): 824-827 P-ISSN: 2349–8528 E-ISSN: 2321–4902 IJCS 2018; 6(1): 824-827 Status of available major nutrients in soils of © 2018 IJCS Received: 25-11-2017 Banaskantha district of Gujarat Accepted: 26-12-2017 Chena Panchal G Chena Panchal G, JS Chaure, BB Patel and Darshana Chawada Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, C.P. College of Agriculture, Abstract S.D. Agricultural University, A study was undertaken to assess the status of available major nutrients in soils of Banaskantha district of Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, Gujarat. About Forty representative surface (0-15 cm) soil samples were collected from farmer’s field of India each taluka. The soil samples were analysed for pH, EC, organic carbon, available N, P2O5, and K2O. Soils of Banaskantha district are moderately alkaline in reaction (pH2.5 7.84) with low soluble salt content JS Chaure (EC 0.35 dS/m).The organic carbon status of soils of Banaskantha district was low (0.30 %). The Department of Agricultural available N, P2O5 and K2O content in these soils ranged from 47.00 to 376.3, 15.6 to 95.8 and 107.5 to Chemistry and Soil Science, 873.6 kg/ha with a mean value of 228.4, 45.8 and 288.4 kg/ha, respectively. On the basis of nutrient C.P. College of Agriculture, index value, soils of Banaskantha district were very low in available nitrogen, marginal in available S.D. Agricultural University, phosphorus and high in available potassium status. Highly significant and positive correlation was Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, observed between organic carbon with available nitrogen (r = 0.710**). Available P2O5 (r = 0.126**) India showed highly significant and positive correlation with available K2O. BB Patel Department of Agricultural Keywords: Available N, P2O5, K2O, EC, pH, organic carbon, nutrient index, correlation Chemistry and Soil Science, C.P. College of Agriculture, Introduction S.D. Agricultural University, The basic objective of the soil-testing programme is to give farmers a service leading to better Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, and more economic use of fertilizers and better soil management practices for increasing India agricultural production. Nitrogen is one of the most important major nutrient as well as Darshana Chawada expensive input in agricultural production, which is closely associated with growth and Department of Agricultural development of plants. It plays an important role in plant metabolism by virtue of being an Chemistry and Soil Science, essential constituent of structural component of the cell and many metabolically active C.P. College of Agriculture, compounds. Phosphorus is facilitating plant nutrient as it is involved in a wide range of plant S.D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, processes, from permitting division to development of a good root system ensuring timely and India uniform ripening of crop. Potassium is well known for its ability to improve crop quality and its role in combating a variety of climatic and biological stress. Potassium has been, thus rightly called by many other names such as a root booster, stalk strengthener, food former, an enzyme activator, a breathing regulator, water stretcher, sugar and starch transporter, protein builder, wilt reducer and disease retardant. Materials and Methods To assess the available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils of Banaskantha district, total 556 representative surface soil samples were collected from farmer’s fields of each taluka of Banaskantha district during 2016. One representative surface sample was collected from field upto a depth of 0 to 15 cm by zig-zag method. About forty soil samples were collected from 14 talukas of Banaskantha district during April-2016. The soil samples were air dried in shade. The soil samples, after air drying were ground with wooden mortar and pestle and Correspondence passed through 2.0 mm sieve. The prepared samples were stored in polyethylene lined cloth Chena Panchal G bags with proper labels. The soil samples were brought to laboratory for further analysis. Soil Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, pH2.5 was measured in 1:2.5 soil: water suspension by using glass electrode electric pH-meter C.P. College of Agriculture, (Jackson, 1973) [3]. The standard analytical methods followed for estimating organic carbon, S.D. Agricultural University, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are given as follow: Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India ~ 824 ~ International Journal of Chemical Studies Standard analytical methods for estimating pH, EC, organic carbon and available major nutrients S. No Parameter Method Reference 1 pH (1: 2.5) Potentiometric method Jackson (1973) [3] 2 EC (1: 2.5) Conductometric method Jackson (1973) [3] 3 Organic carbon Walkley and Black titration method Jackson (1973) [3] 4 Available N Alkaline potassium permanganate method Subbiah and Asija (1956) [5] 5 Available P2O5 Extraction : 0.5 M NaHCO3 (pH 8.5) Colorimetric method Olsen et al. (1954) [3] 6 Available K2O Extraction : 1 N NH4OAc (pH 7.0) Flame photometric method Jackson (1973) Correlation Coefficient (r) between organic carbon and reported for soils of Gir Somnath district (Polara and [11] available major nutrients (N, P2O5 and K2O) were worked out Chauhan, 2015) . using standard procedure (Panse and Sukhatme, 1967) [6]. Nutrient index was calculated utilizing the following formula Available phosphorus [7] suggested by Parker et al. (1951) : The available P2O5 was medium in most of talukas. The available P2O5 status of soils varied from 15.6.to 95.8 kg/ha with a mean value of 45.8 kg/ha, which was in medium categories (Table 1). The medium content of available phosphorus in these soils might be due to regular application Where, Nl, Nm and Nh are the number of samples falling in of phosphatic fertilizers to realise higher yields of oil seeds, [8] low, medium and high categories for nutrient status and are which are the principal crops of the area. Patel et al., (2017) given weightage of 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Nt is the total no. observed similar results for soils of Gandhinagar district of of sample. The nutrient index values are rated into various Gujarat. categories viz.,very low, low, marginal, adequate, high, and very high as rating given by (Stalin et al., 2010) [14]. Available potassium Overall, available potassium status for the Banaskantha Results and Discussion district was high and varied from 107.5 to 873.6 K2O kg/ha Soil reaction (pH2.5) with an average of 288.4 kg/ha (Table 1). The high available In general, soils of this district are neutral to moderately potassium content in these soils might be attributed to the alkaline in reaction. The pH values of soils for the entire prevalence of potassium rich minerals like illite, feldspar, district ranged from 7.0 to 8.85 with a mean value of 7.84 muscovite and high potassic fertilizers use. Similar results (Table 1). The lowest mean pH value of 7.48 was recorded in were also obtained for soils of Gandhinagar district of Gujarat [8] a soil samples collected from Danta taluka and the highest (Patel et al., 2017) . mean value of 8.05 was recorded in the soil samples collected from Tharad taluka. Similar results were obtained for soils of Nutrient index values of available major nutrients Tonk district of Rajasthan (Meena et al., 2006) [4]. The nutrient index values for available major nutrients are presented in Table 2. Overall, soils of Banaskantha district Electrical Conductivity (EC2.5) had nutrient index values of 1.13, 1.98 and 2.53 for available Overall, EC in the soils of Banaskantha district varied widely N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively. Based on overall nutrient ranging from 0.04 to 3.38 with a mean value of 0.35 dS/m index values of soils in Banaskantha district and the criteria (Table 1). The lowest (0.04 dS/m) EC value was recorded in suggested by Stalin et al. (2010) [14], soils of Banaskantha the soil sample collected from Palanpur taluka, whereas the district have very low fertility class for available N, marginal highest value of (3.38 dS/m) was recorded in Deesa taluka. fertility class for available P2O5 and high fertility class in Meena et al., (2006) [4] also reported almost similar range of respect of available K2O. Similar results were reported for EC in soils of Tonk district of Rajasthan, (Savalia and available nitrogen in soils of Amreli district of Gujarat (Polara [10] Gundalia, 2009) in soils of southern Saurashtra region of and Kabaria, 2006) , for available phosphorus in soils of Gujarat. Patan district of Gujarat (Annual report, 2013) [2] and for available potassium in soils of Bhavnagar district of Gujarat Organic carbon (Rajput and Polara, 2012) [12]. In general, soils of Banaskantha district are low in organic carbon status. Overall organic carbon content in soils ranged Correlation coefficient (r) among different properties of from 0.01 to 0.78 per cent having a mean value of 0.30 per soils of Banaskantha district cent (Table 1). Such low values for organic carbon status of The correlation coefficient (r) values indicated highly soils are expected because of the arid climate, less use of significant and positive relationship between organic carbon organic manure and negligible replacement of organic matter. content and available nitrogen (r = 0.710**). Available P2O5 Similar results were obtained for soils of Tonk district of also showed significant and positive correlation (r = 0.043) Rajasthan (Meena et al., 2006) [4]. with organic carbon. Similar results were obtained for soils of Tonk district of Rajasthan (Meena et al., 2006) [4] and for soils Available nitrogen of Senapati district of Manipur (Athokpam et al., 2013). Soil Overall, available nitrogen status for the Banaskantha district available P2O5 showed negative correlation with soil pH (r = - was low and it ranged from 47.0 to 376.3 kg/ha with a mean 0.043) and EC (r = -0.021).