Available micronutrients in relation to soil properties of Ghatol tehsil, Banswara district of Rajasthan, India.

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess the status of micronutrients in relation to soil properties in one hundred soil samples collected from different locations of 25 villages representing the soils of Ghatol tehsil, Banswara district of Rajasthan. In general, textural class of soils was found to be the category of sandy clay loam, clay loam and clay. The content of sand fraction varied from 17.61 to 65.44 per cent with a mean value of 42.58 per cent, silt fraction varied from 10.00 to 47.90 per cent with a mean value of 26.75 per cent and clay fraction varied from 17.65 to 53.07 per cent with a mean value of 30.54 per cent. The pH of soils varied from 7.07 to 8.02 with mean value of 7.52, EC varied from 0.34 to 0.79 dSm-1 with a mean value of 0.54 dSm-1, OC varied from 3.74 to 9.91 g kg-1 with a mean value of 6.58 g kg-1, CaCO3 ranged from 8.00 to 68.00 g kg-1 with a mean value of 31.67 g kg-1 and CEC ranged from 7.00 to 40.00 cmol (p+) kg-1. Available Zn ranged between 0.42 to 1.95 mg kg-1 with a mean value of 0.84 mg kg-1, available Fe ranged from 2.26 to 28.4 mg kg-1 with a mean value of 10.12 mg kg-1. Available Cu ranged between 0.37 to 4.15 mg kg-1 with a mean value of 1.07 mg kg-1. Available Mn ranged between 2.10 to 21.85 mg kg-1 with a mean value of 9.36 mg kg-1. Organic carbon, clay, and CEC were positively correlated with available Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn while pH, CaCO3 and sand were negatively correlated.