Chemical Characterization of Soils Under Floriculture Crops in Selected Villages of Pune and Satara Districts of Maharashtra.

Abstract

A study was conducted as an attempt to generate farm level data on soil nutrient status of lands under floricultural crops in Pune and Satara districts of Maharashtra. The chemical analysis of fifty soil samples collected from Shindawane, Waghapur, Sortapwadi, Talegaon, Pandegaon, Sasurve and Chiroli villages indicated that soil reaction and salt concentration were not in harmful range in these soils to support the plant growth except in few soil samples [highly acidic and highly alkaline pH were observed in Talegaon (one sample) and Sasurve (one sample) respectively and EC was in harmful range in Talegaon (one sample), Sortapwadi (two samples) and Waghapur (four samples)]. Soil organic carbon and available nitrogen status were at alarming status as out of fifty samples none of the soil samples had sufficient amount of available nitrogen and only 18 % of soil samples were high in organic carbon content. Soil samples analyzed had medium to excess available phosphorous except for one sample from the village Sasurve which had low available phosphorous. Available potassium content of the soil samples studied was in sufficient range in most of the samples. Out of fifty soil samples analyzed 42 %, 22 %, 62% and 54 % of samples were found deficient in DTPA-extractable Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu contents respectively and about 14 % of samples were deficient in hot water soluble boron content.