Assessment of available soil nutrient status in black soils of Akola district, Maharashtra

Abstract

The present study was conducted during the year 2016 and 2017 at Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra with an aim to know the fertility status of soils of Western part of the Central Research Station, Dr. PDKV Akola. Grid based (GPS) seventy three surface (0-20 cm) soil samples were collected by systematic survey from three blocks and analyzed as per standard procedure for assessing chemical properties and available nutrient status of soil. The results indicate that all the soils under study were slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline in reaction and it ranged from 7.6 to 8.5 and soils were free from soluble salt hazard (EC 0.12 to 0.5 dSm-1). Organic carbon content ranged from 3.9-8.4 g kg-1, soils of all the three blocks were moderately calcareous to calcareous due to presence of CaCO3 in soil. In context of nutrient status of Western part of CRS, soils were low to medium in available nitrogen (145.8 to 371.28 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (13.98 to 20.16 kg ha-1) and high to very high in available potassium (264.3 to 358.4 kg ha-1) and low to medium in available sulphur (7.45 to 14.26 mg kg-1) content.