Nutrient status of soils and capsicum foliage under protected cultivation in some vegetable growing areas of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

The present investigations were carried out in four districts of Himachal Pradesh i.e. Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Bilaspur to estimate the nutrient status of polyhouse soils and capsicum growing inside and to work out their relationships. The pH of the soils ranged from 5.39 – 7.46, whereas, the Electrical conductivity was found to be in a normal range (0.17 to3.32 dS m⁻¹). The organic carbon content of the studied soils varied from 2.20 to 28.50 g kg⁻¹. The available N, P and K content in the surface soils of the polyhouses in the four districts varied from 112.80 – 570.70, 33.60 – 229.60 and 103.04 – 2430 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. The available nitrogen content was found to be low to medium in its status, whereas the phosphorus and potassium were found to be high in the polyhouse soils. The DTPA extractable Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn content in the surface soils of the polyhouses in the four districts varied from 5.97 – 44.06, 0.36 – 20.54, 0.51 – 14.32 and 0.83 – 4.18 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. All the four micronutrients were found to be high in status, in the polyhouse soils. The leaf N, P and K contents in the Capsicum grown under polyhouse conditions, varied from 2.80 – 6.44, 0.20 – 0.90 and 2.06 – 6.23 percent, respectively. The majority of plant samples were found sufficient in N, P and K content. The soil pH showed a significant negative correlation with DTPA extractable Fe, while Organic carbon had positive and significant correlation with many of the soil nutrients, showing its importance in the availability of the nutrients in soil for growth of plants.