Evaluation of soil health and soil quality analysis of different blocks of Bundi district, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Agricultural intensification is placing tremendous pressure on the soil’s capacity to maintain its functions leading to large-scale ecosystem degradation and loss of productivity in the long term. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find early indicators of soil health degradation in response to agricultural management. Soil quality is one of the important factors controlling yields of the crops. Soil characterization in relation to evaluation of fertility status of the soils of an area or region is an important aspect in the context of sustainable agricultural production. Soil physico-chemical parameters are more important that control its quality. In this study, morphological and all physical properties of soil with their spatial variability in different blocks of Bundi district in Rajasthan was conducted. It was concluded that the colour was changing with the sites. The textural classes identified were clay and clay loam. The bulk density of soil varied from 1.16 to 1.50 Mg m-3. The particle density of soil varied from 2.28 to 2.92 Mg m-3. The percent pore space of soil ranged from 42.96 to 54.83%. The specific gravity ranged from 1.97 to 2.25. The water holding capacity of soil varied from 47.98 to 62.13% and maximum mean water holding capacity was found in Gambhira (V2) (62.13%). We concluded that the soil parameters were studied during the course of investigation responded good physical properties. The judicious use of organic manure in combination with inorganic fertilizers not only paves the way for achieving sustainable yields of crops but also maintains health of our finite soil without deterioration for future generations.