Evaluation of soil nutrient status of village Albaras, district Durg, Chhattisgarh

Introduction

Soil is one of the most essential resources forming the foundation of agricultural development. It is a natural entity formed through the action of environmental forces on natural materials. Typically, soil is structured into distinct horizons made up of varying layers of mineral and organic matter. These layers differ from the underlying parent material in terms of their appearance, physical and chemical properties, composition, and biological characteristics. Soil fertility refers to the natural ability of soil to supply essential nutrients in the right amounts and proportions needed for the growth and development of specific plants. It focuses on delivering these nutrients in sufficient quantity and proper balance, assuming other growth conditions such as light, water, temperature, and soil structure are suitable. Fertile soil contains all the essential elements needed for healthy plant growth. These include primary macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), secondary macronutrients (calcium, magnesium, sulfur), and micronutrients (iron, copper, zinc, manganese, boron). The overall amount of available nutrients in the soil provides an indication of how accessible each nutrient is to plants. A deficiency in any of these elements can significantly hinder plant development. Soil fertility evaluation illustrates the soil system's nutrient supplying capacity.

A serious threat arouses due to practice of intensive cropping that necessity the evaluation of nutrient status. Soil testing helps in providing information regarding available nutrient content in soil which is the basis for fertilizer recommendations for achieving maximum crop yields. Soil testing program is advantageous for formulating specific fertilizer recommendations.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted on "Evaluation of soil nutrient status of village Albaras, district Durg, Chhattisgarh". The conducted study involved the collection and chemical analysis of 180 soil samples. The analysis of collected soil samples was carried out in the laboratory of Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur. The study area was located in 21 o 05′ 571.7ʺ N latitude and 81 o 24′75.8'' E longitude with altitude ranging from 317m above the mean sea level. The soils in the study area are mainly dominated by Inceptisols (Matasi) and Vertisols (Kanhar). Inceptisols are mediumtextured, moderately fertile, and well-drained, found on gently sloping lands, suitable for pulses, oilseeds, and cereals. Rice, Lathyrus are the major crops in the study area, other important crops are minor viz. mustard, chickpea and field pea. Inceptisols and vertisol are present in the study area. The collected soil samples were air dried and soil samples were crushed by wooden hammer and sieved through a 2 mm sieve. Standard analytical methods were employed for soil parameter estimation, including the glass electrode method for measuring (pH), the salt-bridge technique for electrical conductivity (EC), the Walkley and Black method for determining organic carbon, and the Subbiah and Asija procedure for assessing available nitrogen. Available phosphorus was analyzed using Olsen's method, while potassium was measured through the ammonium acetate extraction technique. Sulphur content was determined using the turbidimetric method. For micronutrient analysis, the DTPA extraction method was used to assess available iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn), and boron was estimated using the hot water extraction method.

The Nutrient Index values and Fertility Classes

Nutrient index value (Parker,1952) for the various soil parameters was calculated from the number or proportion of samples under low, medium and high available nutrient status and categorized in different fertility classes as per the method explained by Ramamoorthy and Bajaj (1969) [11] .

Where, NIV = nutrient index value PL=% samples fall under low category. PM=% sample as fall under medium category. PM =% sample as fall under high category. [7] , who found that the organic carbon content in the soils of the KVK farm at Pahanda, Durg, ranged from 0.27% to 0.71%, with an average of 0.48%, reflecting the fertility status of the soil. • Available Nitrogen (kg/ha): The available nitrogen content in the soil samples varied from 100.35 to 263.42 kg/ha, with an average value of 175.52 kg/ha. All soil samples (100%) from the study area were classified as low in available nitrogen., it recovers only oxidizable N fraction of dry soil N pool. It can be noted that the whole area seems N deficient which might be due to the fact that these soils were very poor organic C content which is biggest source of N. It can also be due to the extensive leaching and runoff losses of various form of N a tropical environment is its high temperature which leads to rapid loss of soil organic matter due to volatilization. Similar findings were reported by Sahu et al. (2023) [13] , who evaluated the soil fertility status at the research farm of the [8] , who assessed the soil fertility status in the Arang block of Raipur district, Chhattisgarh. Their findings showed that available phosphorus levels ranged from 5.37 to 39.42 kg/ha, with an average of 19.79 kg/ha. [13] , in their study conducted at the research farm of CARS, Katghora, Korba (Chhattisgarh), also reported that the available iron levels in the soil fell under the high fertility class. • Available Manganese (mg/kg): The concentration of available manganese in the soil samples ranged from 4.94 to 29.14 mg/kg, with an average of 13.34 mg/kg. All samples 100% were classified as sufficient in manganese content. Similarly, the result supported by Sahu et al. (2023) [13] , in their assessment of soil fertility at the research farm of CARS, Katghora, Korba, Chhattisgarh, also categorized the available manganese in the soil samples under the high fertility class. • Available Copper (mg/kg): The available copper content in the soils of the study area ranged from 0.56 to 2.88 mg/kg, with an average value of 1.61 mg/kg. All the soil samples (100%) were found to be sufficient in available copper. A similar trend was observed by Sahu et al. (2023) [13] , who evaluated the soil fertility status at the research farm of the College of Agriculture and Research Station, Katghora, Korba, Chhattisgarh. Their analysis showed that the available copper (Cu) content ranged between 0.38 and 3.58 mg/kg, with a mean value of 1.82 mg/kg. Based on these findings, the soil samples were categorized within the high fertility class for copper. • Available Zinc (mg/kg): The available zinc content in the soil samples varied from 0.22 to 1.96 mg/kg, with an average value of 0.78 mg/kg. The results indicated two distinct fertility categories: 22.78% of the samples were classified as deficient, while 77.22% fell into the sufficient category for available zinc. The Zn deficiency increased with increase in pH. Similarly, Sahu et al.

(2023) [13] , in their assessment of soil fertility at the research farm of the College of Agriculture and Research Station, Katghora, Korba, Chhattisgarh, found that available zinc ranged from 0.48 to 1.29 mg/kg, with an average of 0.82 mg/kg, and concluded that zinc levels were generally sufficient. • Available Boron (mg/kg): The available boron content in the soils of the research farm ranged from 0.14 to 0.55 mg/kg, with an average value of 0.30 mg/kg. A majority of the samples (93.33%) fell into the deficient category, while only 6.67% were classified as sufficient. The findings of the present study are supported by those of Sahu et al. (2023) [13] , who assessed soil fertility at the research farm of the College of Agriculture and Research Station, Katghora, Korba, Chhattisgarh. Their analysis revealed that the available boron content ranged from 0.14 to 0.91 mg/kg, with an average value of 0.48 mg/kg, and the soils were categorized as having low boron fertility. Similar results were reported by Tarar et al. (2023) [15] at the research farm of IGKV in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, where boron levels were also found to be deficient.

Conclusion

A detailed soil analysis carried out in Albaras village, located in the Durg district (C.G.), reveals important features related to agricultural productivity. The soil pH in the region ranges from slightly acidic to neutral and slightly alkaline, while the electrical conductivity remains below 1 dS/m, suggesting favorable conditions for a variety of crops. Organic carbon levels are generally found to be in the low to medium range.

In terms of nutrient status, nitrogen content is classified as low, whereas phosphorus ranges from low to medium and high status of available potassium. Sulphur levels fall within the low category. Among micronutrients, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) are present in sufficient quantities, and B and Zn were sufficient and deficient in some area. Soil N status was evaluated as low status hence 25% extra application of general recommendation dose can be suggested for nitrogenous fertilizer. 80.56% soil was low for Sulphur status hence, an application of 20 to 40 kg/ha of elemental sulphur is recommended, along with the use of organic manure and the standard NPK fertilizer and also recommended use of SSP in place of DAP. In case of micronutrient, Boron status was recorded as low category hence borax powder at the rate of @10 kg/ha is recommended.

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