Mapping spatial variability of soil fertility in Borsi farm of DKSCARS, Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh using GPS and GIS techniques

Abstract

Present study was conducted to evaluate the fertility status of soils in Borsi farm of Dau Kalyan Singh College of Agriculture and Research Station, Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh. A total of 70 GPS based surface soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected for this purpose with 100 meter grid interval and analysed in the laboratory adopting standard methods with respect to physic-chemical properties and available nutrients and classified their status. The soil reaction (pH) ranged from 6.13 to 7.92 with a mean value 7.33, electrical conductivity of the soil varied from 0.09 to 0.25 dS m-1, with a mean value of 0.15 dS m-1 and organic carbon (OC) of these soils was ranged 0.30-0.82%, with a mean of 0.56%, indicating almost neutral soil reaction with safe limit of electrical conductivity and medium status of soil organic carbon. Among the major nutrients, the available nitrogen (N) ranged 137-206 kg ha-1 with mean 167.07 kg ha-1 and available phosphorus content in the soil ranged 10.30-24.64 kg ha-1 with a mean value of 18.26 kg ha-1 while, available potassium levels varied from 196 to 486 kg ha-1 with an average value of 356.04 kg ha-1. Sulphur content varied between 10.08-30.80 kg ha-1 with an average value 21.52 kg ha-1 indication low to medium category. Most of the soils showed low nitrogen, medium phosphorus and high status of available potassium. In case of available micro-nutrients, iron, manganese, copper and zinc content in the soils varied from 7.17-24.97 mg kg-1, 5.76-23.55 mg kg-1, 0.92-2.73 mg kg-1 and 0.39-1.93 mg kg-1, respectively with mean values 16.22, 14.72, 1.61 and 1.04 mg kg-1, respectively. Most of the samples showed abundance of available Fe, Mn and Cu while sufficient level of available Zn. The soils of the study area had a hot water extractable B concentration ranging 0.11- 0.52 mg kg-1 with average value of 0.24 mg kg-1. Most of the samples (98.50%) were found deficient with respect to available B.