FERTILITY STATUS OF SOILS OF SHIMLA DISTRICT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Abstract

Soil survey was carried out during 2003 in potato growing areas in Shimla district. Twenty five surface soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected and analyzed for physico-chemical properties. The soils were acidic to neutral in reaction with pH varying from 5.15 to 7.32. The organic carbon content ranged from 0.63 to 3.34% with a mean value of 1.75%. The high organic carbon content and its wide variability in the soils may be due to low decomposition rate on account of prevalence of low temperature in the region. Total nitrogen content of the soils ranged from 0.12 to 0.34% with a mean value of 0.23%. Available phosphorus content (Bray P) varied from 13.5 to 124.0 kg ha-1 with a mean value 37.1 kg ha-1. Keeping in view the critical limit of 35 ppm fixed for potato, these soils were deficient in P. Available K content ranged from 320 to 1827 ppm K with a mean value 829 ppm indicating that these soils were high in available K taking into consideration the 120 ppm critical limit fixed for these soils. DTPA zinc content ranged from 0.40 to 5.76 ppm averaged at 1.85 ppm. Only 16% samples were found to be deficient in Zn. Likewise Cu content ranged from 0.52 to 3.80 ppm, with an average value of 1.35 ppm. Soils in general were high in Fe and Mn content with an average value of 42.24 and 66.79 ppm, respectively. Results showed that micronutrients status in the soils was high keeping in view the critical limit of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe fixed for potato.