E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development

E3 Journal of Agricultural Research and Development Vol. 4 (6) pp. 085-096, October 2014; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2276-9897

Evaluation of the fertility status of the rice tract area of Jafarabad district, Baluchistan Pakistan

Abstract

Laboratorial experiment was conducted to analyzed the nutrient status (macro and micronutrients) and physical and chemical properties of soils of rice tract area of Jafarabad district, Baluchistan. For this fifty (50) sites were selected to collect soil samples at both 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth. Soil physical parameters (EC, pH, texture, organic carbon hence organic matter and CaCO3) as well as chemical nutrient contents including total N, Olsen P, extractable AB-DTPA (K, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) were determined. The data showed that the majority of the soils in the study area were heavy to medium in texture, calcareous in nature, non-saline, alkaline in reaction, and low in organic matter which decreased markedly with increase in soil depth. The levels of total N and Olsen P were deficient in all soils. However, exception was the extracable- K which was moderate. It was observed from the results that the concentration of micronutrients varied with the increase in soil depth. The levels of soil total N, Olsen P, extractable AB-DTPA (Zn, Mn, Cu and Fe) were generally low at the depth of 15-30 cm. pH ranged from 7.6 to 8.7. The texture of the soils was almost clayey which increased the variation and dynamics of the studied nutrient elements with the soil depths. It was then realized that a soil depth of 0-15 cm favoured availability of most plant nutrients in the study area.

Keywords: Clay soil, soil properties, nutrient status, macro and micronutrients