their micronutrient status and their relationship with soil properties. ... formation of insoluble zinc hydroxides (Mishra and Pandey ... 7.3. 7.3. 7.5. 7.7. 7.2. 7.4. 7.4. 7.5. 7.5. 6.6. 6.7. 6.9. 6.9. 7.2. K: (dSml). 0.16 .... 'Methods of soil analysis Part 2' .
Agropedology 2005,15 (2),117-119
Distribution of micronutrient cations in some soils of Kumaon region of Uttaranchal SlllVESHWAR PRATAP SINGH, R. A. GUPTA AND H. N. SINGH Department of Soil Science, G. B. Pant Universiy of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145, India In spite of agricultural importance of Blwbar soils
positive correlation between total micronutrient cations and
in Uttaranchal, very little attention has been paid to assess
clay (Zn. r = 0.63**; Cu, r = 0.55** and Mn, r = 0.68**)
their micronutrient status and their relationship with soil
indicated that most of the micronutrient cations were
properties. Keeping in view. the present investigation was
associated with the finer fractions of the soils. The total
undertaken to assess the status of micronutrient cations
micronutrient cations also showed significant positive
and their relationship with physical and chemical properties
con'elation with organic carbon (Zn.r=0.48**; Cu, r=0.39*;
in some soils of Kumaon region of Uttaranchal. The study area is situated at about 29°N latitude and 79°29'E longitude, at an altitude ranging between 244 - 500 m above mean sea level (MSL). Soil samples were collected from six soil series namely Tanda, Haldwani, Gajraula, Chakaula, Kaladhungi and Kathgodam of Kumaon region of Uttaranchal. The samples were processed and analyzed following standard procedures for mechanical analysis (Black 1965); electrical conductivity (Bower and Wilcox 1965); pH and organic carbon (Jackson 1967). The total (Jackson 1967) and available (Lindsay and Norvell
Mn, r = 0.42* and Fe, r = 0.68**). Similar results were also reported by Parmar et af. (1999) and Pati Ram et al. (2000). In general, available micronutrient cations were more in surface than subsurface soils and decreased with the depth in all soil series except the Gajraula soils (Table I). The sand showed significant negative correlation with available Zn (r = 0.59**) and Mn (r = 0.63**) owing to leaching from coarse textured soils. The finer fractions in general showed a significant positive correlation with available micronutrient cations of soils except Fe, which
1978) micronutrient cations were estimated with the help of
showed significant negative correlation with silt (Prasad and
atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
Sakal 1991). Available Zn showed significant negative cOlTelation with pH (r = 0.85**), which may be due to
The soils were slightly acidic to slightly alkaline and pH increased with depth (Table 1) whereas electrical conductivity and organic carbon decreased with depth. The texture of surface horizon was sandy loam/sandy clay loam in all the soil series of the study area. In general, the total micronutrient cations were more in subsurface than surface soils and no regular trend was observed with depth in all the selies except the Gajraula series (Table I). Sand showed significant negative correlation with total Zn
formation of insoluble zinc hydroxides (Mishra and Pandey 1976). The significant negative con'elation of Mn with pH (r = 0.93**) might be because of conversion of Mn++ into manganic oxides (Mn+++ and above), which are water insoluble and can not be extracted with DTPA (Parmar et al. 1999). The available Zn showed significant positive correlation with organic carbon (r = 0.86**). This may be attributed to ability of organic matter that promotes the
(r= 0.41 *), Cu (r= 0.38*), Mn (r= 0.59**) and Fe (r= 0.36*).
complexation and availability ofZn in soils (Sakal et al. 1988).
The pH had significant negative correlation with total Zn
The significant positive correlation was also obtained
. (r = 0.49**), Mn (r= 0.37*) and Fe (r= 0.41 *). The significant
between available Mn and organic carbon (r = 0.95**) .
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Table 1. Physical, chemical properties and total and available micronutrient cations in soils
Depth (m)
Sand
Silt
Clay
pH
---1(%)----
K: (dSml)
0.00-0.20 66.3 0.20-0.41 . 65.4 0.41-0.59 70.4 0.59-0.80 73.0 0.80+ 76.6
14.5 17.0 14.0 12.1 10.2
19.2 17.6 15.6 14.9 13.2
6.6 6.6 6.7 6.7 6.7
0.16 0.15 0.12 0.10 0.19
0.00-0.18 0.18-0.33 0.33 -0.48 0.48-0.65 0.65+
57.0 67.1 72.1 74.4 78.1
17.1 17.0 20.3 20.0 17.1
25.9 15.9 7.6 5.6 4.9
6.5 6.6 6.7 6.7 6.9
0.23 0.23 0.21 0.19 0.17
0.00-0.15 0.15 -0.33 0.33-0.51 0.51-0.77 0.77+
66.1 74.1 71.6 75.4 81.1
19.3 15.0 17.2 15.0 10.3
8.6 9.6 11.2 10.9 14.6
6.9 6.8 6.7 6.6 6.6
0.35 0.27 0.12 0.11
0.00-0.20 0.20-0.43 0.44-0.62 0.62-0.84 0.84-1.02
72.1 79.4 73.5 81.3 88.8
15.12 9.00 10.30 14.10 8.00
12.8 11.6 16.2 4.1 3.2
6.9 7.3 7.3 7.5 7.7
0.29 0.18 0.17 0.16 ·0.14
14.00 8.20 10.10 10.00
9.2 8.2 7.2 6.1 5.9
7.2 7.4 7.4 7.5 7.5
0.17 0.14 0.15 0.14 0.16
18.00 13.20 12.00 11.64 10.40
18.2 15.2 14.6 10.5 5.6
6.6 6.7 6.9 6.9
0.25 0.22 0.12
0.00-0.20 76.8 0.20-0.33 82.7 0.33-0.48 . 84.6 0.48-0.65 83.8 0.65 - 0.82 84.1 0.00-0.16 0.16-0.28 0.28-0.46 0.46-0.68 0.68-0.81
63.8 71.6 74.4 77.9 84.0
9.06
7.2
0.09
0.09 0.09
oc (%)
00
DTPA-extractable
Total
Zn Cu ---mgkg- I
Tanda soils 1.1 9 229 0.85 231 0.51 206 198 . . 0.41 0.38 209 Haldwani soils 0.78 197 0.55 189 0.46 151 0.27 150 0.25 156 Gajraula soils 1.14 148 0.78 156 0.83 168 2.02 203 2.22 233 Chakaula soils 1.04 190 0.64 212 ·0.46 182 0.39 172· 0.27 171 Kaladhungi soils 0.78 198 0.49 204 0.45 129 0.47 103 0.38 112 Kathgodam soils 0.77 174 0.52 197 0.46 166 0.46 173 0.21 94
_
54.5 58.6 52.0 45.5 40.7
Mn
Fe
(%) 593
651 459
253
194
63.6 68.2 39.0 37.0 26.2
466 491 279 239
48.2 48.6 50.9 50.9 61.3
326
220
361 390 379
411
65.6 39.0 67.4 48.5 26.3
583 340 622
61.7 65.2 56.9 52.2 48.0
315
45.7 58.5 48.7 38.7 25.4
325
301 233
349 27 223 200
382
308 276 170
Zn
Cu
---~-mg
Mn kg-I
Fe
2.9 2.9 2.4 2.3 2.1
2.0 1.8 1.3 1.2 0.9
3.6 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.0
83.9 47.6 39.8 35.3 38.6
216 187
2.6 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.2
2.4 1.7 1.5
49.0 46.2 31.8 20.9 21.3
190 169
1.2
3.8 2.9 2.0 1.6 1.6
2.6 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2
1.1 1.4 2.0 1.8 2.3
2.8 2.3 3.4 4.0 4.7
61.1 65.6 67.2 68.7 73.3
28
2.1 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.8
3.9 .
67.9 50.9 45.4 39.1 31.3
230 199 169
2.7 2.7 1.7 1.3 1.3
53.0 42.0 38.1 39.7
169
2.7 2.3 1.8 2.0 1.7
63.3 53.1
2.7 2.8 2.4 2.0 2.3 2.4 2.1 1.9 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.5
1.2
1.1 1.0 1.0
0.9 0.9 1.3 1.3
1.1 1.1 1.0
3.0 2.8 2.4 1.4
34.2
35.9 18.7 9.7
173 156
171
73 71 51
160 167
192 187 233
157 132
122 100 68 50
208
en
e: ~
~ ~
el
j en
179 97 78
~
53
~
~
•
,
Micronutrient cations in soils of Kumaon
119 Parmar, O.K.. ShaIma. v., Shrma, K.D. and Shanna. T.R. (1')99).
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(American Society of Agronomy. Inc. : Madison,
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{ndiall Society (!{Soil Science 47, 280-283.
«I the
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(~r
the Indian SocieTY or
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Received March 2003: Accepted August 2005
