PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOIL IN PERSPECTIVE OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FROM SUBDIVISION ROUNDU, DISTRICT SKARDU PAKISTAN

Abstract

The study conducted in Sub Division Roundu assessed various soil characteristics, including conductivity, pH, organicmatter, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, and nutrient content, with a focus on their suitability for plant growth. Soilsamples were collected from different locations for analysis. The conductivity values of the soil ranged from 22.3 to78.3, with Bilamik having the highest conductivity and Bagardo showing the least electrical conductivity. The areas withthe highest conductivity were Tormik, Bilamik, Harpo, and Gunji. The pH values of the 20 soil samples ranged from 5.1to 7.4, indicating that the soil pH was suitable for plant growth. Harpo had the highest pH value, while Shout had alower pH value. Surprisingly, the soil samples from Sub Division Roundu exhibited a medium level of organic matter,ranging from 48% to 76%, which is uncommon for Pakistani soil. Tormik and Gunji had the highest organic mattercontent, while Bagardo had the lowest. Total dissolved solids (TDS), representing inorganic salts in the soil, rangedfrom 9.8 to 32 in the samples. Bagardo had the lowest TDS value, whereas Bilamik showed a high TDS value. Thesalinity levels in the soil were generally low, except for minor salinity in soils from Dassu, Dambodas, Khumrah, andHarbot. However, the study revealed widespread deficiencies in nitrogen and phosphorus content in the soil, with onlymarginal amounts of potassium present in some regions like Tormik, Harpo, Gunji, and Bilamik. Around 85% of the soilsamples lacked sufficient nitrogen and phosphorus, while 15% had marginal concentrations. In contrast, potassium wassufficient in 79.8% of the samples, with 20.2% showing marginal amounts.