Relation of soil fertility status and physicochemical properties of pearl millet-mustard cropping system of gird region of northern Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

The land use, physiography, fertility status and their correlation studies with soil physicochemical properties were examined in surface soil (0–20 cm) of Gird agro-climatic zone of Northern Madhya Pradesh. This zone is known for pearl millet-mustard cropping system, whereas earlier it was jowar-wheat region. The topography of Gird region is gentle to highly sloppy and erodible soils resulting formation of ravenous land. Six hundred soil samples from the seven districts which have 40 blocks, 15 soil samples from each block were collected randomly from the cultivated fields, and analyzed for different physicochemical properties. These soils were neutral to alkaline in nature, low in soluble salts and organic carbon (OC) content. The available macronutrients such as N, P, K and S content varied from 86–351, 6.1–36.4, 167–567 and 4.8–29.2 kg ha−1 with the mean values were 198, 18.2, 326 and 18.8 kg ha−1, respectively. Similarly, DTPA-extractable micronutrients namely, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn contents were in the range of 0.20–3.40, 1.117.1, 0.11–2.44 and 1.2–8.67 mg kg−1 with the mean values of 1.01, 8.19, 1.17 and 4.75 mg kg−1, respectively. Soil properties showed large variability with greater variation in Fe (80.9%) followed by Mn (61.4%), whereas the little variation was in pH (8.2%) followed by bulk density (8.7%). Out of total available nutrients, 90% are rated as low and 10% medium in N; 46% low, 35% medium and 19% high in P; 21% medium and 79% high in K and 46% low and 54% medium in S. Similarly, deficiency of Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn were 34, 14, 8 and 11%, respectively. The silt, clay, OC and cation exchange capacity of soils have significantly correlated with available macronutrients and micronutrients, whereas negative with sand and CaCO3. Soil pH showed positive significant correlation with available S and negative correlation with available N, P, K and micronutrients. Therefore, maintenance of optimum OC is essential to make balanced nutritional concentration along with preventing soil erosion of highly erodible soils of Gird region of Madhya Pradesh.