Abstract
Vertical distribution of DTPA extractable iron and their inter-relationship were studied in fifteen soil profiles representing five each from three tehsils of Muzaffarnagar district of western Uttar Pradesh. The soil samples were analyzed for various parameters viz., pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, CaCO3, total Fe and DTPA extractable available Fe. Analysis of these parameters revealed that soil pH, CaCO3 and total Fe increased with increasing soil depth of profiles. However, organic carbon, electrical conductivity and available Fe of the soil declined with increasing depth of soil profiles. Correlation matrix indicated that the soil available Fe were significantly and negatively correlated with pH (r = -0.674**) and CaCO3 (r = -0.404**). However, it was significantly and positively correlated with organic carbon (r = 0.734**). Electrical conductivity was significantly and positively correlated with organic carbon (r = 0.545**) and available Fe (r = 0.628**). Organic carbon was significantly and negatively correlated with CaCO3 (r = -0.611**). Soil pH were significantly and positively correlated with CaCO3 (r= 0.624**) and total Fe (r = 0.764**), however, significantly and negatively correlated with electrical conductivity (r= - 0.447**) and organic carbon (r = -0.684**).
Plant nutrient management is mainly governed by the level of nutrients in the soil. Micronutrients are mineral elements that are needed by plants in small quantities to perform a range of physiological functions (White et al., 2012). In soils, the geographical distribution of micronutrients is intimately correlated to make up of the parent materials, in spite of the fact that soils show less variation in micronutrients content compared to parent rocks (Hodgson, 1963) and soil forming processes might significantly influence the distribution of trace elements within the soil profile (Sharma et al., 2000). The spatial variation of micronutrients in topsoil is by virtue of the differences in parent material, vegetation, topography, climate, fertilizer application and land use type. Micronutrients play an important role for maintenance of the physical organization and activities in living cell by virtue of their functions in the building and repair of protoplasm and regulation of metabolic processes. These are generally deficient in saline, sodic, highly leached, sandy, highly calcareous soils and an application of these micronutrient cations on such soils has favored the growth and yield of crops.
Keywords
Vertical Distribution, Available Iron, Physico- Chemical Properties, Alluvial Soil, Muzaffarnagar, Western Uttar Pradesh
References
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