Spatial variability mapping of soil nutritional status of pea growing areas in Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh Sharma Rakesh*, Thakur Nishant, Sood Kunal1 Department of Soil Science and Water Management, College of Horticulture and Forestry, YSP University of Horticulture & Forestry, Neri, Hamirpur-171001, Himachal Pradesh, India 1Centre for Geo-informatics Research and Training, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur -176061, Himachal Pradesh, India *Corresponding author: rakeshsolan@gmail.com
Online published on 1 October, 2022. Abstract A survey of 135 geo-referenced locations was carried out in the major 49 pea-growing villages of the Gohar and Sundernagar regions of Mandi district for mapping the soil and leaf nutrients. The soil and leaf samples were collected and analyzed for soil physico-chemical properties along with soil and plant nutrient status. Various thematic maps were prepared using Arc GIS software version 10.2.1. Based on leaf nutrient status thematic maps, about 42.96, 71.85, 11.11, and 11.11 per cent of pea growing villages were deficient in N, P, S, and Cu, respectively. The maps further evidenced that the soils of major pea growing areas were acidic (73.5%) to neutral (24.5%) in reaction (pH 4.4–7.7), non-saline, and rich in organic carbon (2.55–26.85 g kg−1) with overall high fertility rating. Plant available N and Zn were low in the 95 and 10 percent region, respectively. However available P, K, Ca, Mg, and S were high with an overall high rating. Micronutrients were sufficient in the area under study. Based on the coefficient of variation, the soil properties such as the pH and exchangeable Ca were the least variable. Whereas, available nutrients like N, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and leaf N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, and Cu were moderately variable. The study revealed that available P, K, and micronutrients were sufficient in soils but plant available N is the major constraint in pea growing soils of Mandi district for higher crop productivity which warrants sustainable crop production by variable rate of application of nutrients. Top Keywords Pisum sativum L, Soil and leaf macro and micronutrients, Spatial variability maps. Top |