Comparative evaluation of fertility status in drought impacted soils of Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh Shankar Ajay, Prasad Vishal* Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India *Corresponding author (Email: vp.iesd@bhu.ac.in)
Online published on 1 March, 2024. Abstract Drought causes the depletion of soil nutrient and thereby reduction in its fertility. Thus, assessment of soil for fertility status in drought affected region is very essential to sustain the nutrient quality of soil under the influence of climate change for sustainable production of food crops. It may also put on the alert about evolving problems in drought prone regions. The surface soils from 10 cm depth were collected from Hamirpur district, which is vulnerable to drought and heat waves, with an average annual rainfall of 864 mm. The physicochemical properties and nutrient quality of soil along with microbial population were evaluated. The pH values were neutral to alkaline and textures were clay, silty clay loam and loam types. Soil moisture ranged from 7 to 49% and it showed positive correlation with water holding capacity (WHC) (r=0.43*). Electrical conductivity ranged from 45 to 167.8 μS cm−1. The organic carbon (OC) content had low to medium value (0.37 to 2.97%), lower amounts of available N (13.8–64 kg ha−1), high values of available P (86.4 to 255 kg ha−1) and a very low to very high available K (65.9 to 1062.4 kg ha−1). Overall, a prevailing impact of climate change and parent material was found on WHC, K and P distribution and the relationship between nutrients and bacterial colony forming units revealed WHC, OC, P and K are major driving forces for bacterial populations which are supposed to be one of the foremost and important players for maintaining the fertility of the soils. Top Keywords Drought, Soil fertility, Colony forming units, Water holding capacity and soil moisture. Top |