Soil fertility status of Alphonso mango orchards from Devgad tahashil - a case study.
Patil K. D., Sawale R. D., Chavan S. A.
Author Affiliation: Regional Fruit Research Station, Vengurle 416 516, India.
Journal of Maharashtra Agricultural Universities 36 : 137-139
Abstract : Samples of lateritic soil were collected from mango orchards (2030 years old) in Devgad Tahashil, Maharashtra, India, up to a depth of 45 cm. The farmers in the orchards were generally using the recommended rates of inorganic fertilizers, micronutrients and organic manures every year. The soil samples were analysed for pH; EC [electrical conductivity]; organic C; exchangeable Ca and Mg; available N, P2O5 and K2O; and DTPA extractable Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu. The soils were characterized by slight acidity (4.67-6.57), low salinity (0.18-0.80 dS/m), high available N content (693.06-1019.20 kg/ha), and very high organic C content (4.91-6.57 kg/ha) and available K (537.60-2083.20 kg/ha) contents. The levels of available Fe (25.88-86.38 mg/kg), Mn (10.68-123.48 mg/kg), Zn (2.70-16.78 mg/kg) and Cu (3.25-22.60 mg/kg) were higher than the critical limits. The soil had a low P2O5 content (2.35-2083.20 kg/ha). The mango orchards had high soil fertility levels due to the continuous application of inorganic fertilizers and manures.