Assessment of Nutrients for Soil Samples Collected near Roadsides of Thoppur Hill, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India

 

Marimuthu  Krishnaveni¹*, Ponraj K.²,  Kalimuthu  R. ²,  Lavanya K. ²,  Magesh P. ²,Jasbin Shyni G. ²

 

ABSTRACT:

The soil samples were collected near roadsides of Thoppur hills at three different locations. The total length covered by road sides was 11km. So, the soil samples were collected at three different points. While going up to Thoppur hill, the soil sample collected between 1 and 2 kilometer was labeled as point1, second sample collected near 6th kilometer was labelled as point 2 and third sample collected near 10th kilometer as point 3. The processed samples were sent for the analysis of physio-chemical properties. The observed results show that the pH was ideal for plant growth in all three points. Organic carbon content was within normal limit ensuring conducive environment for the plant growth. The nitrogen level was high in point 2 and 3, whereas it was low for sample collected from point1. The phosphorus, potassium content was found to be low in all three locations. Sufficient amount of calcium, sulphur was observed in all three points. Likewise, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper observed was higher in all the soil samples studied at different points. Deficiency of zinc, boron was observed in these soils, whereas, humus content was good in all the samples. Total mineral content was high with point1 compared to other two points.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The major factor that is responsible for nutrient transfer to soil is forest litter fall.¹ The growth, production of forest ecosystems is proportionate to the amount, the nature, the rate of decomposition of litter fall. ² and also on the type of tree species present as well as its nutrient released and chemical composition of the litter which determines the nature, quality of litter as well as seasonal environmental factors.³ Tracing or analyzing the nutrient returns is very much important to understand the dynamics of soil fertility. Hence, an attempt was initiated to study the nutrient analysis of soil collected near roadside of Thoppur hills, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

METHODS:

For the present study 500g of soil was used for the analysis. The soil samples were collected at three different points from roadsides of Thoppur hills. The physio-chemical properties of soil were determined by following an alternative analytical indigenous technology developed by MCRC, IIT(M).

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The results are depicted in Table.1 and the normal values are depicted in Table.2.

 

Table-1 Showing results of soil samples collected near road sides of Thoppur Hill at three different points.

S. No	Nutrients	Point1	Point2	Point 3
1.	pH	07.20	06.65	06.20
2.	EC	00.76	00.25	00.22
3.	Organic Carbon%	01.20	01.68	01.50
4.	Nitrogen  (Kg/acre)	106.21	113.22	116.49
5.	Phosphorus (Kg/acre)	15.57	09.25	10.77
6.	Potassium  (Kg/acre)	140.58	130.03	120.04
7.	Calcium (mg/kg)	488.99	524.37	498.4
8.	Magnesium (mg/kg)	191.49	176.72	165.22
9.	Sodium (mg/kg)	129.86	129.18	104.5
10.	Iron (mg/kg)	10.39	14.78	09.67
11.	Manganese (mg/kg)	07.11	08.38	07.21
12.	Copper (mg/kg)	01.25	01.43	01.34
13.	Zinc (mg/kg)	00.60	00.46	00.62
14.	Boron (mg/kg)	00.35	00.33	00.37
15.	Sulfate (mg/kg	19.96	20.04	15.66
16.	Humas (kg/acre)	104.16	86.67	71.66
	Total minerals (kg/acre)	262.35	252.5	247.30

Point 1- Soil sample collected  between 1 and 2 kilometer,

Point 2- Soil sample collected near 6^th kilometer

Point 3- Soil sample collected near 10^th kilometer

Table-2 Showing Normal  Nutrient Values

Nutrient	Low	Medium	High
N(Kg/acre)	<113	113-182	>182
P(Kg/acre)	<18	18-36	>36
K(Kg/acre)	<60	60-138	>138
OC (%)	<0.75	0.75-1.5	>1.5
Mg ( mg/kg)	<10	10-15	>15
HA (Kg/Acre)	<18	18-31	>31
Iron ( mg/kg)	<6	6-8	>8
Mn ( mg/kg)	<1	1.2-2.5	>2.5
Cu( mg/kg)	<0.3	0.3-1	>1
Zn( mg/kg)	<0.5	0.5-1	>1
Sulphur (mg/kg)	0-10	10-15	>15
Ca ( mg/kg)	<300 (Deficient)	>300(Sufficient)	-
Boron (mg/kg)	<0.5(Deficient)	>0.5(Sufficient)	-
Molybdenum( mg/kg)	<0.2(Deficient)	>0.2(Sufficient)	-

 

 

 

According to our obtained results tabulated in  Table. 1, the pH was found to be 7.20, 6.65, 6.20 in the selected points and the electrolyte conductance was 0.76, 0.25, 0.22. The organic content observed was 1.20%, 1.68%, 1.80%. The nitrogen content was 106.21 kg/acre in point1, 113.22 kg/acre in point 2 and 116.49 kg/acre in point 3 (Table 1), which falls in the medium range when compared to normal values (Table 2). The phosphorus content was within lower limit when compared to normal. From Table.1 it is inferred that the potassium level was high in point 1 but medium for point 2 and point 3 and calcium observed was sufficient  in all three points of Thoppur hill roadside. Likewise the magnesium, iron, copper, sulphur content was also high with all samples of Thoppur hill (Table.1). Observed changes in pH might lead to variation in phosphorus and potassium levels. The solubility of iron will also change as the pH increases because iron is not available to plants at high soil pH and the happens to phosphorus, manganese, copper, zinc, boron. The high level of calcium might reduce the uptake of potassium and magnesium thereby leading to a micro nutrient deficiency. The zinc content was low at location 2 whereas it was high at other two locations. The amount of boron was deficient in all the three locations. The humus content was high in all three samples studied (Table.1). The amount of mineral content was 262.35mg/kg for sample collected at point 1, 252.5mg/kg for samples collected at point 2 and 247.30mg/kg for point 3.

 

CONCLUSION:

The soil nutrient analysis was performed to evaluvate the properties of soil to know the healthyness of soil. From the data it is observed, that the pH of the soil was alkaline for the particular location studied. Among the major nutrients studied, nitrogen and potassium level was medium while phosphorus was lower with all samples especially it was very low with point 2. Total mineral content was high with point 1 that is at the down of the hill as all the nutrients might have been washed out from the top of the hill to down side and settled there.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The author wishes her thanks to Murugappa Chettiar Research Institute, Taramani, Chennai for their help in analyzing the soil samples, which provides platform for this publication as well as Vice Chancellor in-charge committee and Registrar Dr. K. Angamuthu, Periyar University for their administrative support.

 

REFERENCES:

1.        Parzych A, Astel A, Trojanowski J. Fluxes of biogenic substances in precipitation and through fall in woodland ecosystems of the Slowinski National Park. Archives of Environmental Protection. 34; 2008: 13-24.

2.        Victor A, Dimitrios A, Alexandros T, Georgios B, Georgios S. Litter fall, litter accumulation and litter decomposition rates in four  forest ecosystems in northern Greece. Forest Ecology and Management. 144; 2001: 113-127.

3.        Khiewtam RS, Ramakrishnan PS, Litter and fine root dynamics of relic sacred grove forest of Cherrapunjee in northeastern India.  Forest Ecology and Management.  60; 1993:327-344.

 

 

 

 

Received on 22.03.2014          Modified on 05.05.2014

Accepted on 10.05.2014         © RJPT All right reserved