A Study on Soil Particle Distribution and Nutrient Availability in Maize-productive Zones of Jagtial District, Telangana, India

Abstract

The current investigation involved a comprehensive field survey aimed at analysing the distribution of particle sizes and the availability of essential nutrients in maize soils cultivated during the rabi season (2022-2023) across three distinct productivity zones in Jagtial district, Telangana. These zones were categorized based on their maize yield: low (<2726 kg ha-1), medium (2726-2924 kg ha-1), and high (<2924-3122 kg ha-1). Prior to sowing the rabi maize crop, a total of 225 surface soil samples (0 - 15 cm depth) were meticulously gathered using a stratified random sampling method. This sampling approach ensured representation from each of the three productivity regions based on maize yield, amounting to 75 samples per region. These samples are now undergoing thorough analysis to assess soil texture and quantify the availability of key nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The sand, silt, and clay content in low, medium, and high productivity regions are 44.56%, 44.00%, and 42.84% for sand; 23.60%, 23.36%, and 21.97% for silt; and 31.84%, 32.64%, and 35.19% for clay, respectively. These figures show a slight decrease in sand and silt content and an increase in clay content as productivity increases. This trend suggests that high productivity soils have a denser texture with higher clay content, which can impact water retention and nutrient availability, important factors for plant growth and soil management practices. The respective available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) showed mean values of 172.36 kg/ha, 189.05 kg/ha, and 198.80 kg/ha for N; 27.18 kg/ha, 30.64 kg/ha, and 59.37 kg/ha for P; and 337 kg/ha, 350.47 kg/ha, and 363.85 kg/ha for K in low, medium, and high productivity regions, respectively. These values indicate an increase in available N, P, and K with increasing productivity, indicated by large standard deviation and coefficient of variation values across productivity regions, suggesting that higher productivity regions have more nutrient-rich soils, which can support more robust plant growth and contribute to higher agricultural yields.