Surface (0–15 cm) and sub-surface (15–30 cm) soil samples from sewage water irrigated and tubewell water irrigated sites were collected from ten sites each in Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts of Punjab. The samples were analyzed for their physico-chemical properties, DTPA-Cr and total Cr. The pH of sewage water irrigated soil was lesser as compared to tubewell water irrigated soils in both the towns and it decreased with depth. The electrical conductivity and organic carbon of sewage water irrigated soils was observed to be higher in Ludhiana as compared to Jalandhar district. Calcium carbonate content was noted to be higher in tubewell irrigated soil of Ludhiana only and found absent in Jalandhar. The cation exchange capacity of Ludhiana was observed to be higher than Jalandhar. The mean DTPA-Cr and total Cr in both the soils were found to be higher in Jalandhar as compared to Ludhiana. Correlation coefficients of DTPA-Cr and total Cr with soil properties showed that organic carbon, pH, calcium carbonate content and clay were significantly correlated with DTPA-Cr. Partial regression analysis showed that pH, OC and calcium carbonate content significantly explains the variability towards DTPA-Cr and total Cr.
Organic carbon, pH, CEC, DTPA-Cr, Total Cr, Correlation coefficients, Partial regression coefficients
