Relationship between soil properties and leaf nutrient contents of pomegranate (Punica granatum L) orchards of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh

The relationship between available nutrients and leaf nutrient status provides a valuable tool for understanding the nutrient supplying capacity of soils. The study was conducted to determine the contribution of soils towards nutrient uptake by pomegranate trees. Soil and leaf samples were collected from thirty pomegranate orchards of Bhagwa cultivar in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. The samples were analyzed for the physico-chemical properties (texture, pH, EC and OC), macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) and micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, B and Mo). The relationships among soil characteristics and nutrient contents of soils and plants were established. The pH of surface depth showed significant and negative correlation with available Cu (r=-0.48) and Zn (r=-0.39) and highly positive and significant correlation with available Mo (r= 0.97). The OC was positively and significantly correlated with available N in both surface (r= 0.96) and sub-surface (r= 0.91) depths. Leaf Mg, B and Mo showed significant and positive correlation with available Mg, B and Mo respectively. Both soil and plant analyses are necessary for proper diagnostic and prognostic work for determination of nutritional needs of pomegranate trees.